Patent ID: 7281632

Claim:
An apparatus for filtering fluid, the fluid being received into the apparatus from a fluid container placed in fluid communication with an inlet port on the apparatus, the fluid passing through a porous filter element pinch sealed within the housing, and the filtered fluid exiting the apparatus through an outlet port being in flow communication with a fluid receiving container, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing comprising: i. an inlet section having at least a portion of an inlet chamber formed therein, and a passageway in fluid communication with said inlet chamber at one end thereof and with atmosphere at the other end thereof; and ii. an outlet section having at least a portion of an outlet chamber formed therein, and a passageway in fluid communication with said outlet chamber at one end thereof and with atmosphere at the other end thereof, bonded to said inlet section; and b. a porous filter element pinch sealed between the inlet section and the outlet section when said outlet section and said inlet section are bonded together, and forming the remainder of said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber, wherein at least a portion of said porous filter element is chemically treated to modify the surface properties of the treated fibers only partway through a thickness of the porous filter element at the pinch seal between the inlet section and the outlet section, thereby causing the porous filter element to be liquiphobic at least in a portion of its sealing region.