Process of separating blood plasma/serum from whole blood

1. A process for filtering whole blood for separating plasma/serum from blood cells using a filter that comprises a filter medium comprising:

a first material comprising glass beads arranged in a filter bed, the glass beads having a sphericity higher than 0.7;

a sponge filter layer arranged at an upstream side of the filter bed, the sponge filter layer configured to distribute the whole blood over the upstream side of the filter bed, the sponge filter layer comprising a porous fiber, foam or sponge material which can soak up whole blood fluids and distribute the whole blood fluids within the sponge filter layer;

a second material arranged on a downstream side of the filter bed, the second material comprising at least one of a membrane or a mesh;

the process comprising the steps of

applying a whole blood sample onto an upstream side of the sponge filter layer;

distributing the whole blood sample through the sponge filter layer onto an upstream side of the glass beads of the filter bed;

filtering the whole blood sample though the filter bed such that blood cells remain in the filter bed and plasma/serum exits through the second material at the downstream side of the filter bed;

wherein the applying step includes

applying a positive or a negative pressure to the whole blood sample at the upstream side of the sponge filter layer to urge the whole blood sample through the filter medium;

separating the blood cells from the plasma/serum; and

collecting the plasma/serum on a downstream side of the second material.

2. Process of claim 1 , wherein in the process step of applying a whole blood sample, the whole blood sample is homogenously distributed onto the upstream side of the sponge filter layer.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the glass beads are uncoated.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the glass beads are coated with a hydrophobic coating.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein between 0 wt-% and 75 wt-% of glass beads are coated with a hydrophobic coating.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein 100 wt-% of glass beads have a diameter of less than 150 μm, between 90 wt-% and 100 wt-% have a diameter of less than 100 μm, between 80 wt-% and 100 wt-% have a diameter of less than 63 μm, between 67 wt-% and 100 wt-% have a diameter of less than 45 μm, or between 20 wt-% and 100 wt-% have a diameter of less than 24 μm.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least 90 wt-% of glass beads have a diameter in the range of about 0.5 μm and about 100 μm.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the bed is a volume of glass beads in the range between 10 microliter to 10 ml.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the glass beads in the bed is compressed between the sponge filter layer and the second material.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second material further comprises material selected from the group consisting of:

a. glass granulate with a diameter of more than 150 μm with a diameter between 500 μm and 1000 μm,

b. polymer granulate with a diameter of more than 150 μm wherein the polymer granulate includes polypropylene and further includes a polymer granulate selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyetheretherketone, polyamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and combinations thereof

c. ceramic granulate, and

d. combinations thereof.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the filter medium further comprises a membrane located downstream of the first and/or second material, wherein the membrane is hydrophilic.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein in the step of applying a positive or negative pressure, the pressure is applied either:

aa) immediately after the application of the whole blood to the filter medium until the whole blood is in contact with the first material and/or

bb) after the filter bed is fully wetted.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the filter medium further comprises downstream a polymeric woven mesh with a hydrophobic surface.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the mesh provides a pore size ensuring permeability to whole blood.

15. Process of claim 1 , wherein the sponge filter layer comprises a water-resistant and non-swelling sponge or foam.

16. Process of claim 1 , wherein the whole blood sample has a volume between 0.01 ml and 10 ml.

17. Process according to claim 1 , wherein before step of applying a whole blood sample, the whole blood sample is pre-treated in at least one of the following steps of:

a) dilution with isotonic sodium chloride solution with a 0.9% sodium chloride solution (w:v), in a ratio of from 0.5:1 to 1:5;

b) treatment with an anti-coagulation agent selected from the group consisting of EDTA, citrate, heparin and combinations thereof;

c) treatment with a cell agglomeration agent; and

d) incomplete depletion of blood cells.

18. A process for filtering whole blood for separating plasma/serum from blood cells using a filter that comprises a filter medium comprising:

a first material comprising beads arranged in a filter bed, the filter bed having an upstream side and a downstream side oppositely arranged, the beads of a material selected from the set consisting of: polymers, ceramics and minerals; the beads having a sphericity higher than 0.7;

a sponge filter layer arranged at an upstream side of the filter bed, the sponge filter layer configured to distribute the whole blood over the upstream side of the filter bed, the sponge filter layer comprising a porous fiber, foam or sponge material which can soak up whole blood fluids and distribute the whole blood fluids within the sponge filter layer;

a second material arranged on a downstream side of the filter bed, the second material comprising at least one of a membrane or a mesh;

the process comprising the steps of

applying a whole blood sample onto an upstream side of the sponge filter layer;

distributing the whole blood sample through the sponge filter layer onto an upstream side of the beads of the filter bed;

filtering the whole blood sample though the filter bed such that blood cells remain in the filter bed and plasma/serum exits through the second material at the downstream side of the filter bed;

wherein the applying step includes

applying a positive or a negative pressure to the whole blood sample at the upstream side of the sponge filter layer to urge the whole blood sample through the filter medium;

separating the blood cells from the plasma/serum; and

collecting the plasma/serum on a downstream side of the second material.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein

the bed is a volume of beads in the range between 10 microliter to 10 ml,

wherein the beads in the bed is compressed between the sponge filter layer and the second material.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein in the step of applying a positive or negative pressure, the pressure is applied either:

aa) immediately after the application of the whole blood to the filter medium until the whole blood is in contact with the first material and/or

bb) after the filter bed is fully wetted.

21. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the filter medium further comprises downstream polymeric woven mesh with a hydrophobic surface.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein a mass related median diameter of the beads is in the range of about 10 μm and about 40 μm.

23. The process of claim 22 , wherein the volume specific surface area of the beads is in the range of about 0.2 to about 2 m 2 /cm 3 .

24. The process of claim 18 , wherein the polymer beads comprise polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer particles.

25. The process of claim 24 , wherein the polymer beads further include polymer particles selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyetheretherketone, polyamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and combinations thereof.

26. The process of claim 24 , wherein at least 90 wt-% of polymer beads have a diameter in the range of about 5 μm to about 20 μm.