Patent ID: 6984331

Claim:
A method for operating a filter in a fluid microbial decontamination system, the filter including: (a) a first chamber having a first inlet port in communication with a source of a fluid to be filtered and a first outlet port in communication with a drain; (b) a second chamber having at least one filter port; and (c) a filter element disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, the method comprising: receiving the fluid into the filter through the first inlet port; passing the fluid in the filter through the filter element, from the first chamber to the second chamber, to provide a filtered fluid; removing the filtered fluid from the second chamber through said at least one filter port; closing the first inlet port; opening the first outlet port to drain fluid from the filter; receiving disinfectant solution into the filter through the at least one filter port, said disinfectant solution produced by combining filtered fluid removed from the second chamber with a disinfectant concentrate; passing the disinfectant solution through the filter element, from the second chamber to the first chamber, to effect cleaning of the filter element; and removing the disinfectant solution from the filter through the first outlet port.