Compressible disposable filter press for blood

Claim 2

In a disposable filter press suitable for filtering blood, the improvement comprising in combination: an exterior filter press case, a pair of blood flow conduits, consisting of a flow inlet conduit and a flow outlet conduit, each said conduit secured to an opposed face of said case at opposed ends of a diameter of said case, an open cell, compressed elastic plastic foam filter medium, said filter medium having pore openings adapted to selectively range in average diameter value from 25 to 150 microns, said filter medium disposed as a planar volume inside said case means coplanar with the pair of case faces, means providing a variable compression ratio range for said filter medium, a pair of blood reservoir apertures, each one of said pair of reservoir apertures oppositely coplanarly disposed inside said case means adjacent one face of said filter medium and conductively connected to one of said pair of blood flow conducts, whereby blood can be circulated through said inlet conduit secured on said case, through one said blood reservoir aperture, thence through said filter medium, thence through a second said blood reservoir aperture, and out through said outlet conduit.

Claim 3

A disposable filter press suitable for filtering circulating blood, comprising in combination: an exterior filter press case, having means providing a regulated variable compression ratio range for said filter press case, a pair of blood flow conduits, consisting of a flow inlet conduit and a flow outlet conduit, each said conduit secured to an opposed face of said case at opposed ends of a diameter of said case, an open cell, compressed, elastic plastic foam filter medium, said filter medium having pore openings adapted to selectively range in average diameter value from 25 to 150 microns, said filter medium disposed as a planar volume inside said case coplanar with the pair of case faces, a pair of opposed filter press plates for said foam filter medium, each one of said plates supportively disposed adjacent one face of said filter medium, said press plates coplanarly adapted and secured inside said case means to provide passage of all blood flow only through said filter medium and said pair of plates, and a pair of blood reservoir apertures, each one of said pair of reservoir apertures oppositely coplanarly disposed inside said case adjacent one said press plate, and conductively connected to one of said pair of blood flow conduits, whereby blood can be circulated through said inlet conduit, through one said blood reservoir aperture, thence through said filter medium, disposed between said pair of filter press plates, thence through a second said blood reservoir aperture, and out through said outlet conduit.

Claim 4

A disposable filter press suitable for filtering circulating blood, comprising in combination: an exterior filter press case, having means providing a regulated variable compression ratio range for said filter press case, a pair of blood flow conduits, consisting of a flow inlet conduit and a flow outlet conduit, each said conduit secured to an opposed face of said case at opposed ends of a diameter of said case, an open cell, compressed, elastic plastic foam filter medium, said filter medium having pore openings adapted to selectively range in average diameter value from 25 to 150 microns, said filter medium disposed as a planar volume inside said case coplanar with the pair of case faces, a pair of opposed filter press plates for said foam filter medium, each one of said plates supportively disposed adjacent one face of said filter medium, said press plates coplanarly adapted and secured inside said case means to provide passage of all blood flow only through said filter medium and said pair of plates, and a pair of blood reservoir apertures, each one of said pair of reservoir apertures oppositely coplanarly disposed inside said case adjacent one said press plate, and conductively connected to one of said pair of blood flow conduits, whereby blood can be circulated through said inlet conduit, through one said blood reservoir aperture, thence through said filter medium, disposed between said pair of filter press plates, thence through a second said blood reservoir aperture, and out through said outlet conduit.

Claim 5

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said filter press case means providing a regulated compression ratio range comprises a flexible diaphragm drum case having a pair of opposed flexible diaphragms.

Claim 6

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said filter press case means providing a regulated compression ratio range comprises a rigid double diaphragm drum, having at least one integral accordion-fold, flexible bellows pleat circularly disposed in the drum wall between each rigid diaphragm and the confronting filter press plate.

