Patent ID: 8911624

Claim:
A self contained stacked filtration cartridge ( 20 ) free of a separate exterior housing comprising, a first end cap ( 22 ) and a second end cap ( 24 ), wherein one end cap includes a vent ( 27 ) for venting gas and the other end cap includes a fluid feed inlet ( 28 ) in fluid communication with a fluid permeate outlet ( 30 ); and a plurality of filtration units ( 26 ) stacked between the first and second end caps in fluid communication with the first ( 22 ) and second ( 24 ) end caps, each filtration unit ( 26 ) has an outer periphery, an inner periphery and a plurality of filtration plates ( 42 ), each filtration plate ( 42 ) having a membrane support plate ( 32 ), each membrane support plate ( 32 ) having a bottom surface ( 36 ) having a lower filtration membrane structure ( 40 ) bonded thereto and a top surface ( 34 ) having an upper filtration membrane structure ( 38 ) bonded thereto, wherein the lower filtration membrane structure ( 40 ) is smaller in size than the upper filtration membrane structure; wherein the self contained stacked filtration cartridge ( 20 ) is formed by sealing two adjacent stacked filtration units ( 26 ) to each other by sealing two adjacent membrane support plates ( 32 ) to each other at an outer plate seal ( 64 ) and an inner plate seal ( 70 ) to prevent fluid feed from entering the fluid outlet ( 30 ) except by having passed through at least one of the membrane structures, and sealing adjacent filtration units ( 26 ) along (i) the corresponding outer periphery at the outer plate seal ( 64 ) and (ii) the corresponding inner periphery at an inner periphery plate seal 70 ; wherein the self contained stacked filtration cartridge ( 20 ) eliminates the need for an outer housing to effect desired fluid flow, thereby providing a single fluid pathway by preventing fluid feed from entering the fluid permeate outlet ( 30 ) except by having passed through at least one of the lower filtration membrane structure or upper filtration membrane structure.