Filtration
Hard permanent filter scrubbed by air or liquid and filtration drawn under high vacuum up to 20 bar.
Filtration unit operations are one of the most widely used steps in many industries, from chemical to biological to water purification. The use of filters became popular in the past few decades but came with an inherent problem of clogging of filters that was overcome in the high-end bioprocess industry by using centrifugation process that adds substantial cost to the process. Additionally, the current art of filtration compromises the quality of product requiring exposure to filtration device and methods used. Niazi inventions take a fresh look at the art of separating particles in a liquid. Three approaches are used:
a. Using a hard filter surface that is continuously scrubbed by air bubbles.
b. Using a hard filter surface that is continuously scrubbed by high speed liquid.
c. Using a hard filter surface and using a combination of electrical polarization and vibration.
These devices can be used in every industry that practices phase separation at the lowest cost as well provide several new applications including on site water purification, sterile perfusion bioreactor operation, viral filtration, molecular mass separation, and many more. These technologies are applied to any size particles from nanometer size to micrometer.
US 9,364,776 | CONCENTRATOR FILTER.
This patent is a divisional patent from the US 8,685,245 listed below. This is a device patent. Every filtration device currently available is subject to clogging when used to separate suspended particles from liquid. Now comes a hard filter that is continuously scrubbed by air bubbles to prevent clogging of filter, giving it perpetual life and application in all industrial applications. Not only does the invention make the filtration unit process cheaper and faster, it allows novel uses ranging from molecular separation to sludge treatment. PDF
US 9,101,857 | GAS SCRUBBED PERFUSION FILTER.
Fine gas bubbles traveling at fast speed are employed to scrub a hard-surface filter disposed in a bioreactor to remove culture media and expressed proteins while leaving cell culture in the bioreactor. This method of operating a bioreactor in a perfusion mode now allows a contamination-proof environment, a filter that can continue to operate indefinitely--all at a much lower cost compared to the current practices. PDF
US 8,685,245 | CONCENTRATOR FILTER.
A separate device patent from the same invention is listed above as US 9,364,776. Every filtration device currently available is subject to clogging when used to separate suspended particles from liquid. Now comes a hard filter that is continuously scrubbed by air bubbles to prevent clogging of filter, giving it perpetual life and application in all industrial applications. Not only does the invention make the filtration unit process cheaper and faster, it allows novel uses ranging from molecular separation to sludge treatment. This is a device and method patent. PDF
US 8,663,474 | NON-BLOCKING FILTRATION SYSTEM.
This is a methods patent based on division of US 8,413,817 listed below. A non-blocking filtration system wherein the filter is kept from getting clogged by a scrubbing the filter by a forced fast flow of liquid in a oval-shaped filter using a turbine propeller. This mechanical component can be driven by compressed gas. action of the suspension filtered continuously scrubs the filter, keeping it free of deposits of solid deposits while the filtrate is removed in a variety of biological and chemical applications, substantially reducing the cost of unit operations. PDF
US 8,413,817 | NON-BLOCKING FILTRATION SYSTEM.
This is a device claim patent. A divisional methods claim is listed above as US 8,663,474. A non-blocking filtration system wherein the filter is kept from getting clogged by a scrubbing the filter by a forced fast flow of liquid in a oval-shaped filter using a turbine propeller. This mechanical component can be driven by compressed gas. action of the suspension filtered continuously scrubs the filter, keeping it free of deposits of solid deposits while the filtrate is removed in a variety of biological and chemical applications, substantially reducing the cost of unit operations. PDF
US 15/158,383 | CONCENTRATOR FILTER.
This is a continuation of the US 8,685,245 listed above and represents a method a method of concentrating cell culture in a bioreactor. A filter scrubbed with air bubbles is used to remove culture medium from the bioreactor, leaving cell culture inside the bioreactor, a perfusion mode of operating a bioreactor. The unclogged filter can be used indefinitely and since it is disposed inside the bioreactor, it eliminates chances of contamination inherent in teh current art, wherein the content of the bioreactor are removed and passed through filtration apparatus and returned to the bioreactor. PDF