Claim 7

A disposable filter press suitable for filtering circulating blood, comprising in combination: an exterior filter press case, a pair of blood flow conduits, consisting of a flow inlet conduit and a flow outlet conduit, each said conduit secured to an opposed face of said case at opposed ends of a diameter of said case, an open cell, compressed, elastic plastic foam filter medium, said filter medium having pore openings adapted to selectively range in average diameter value from 25 to 150 microns, said filter medium disposed as a planar volume inside said case coplanar with the pair of case faces, a pair of opposed filter press plates for said foam filter medium, each one of said plates supportively disposed adjacent one face of said filter medium, said press plates coplanarly adapted and secured inside said case means to provide passage of all blood flow only through said filter medium and said pair of plates, and a pair of blood reservoir apertures, each one of said pair of reservoir apertures oppositely coplanarly disposed inside said case adjacent one said press plate, and conductively connected to one of said pair of blood flow conduits, a ram plunger, normally coaxially disposed on and permanently secured at a first plunger end to one of said pair of filter press plates, said plunger having an annular compression shoulder area disposed on the plunger free second end, a plunger positioning cylinder, said cylinder concentrically closely slidably fitting around said plunger, the cylinder axis of symmetry disposed normal to a case first face and a first cylinder end coaxially integrally secured to said first face, said cylinder having screw threads disposed in the exterior surface thereof adjacent to the cylinder free second end, aforesaid cylinder second end having an annular compression shoulder area disposed thereon, an annular seal means disposed between said plunger and said plunger positioning cylinder, preventing blood flow therebetween, a compression collar means, having an internal compression shoulder area concentrically disposed therein, said collar means having interior screw threads adaptively engaging said exterior screw threads on said cylinder, said internal shoulder area compressively engaging said plunger annular shoulder area, a compression index measuring means, disposed on the case exterior, said means indicating the pore opening average diameter of said filter medium, as said compression collar means adaptively engages said threads on said cylinder, compressing said filter medium, and a handle means secured to said plunger, cooperatively adapted to compressively position said plunger prior to securing the plunger position with said compression collar means, whereby said filter medium can be adapted to the selected pore opening average diameter required to filter said circulating blood and said filter medium can be periodically compressed and expanded to remove entrapped air.

Claim 8

A disposable filter press suitable for filtering circulating blood, comprising in combination: an exterior filter press case, a pair of blood flow conduits, consisting of a flow inlet conduit and a flow outlet conduit, each said conduit secured to an opposed face of said case at opposed ends of a diameter of said case, an open cell, compressed, elastic plastic foam filter medium, said filter medium having pore openings adapted to selectively range in average diameter value from 25 to 150 microns, said filter medium disposed as a planar volume inside said case coplanar with the pair of case faces, a pair of opposed filter press plates for said foam filter medium, each one of said plates supportively disposed adjacent one face of said filter medium, said press plates coplanarly adapted and secured inside said case means to provide passage of all blood flow only through said filter medium and said pair of plates, and a pair of blood reservoir apertures, each one of said pair of reservoir apertures oppositely coplanarly disposed inside said case adjacent one said press plate, and conductively connected to one of said pair of blood flow conduits, a ram plunger, normally coaxially disposed on and permanently secured at a first plunger end to one of said pair of filter press plates, said plunger having an annular compression shoulder area disposed on the plunger free second end, a plunger positioning cylinder, said cylinder concentrically closely slidably fitting around said plunger, the cylinder axis of symmetry disposed normal to a case first face and a first cylinder end coaxially integrally secured to said first face, said cylinder having screw threads disposed in the exterior surface thereof adjacent to the cylinder free second end, aforesaid cylinder second end having an annular compression shoulder area disposed thereon, an annular seal means disposed between said plunger and said plunger positioning cylinder, preventing blood flow therebetween, a compression collar means, having an internal compression shoulder area concentrically disposed therein, said collar means having interior screw threads adaptively engaging said exterior screw threads on said cylinder, said internal shoulder area compressively engaging said plunger annular shoulder area, a compression index measuring means, disposed on the case exterior, said means indicating the pore opening average diameter of said filter medium, as said compression collar means adaptively engages said threads on said cylinder, compressing said filter medium, and a handle means secured to said plunger, cooperatively adapted to compressively position said plunger prior to securing the plunger position with said compression collar means, whereby said filter medium can be adapted to the selected pore opening average diameter required to filter said circulating blood and said filter medium can be periodically compressed and expanded to remove entrapped air.