Method and apparatus for filtering sanguineous liquid streams

Claim 1

SANGUINEOUS FILTER APPARATUS, COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND COMPANION PLATE MEMBERS EACH HAVING A SURFACE PROVIDED WITH A GROOVE THEREIN, MEANS MOUNTING SAID MEMBERS WITH SAID SURFACES IN CONFRONTING FACE-TO-FACE RELATION AND WITH SAID GROOVES IN REGISTRY WITH EACH OTHER, SAID GROOVE IN SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING A LIQUID INLET AND A LIQUID OUTLET AND SAID GROOVE IN SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A LIQUID OUTLET, A LAYER OF FILTER MATERIAL INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SURFACES FOR THE PASSAGE THROUGH SAID FILTER MATERIAL OF FILTERABLE SUBSTANCES IN A LIQUID FROM SAID GROOVE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER INTO SAID GROOVE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER, AND MEANS IN LIQUID FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET FOR TRANSMITTING A SANGUINEOUS LIQUID STREAM THROUGH SAID GROOVE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AT A PREDETERMINED VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW, SAID GROOVE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING A CROSS SENTIONAL AREA AND LENGTH TO PROVIDE A GIVEN VOLUME, THE VOLMETRIC RATE OF FLOW BEING AT LEAST ABOUT FORTY TIMES THE GIVEN VOLUME PER MINUTE WHEREBY THE COLLECTION OF ANY NON-FILTERABLE SUBSTANCES IN SAID GROOVE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER SAND ON SAID FILTER MATERIAL

Claim 3

A METHOD OF SANGUINEOUS FILTRATION ACCORDING TO WHICH THERE IS PROVIDED A FILTER COMPRISING A LAYER OF FILTER MATERIAL HAVING LIQUID PASSAGES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FILTER MATERIAL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PUMPING A STREAM OF SANGUINEOUS LIQUID TO BE FILTERED TO ONE OF SAID PASSAGES AT ONE VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW, PUMPING TGHE FILTERED LIQUID FROM SAID ONE PASSAGE AT A VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW WHICH IS LOWER THAN SAID ONE RATE OF FLOW TO EFFECT A RATE OF FILTRATION WHICH IS EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE RATES OF FLOW OF LIQUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID ONE PASSAGE, AND CONTROLLING SAID RATES OF FLOW INTO AND OUT OF SAID ONE PASSAGE SO THAT THE LIQUID FLOWS THROUGH SAID ONE PASSAGE A VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW WHICH IS NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 40 TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID ONE PASSAGE PER MINUTE, WHEREBY THE COLLECTION OF NON-FILTERABLE SUBSTANCES IN SAID ONE PASSAGE FROM SAID LIQUID IS PREVENTED.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF SANGUINEOUS FILTRATION ACCORDING TO WHICH THERE IS PROVIDED A FILTER COMPRISING A LAYER OF FILTER MATERIAL HAVING LIQUID PASSAGES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FILTER MATERIAL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PUMPING A STREAM OF SANGUINEOUS LIQUID TO BE FILTERED TO ONE OF SAID PASSAGES AT ONE VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW, PUMPING TGHE FILTERED LIQUID FROM SAID ONE PASSAGE AT A VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW WHICH IS LOWER THAN SAID ONE RATE OF FLOW TO EFFECT A RATE OF FILTRATION WHICH IS EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE RATES OF FLOW OF LIQUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID ONE PASSAGE, AND CONTROLLING SAID RATES OF FLOW INTO AND OUT OF SAID ONE PASSAGE SO THAT THE LIQUID FLOWS THROUGH SAID ONE PASSAGE A VOLUMETRIC RATE OF FLOW WHICH IS NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 40 TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID ONE PASSAGE PER MINUTE, WHEREBY THE COLLECTION OF NON-FILTERABLE SUBSTANCES IN SAID ONE PASSAGE FROM SAID LIQUID IS PREVENTED.