Patent ID: 6214574
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B01D,C12M,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for separating one or more components from an input fluid, said method comprising:(a) providing a first tangential flow device comprising:(i) a first housing enclosing an interior volume;(ii) one or more filter means separating the interior volume of the first housing into a first set of one or more chambers and a second set of one or more chambers;(iii) at least one entrance port and at least one exit port in fluid communication with the first set of one or more chambers;(iv) at least one entrance and/or exit port in fluid communication with the second set of one or more chambers;(b) providing a second tangential flow device comprising:(i) a second housing enclosing an interior volume;(ii) one or more filter means separating the interior volume of the second housing into a first set of one or more chambers and a second set of one or more chambers;(iii) at least one entrance port and at least one exit port in fluid communication with the first set of one or more chambers;(iv) at least one entrance and/or exit port in fluid communication with the second set of one or more chambers;(c) in the first tangential flow device, introducing a first fluid via a port into the first set of one or more chambers, such that a permeate comprising a first permeate component from the first fluid can traverse the one or more filter means and enter the second set of one or more chambers to provide a second fluid comprising the first permeate component;(d) removing the second fluid from the second set of one or more chambers of the first tangential flow device via an exit port; and(e) in the second tangential flow device, introducing the second fluid collected in step (d) via an entrance port into the first set of one or more chambers, such that a permeate comprising the first permeate component and/or comprising a second permeate component can traverse the one or more filter means and enter the second set of one or more chambers to provide a third fluid comprising the first and/or second permeate component.