Patent ID: 7985343

Claim:
A modular filter assembly, comprising: a plurality of stacked filter plates formed from a porous material, each filter plate comprising: a planar base portion having an outer peripheral edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface, and further defining at least one opening extending therebetween the respective top and bottom surface; a convoluted ridge wall extending from the top surface of the base portion and having a ridge outer side surface, a ridge inner side surface, and a top ridge surface, the convoluted wall surrounding the at least one opening; a plurality of fluid inlet troughs defined by the ridge outer side surface and a first portion of the base portion top surface; and a plurality of fluid outlet troughs defined by the ridge inner side surface and a second portion of the base portion top surface; wherein at least a first and a second filter plate of the plurality of filter plates are stacked such that the ridge top surface of the first plate is contacting the bottom surface of the second plate; a plurality of fluid inlet cavities defined by the fluid inlet trough of the first filter plate and a first portion of the bottom surface of the second filter plate; and a plurality of fluid outlet cavities defined by the fluid outlet trough of the first filter plate and a second portion of the bottom surface of the second filter plate; wherein the plurality of fluid inlet cavities are in filtered communication with the plurality of fluid outlet cavities such that a fluid passing from the fluid inlet cavity to the fluid outlet cavity must pass through at least one of the ridge and filter plate base portion.