Patent ID: 8876943

Claim:
Apparatus for changing the concentration of a selected gas in a liquid, the apparatus comprising (A) a flow plate comprising (i) a flow chamber through which the liquid can be passed, and which has a width and a height such that the ratio of the width to the height is at least 25:1, (ii) a flow plate peripheral member which surrounds the flow plate chamber, (iii) an inlet for liquid to enter the flow chamber, and (iv) an outlet for liquid to leave the flow chamber; (B) a selection channel which comprises a selection plate and a selection plate port for maintaining a selection fluid in the selection channel, the selection plate comprising (i) an inner selection plate surface, the inner selection plate surface comprising a selection plate base and selection plate elements which (a) extend from the base, (b) are separated by intercommunicating selection areas which communicate with the selection plate port, and (c) have outer surfaces remote from the selection plate base, and (ii) a selection plate peripheral member, (C) a planar separation membrane which (i) is substantially impermeable to the liquid and permeable to the selected gas, (ii) comprises a membrane transmission section having a first major surface and a second major surface, and (iii) a membrane peripheral member which surrounds the membrane transmission section; wherein (1) the flow chamber is at least in part bounded by the first major surface of the membrane transmission section and the flow plate peripheral member, (2) the selection channel is at least in part bounded by the second major surface of the membrane transmission section, the selection plate base and the selection plate elements, and (3) the peripheral member of the planar separation membrane (a) lies between the flow plate peripheral member and the selection plate peripheral member and (b) provides a seal between flow plate peripheral member and the selection plate peripheral member.