Patent ID: 7332096

Claim:
A blood filter assembly comprising housing, a filtration medium contained within a housing comprising a flexible material, the filtration medium being sized and configured to define multiple filtration regions within the housing, the filtration regions including a top filtration portion and a bottom filtration portion, a top port communicating only with the top filtration portion, a bottom port communicating only with the bottom filtration portion, separate first and second inlet paths, the first inlet path including a first length of tubing which is coupled only to the top port and not the bottom port and which extends outside the housing for communication with a blood source to convey blood into the housing for contact only with the top filtration portion, the second inlet path including a second length of tubing which is separate from the first length of tubing and which is coupled only to the bottom port and not the top port and which extends outside the housing for communication with the blood source to convey blood into the housing for contact only with the bottom filtration portion, the separate first and second lengths of tubing dividing blood flow from the blood source into separate flow paths before entering the housing, an outlet manifold within the housing to receive blood from all filtration regions after passage through the filtration medium, and at least one outlet path communicating with the outlet manifold to convey blood from the housing; wherein a peripheral seal joins the housing to the filtration medium and said outlet path passes through said peripheral seal.