Patent ID: 7153425

Claim:
A filtration cartridge for filtering a slurry composition to remove undesirably large particles therefrom comprising: a hollow housing having a housing inlet and a housing outlet; a conduit within said housing in fluid communication with said housing inlet, said conduit having a conduit inlet and a conduit outlet; a depth filter comprising depth filter segments separated by annular spacers, said annular spacers having an open portion and a solid portion, said annular spacers surrounding and being sealed along the conduit, said depth filter formed of non-woven polymeric fibers and having a thickness to retain undesirably large particles of said slurry while permitting passage therethrough of particles of said slurry within a desired size range, said depth filter material having progressively smaller micron particle retention in the direction of fluid flow, said retention being greatest adjacent the outlet; a slurry flow pat defined by sequential passage through said housing inlet, said conduit inlet, said conduit outlet, said depth filter and said housing outlet; and an open void volume of not greater than one inch in height as to prevent separation of solid particles from the slurry, said open void volume upstream of a first surface of said depth filter in contact with said slurry; wherein said annular spacers have a height of between about 0.01 and about 0.12 inch, and the ratio of the height of said depth filter segments to the height of said annular spacers being between about 1:1 and about 5:1.