Patent ID: 8048210

Claim:
An element comprising a filter media, the media comprising a web having first and second opposite flow faces; and a plurality of flutes; (i) each of said flutes having a first open end portion adjacent to said first flow face and a second open end portion adjacent to said second flow face; (ii) said media including a nonwoven substrate at least partially covered by a layer of fine fibers, said layer of fine fibers comprising a fine fiber layer and an active spacer particulate dispersed in a substantially uniform manner in the fiber layer, the particulate comprising 0.1 to 50 vol % of the layer, the fiber having a diameter of about 0.001 to about 5 microns, the layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 500 microns and a solidity of about 0.1 to 65%; wherein the element comprises a flow-by path such that a fluid can flow in a path parallel to the substrate; and wherein solidity of a fine fiber layer without the active spacer particulate is greater than the solidity of a fine fiber layer formed with the active spacer particulate.