What Is Membrane Filter in Pharmaceutics?
The microporous membrane is made of polymer chemical materials, and pore-forming additives are applied to the support layer after special treatment. In the application of membrane separation technology, microporous membrane is a kind of membrane with a wide range of applications. We can use it in nanotechnology, food testing, scientific research, chemical industry, as well as energy and environmental protection fields, because of its easy and efficient usage. Hawach supply Microporous Glass Fiber Membrane Filters, PVDF Membrane Filters, Nylon Membrane Filters.
1)The main features and usage of microporous membrane
Main features of microporous membrane: Good hydrophilicity, suitable for liquid filtration of PH3-10; High porosity: 70-80%, uniform pore size distribution; membrane thickness: 100-160μm; Fast filtration, less adsorption, and no media falling off; The appearance is white, flat, smooth and free of pinholes.
2)How to use microporous membrane
1. Cleaning:
Wash the filter membrane with distilled water before use, then soak in distilled water at 70-80℃ for 4 hours, or soak in distilled water at room temperature for 12 hours;
2. Disinfection:
Put the cleaned filter membrane into the filter and sterilize by steam autoclaving at 120°C for 30 minutes. Other sterilization methods can also be used.
3. The filter membrane must be in a wet state when filtering the liquid, otherwise, the filtration speed will be affected. If the filter membrane is in a dry state due to sterilization, it needs to be wetted with sterile water before use.
3). Transportation and storage
As there are different types of filter membrane and we should pay attention to each type’s features, for instance, the cellulose filter membranes are easy to use and should be kept away from fire during transportation and storage;
The microporous membrane must be stored in the dark under the conditions of room temperature and relative humidity of 60%. If the filter membrane loses water and curls due to drying, it can be used after soaking.
What are the applications of microporous membranes in the pharmaceutical industry
The application of microporous membrane in medicine is mainly sterilization and particle removal. The fields of application of microporous membranes in the pharmaceutical industry are as follows:
①Process water, water for injection, gas, steam;
② Parenteral drugs;
③ Ophthalmic solution, large infusion;
④ Fermentation products, including antibiotics, vaccines, proteins;
⑤Blood products, such as serum and plasma. Another important application of microporous membranes is the removal of bacterial contamination. Generally, the sterilization of medicines adopts the hot pressing method, but the bacterial corpse remains in the medicine liquid. For heat-sensitive drugs, such as insulin, ATP, coenzyme A, cytochrome C, human transfer factor, hormones, serum proteins, gamma globulin, and other blood products and medium for tissue culture, autoclaving cannot be used, and Sterilize by filtration only.
The obvious advantages of using microporous membrane filtration are:
①It does not change the original properties of the drug, so it is especially suitable for the filtration of heat-sensitive drugs;
②The corpse of bacteria is retained by the microporous membrane;
③Microporous membranes are easy to mechanize and automate drug production lines.
