Patent ID: 6422397
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: A61M,B01D,B29C,B29K,B29L

Abstract:
A blood filter device comprisingfirst and second flexible sheets, each sheet comprising a meltable material, a filter medium comprising a prefilter layer, a main filter layer, and a postfilter layer, each layer comprising a meltable material, the meltable material of the prefilter layer and the meltable material of the postfilter layer being essentially the same, such that the layers of the filter medium encountered in sequence during flow through the filter medium are essentially the same regardless of direction of flow, a peripheral seal formed by application of radio frequency heating and pressure in a single step to join the first and second flexible sheets directly to the filter medium and encapsulate the filter medium between the first and second flexible sheets, with the first flexible sheet overlying the prefilter layer, the second flexible sheet overlying the postfilter layer, and the main filter layer sandwiched between the prefilter and postfilter layers, the peripheral seal comprising a continuous commingled melted matrix comprising material of the sheets and material of the filter medium, an inlet port for conveying blood to the filter medium, an outlet port for conveying blood from the filter medium, and the meltable material of the postfilter layer providing a fluid manifold effect for passage of blood through the outlet port.