Fluid processing cassette with integrated filter
Biological fluid processing cassettes with integrated filter structures are disclosed. A cassette body is formed of a generally rigid material, defining a plurality of internal fluid flow paths. The cassette body may be secured to a cassette cap to define a cavity, with a filter sealed within the cavity. Each of the cassette body and the cassette cap defines a port opening into the cavity, which allows fluid to flow from one of the internal fluid flow paths, into the cavity and through the filter, and then out of the cavity via the port of the cassette cap. Alternatively, the cassette body may define an external slot which receives at least a portion of a filter. Such a filter includes two ports, with one of the ports in fluid communication with a cassette port of the cassette body to allow fluid flow between the cassette body and the filter.
1 . A biological fluid processing cassette comprising:
a rigid cassette body comprising a first face and a second face defining therebetween a plurality of fluid flow paths each extending through the cassette body, with the cassette body defining a first cavity in which said plurality of fluid flow paths are defined, at least a portion of a second cavity, and a filter inlet port opening into the second cavity, wherein at least one of the fluid flow paths does not open into the second cavity;
a rigid cap secured to the cassette body to seal the second cavity and defining a filter outlet port opening into the second cavity, wherein the first face is positioned opposite of the cap, with the filter inlet port incorporated into the first face; and
a filtration medium sealed within the second cavity between the cap and the first face for filtration of a biological fluid flowing through the second cavity from the filter inlet port to the filter outlet port, wherein the cap and/or the first face defines a plurality of protrusions extending into the second cavity.
2 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium is configured to remove leukocytes from whole blood.
3 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium is configured to remove leukocytes from a separated blood component.
4 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the first face defines at least two of said plurality of protrusions extending into the second cavity.
5 . The cassette of claim 4 , wherein all of said protrusions defined by the first face are similarly configured.
6 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cap defines at least two of said plurality of protrusions extending into the second cavity.
7 . The cassette of claim 6 , wherein all of said protrusions defined by the cap are similarly configured.
8 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein each of the first face and the cap defines at least two of said plurality of protrusions extending into the second cavity.
9 . The cassette of claim 8 , wherein all of said protrusions are similarly configured.
10 . The cassette of claim 8 , wherein the protrusions of the first face are misaligned with the protrusions of the cap.
11 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein
the cassette body and cap each have a first side and a second side and a top side and bottom side,
the cassette body defines a recess spaced inwardly from each of said sides of the cassette body,
the cap includes a projection spaced inwardly from each of said sides of the cap, and
the recess is sized to receive the projection so as to define at least a portion of the second cavity.
12 . The cassette of claim 11 , wherein the filtration medium is secured between the recess and the projection.
13 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cassette body further includes a plurality of ports along a perimeter of the cassette body.
14 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cassette body further comprises a top side and a bottom side and the filter inlet port is located closer to the bottom side of the cassette body than to the top side of the cassette body.
15 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium is fully positioned between the first face and the cap.
16 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the filtration medium includes a plurality of layers.
17 . The cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a pre-filter fully positioned within the second cavity.
18 . The cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a post-filter fully positioned within the second cavity.
19 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein a fluid-tight seal is formed between the cassette body and the cap.
20 . The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the cap is configured to define a perimeter that matches a perimeter of the cassette body, such that a perimeter of the cassette has a generally smooth or continuous perimeter.
21 . A biological fluid processing cassette comprising:
a rigid cassette body comprising a first face and a second face defining therebetween a plurality of fluid flow paths each extending through the cassette body, with the cassette body defining at least a portion of a cavity and a filter inlet port opening into the cavity, wherein at least one of the fluid flow paths does not open into the cavity;
a rigid cap secured to the cassette body to seal the cavity and defining a filter outlet port opening into the cavity, wherein the first face is positioned opposite of the cap, with the filter inlet port incorporated into the first face; and
a filtration medium sealed within the cavity between the cap and the first face for filtration of a biological fluid flowing through the cavity from the filter inlet port to the filter outlet port, wherein the cap and/or the first face defines a plurality of protrusions extending into the cavity, wherein
the cassette body includes a plurality of edges extending from the first face to the second face,
a plurality of ports are incorporated into said plurality of edges of the cassette body, and
each port is fluidically connected to at least one of said fluid flow paths.