Ultrafiltration membranes and methods of making

1. A virus removal methodology comprising the steps of:

a. providing a filtration device comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a filtrate outlet, and containing at least one two-layered cocast membrane having one asymmetric ultrafiltration layer and one microporous asymmetric layer, wherein the membrane is produced from two polymer solutions, wherein:

i. the layers of the membrane are each substantially hydrophilic,

ii. at least one of the layers of the membrane is capable of substantially preventing the passage therethrough of a virus and both layers are capable of substantially permitting the passage therethrough of a protein,

iii. the layers of the membrane each having a tight-side and an open-side, the average surface pore size of said tight-side being less than the average surface pore size of said open-side to form the asymmetric layers, and

iv. a first layer of the membrane being oriented such that fluid introduced into said housing through the fluid inlet commences passage through said first layer through the open-side;

b. providing a manufactured protein-containing solution comprising a predominant solute, wherein the predominant solute in the solution is said protein, and wherein the solution is prone to contamination by said virus; and

c. flowing the solution through the filtration device under conditions sufficient to effect substantial passage of the protein through each layer of the membrane and out of the housing through the filtrate outlet, whereby any virus contaminating the manufactured protein-containing solution is substantially prevented from passage through the membrane, and is substantially removed from the solution.

2. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein each of the layers of the membrane has a porosity defined to enable performance of the virus removal methodology, yielding a log reduction value (LRV) for removal of a virus from the solution greater than 6 and a protein passage greater than 98%.

3. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration layer is on top of the microporous layer.

4. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration layer is on top of the microporous layer and the polymer solution forming the ultrafiltration layer has a critical solution temperature such that the ultrafiltration layer is formed by a temperature induced phase separation and the microporous layer is formed by phase separation in a coagulation bath.

5. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration layer is on top of the microporous layer and the polymer solution forming the ultrafiltration layer has a critical solution temperature such that the ultrafiltration layer is formed by a temperature induced phase separation and the polymer solution forming the microporous layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a material having a critical solution temperature higher than that of the ultrafiltration layer and a material having no critical solution temperature.

6. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration layer is on top of the microporous layer and the polymer solution forming the microporous layer has a critical solution temperature such that the microporous layer is formed by a temperature induced phase separation and the ultrafiltration layer is formed by phase separation in a coagulation bath.

7. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration layer is on top of the microporous layer and the polymer solution forming the microporous layer has a critical solution temperature such that the microporous layer is formed by a temperature induced phase separation and the ultrafiltration layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a material having a critical solution temperature higher than that of the microporous layer and a material having no critical solution temperature.

8. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the two polymer solutions comprise polymers independently selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride, nylons, polyamides, polyimides, polyetherimides, polyethersulfones, polysulfones, polyarylsulfones, cellulose, regenerated cellulose, cellulose esters, polystyrenes, acrylic polymers methacrylic polymers, copolymers acrylic methacrylic polymers, and combinations thereof.

9. The virus removal methodology of claim 8 wherein each asymmetric layer is composed of polyethersulfone.

10. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the ultrafiltration layer comprises a skinned, asymmetric ultrafiltration membrane layer.

11. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the ultrafiltration layer retains particles having a 20 to 100 nanometer (nm) diameter.

12. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has an integral transition zone between the ultrafiltration layer and the microporous layer, wherein the transition zone is a region where the pore size transitions from the ultrafiltration layer to the microporous layer.

13. The virus removal methodology of claim 12 , wherein the microporous layer retains particles larger than 0.1 μm.

14. The virus removal methodology of claim 12 , wherein the ultrafiltration layer is 2 to 100 microns thick and the microporous layer is 50-200 microns thick.

15. The virus removal methodology of claim 14 , wherein the ultrafiltration layer is 2 to 50 microns thick.

16. The virus removal methodology of claim 14 , wherein the microporous layer is 80 to 150 microns thick.

17. The virus removal methodology of claim 12 , wherein the membrane is 90 to 120 microns thick.

18. The virus removal methodology of claim 12 , wherein the microporous layer has a polymer content of 10% to 20% by weight polymer solids.

19. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the ultrafiltration layer has a polymer content of 15% to 30% by weight polymer solids.

20. The virus removal methodology of claim 1 , wherein the ultrafiltration membrane layer has pores sized to retain a parvo virus.