Patent ID: 7276042

Claim:
A cartridge for treating medical or biological fluid comprising: a container housing defining a inner chamber having a chamber wall and an input end and an outlet end, the container housing having an inner chamber length from the input end to the outlet end such that the inner chamber width is at least three times larger than the inner chamber length, the inner chamber length measured in the general direction of fluid flow through the filtering apparatus between the input end and the outlet end; the input end having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inwardly opening conical fluid distribution chamber having a fluid inlet at the apex of the conical fluid distribution chamber; the outlet end having an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inwardly opening conical fluid collection chamber having a fluid outlet at the apex of the conical fluid collection chamber; a plurality of fluid permeable separators extending inwardly beginning proximate to the inner wall and into the inner chamber, the separators defining a plurality of open ended compartments inside the container housing wherein fluid can flow through the separators and between the compartments and wherein solid particles are retained by the separators in the compartments, the compartments each having a compartment length in the general direction of fluid flow though the filter from the conical fluid distribution chamber to the conical fluid collection chamber, each compartment having a first open inlet end proximate to the conical fluid distribution chamber and a second open outlet end proximate the conical fluid collection chamber, each open inlet and outlet end of the compartments having a dimension across the open end that is equal to or shorter than the compartment length; a first screen disposed between the conical fluid distribution chamber and the open inlet ends of the compartments, the screen distributing fluid flowing through the inlet and conical fluid distribution chamber to the open inlet ends of the compartments; and a second screen disposed between the conical fluid collection chamber and the open outlet ends of the compartments, the second screen retaining particles in the compartments and preventing particles in the compartments from entering the conical collection chamber.