Patent ID: 6692968
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: B01D,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
An automated method for removing interferants from a mixture containing a composition of interest and interferants comprising:a) applying a vacuum force to a first container containing said mixture to cause said mixture to contact a filtration device comprising: i. an impermeable housing that forms an extramembrane chamber wherein said housing contains at least three ports and wherein at least one tort is connected by a conduit to the vacuum source; and ii. a filter in said chamber that selectively retains said composition of interest while allowing interferants to pass through the filter, said filter comprising a microporous hollow fiber membrane having a plurality of pores, wherein the microporous hollow fiber membrane is fashioned into at least one tube defining a lumen, said tube having a first opening at one end of the tube, and a second opening at the opposite end of the tube, wherein said mixture enters said filter at said first opening; b) applying a force transversely through said filter to said mixture in contact with the filter to separate the composition of interest from the mixture of the composition of interest and interferants, said force causing said interferants to pass transversely through said filter with the composition of interest retained in the lumen of the filter; and c) recovering the composition of interest from the filter by passing a buffer through the lumen of the filter, said buffer applied at said second opening at the opposite end of said tube.