1_whocares

New member
I try to keep things simple and basically idiot proof. I have been using these nalgene rapid flow disposable filters. Over I guess I like then EXCEPT the receiving vessel cracks when I use my little electric vacuum pump. They are just thin little hairline cracks but when the vacuum pump is running it sucks air up through the cracks. The cracks are always on the bottom and as long as the pump is on nothing leaks out. When I disconnect the pump then a small amount of oil does seep through the cracks. I of course immediately get my filtered product out of the vessel and into sterile vials.

I have decided that I need to go with bottle top filters that way I can use glass media bottles as the reception vessel. Glass shouldn't crack from the vacuum pump pressure. The bottle top filters still come as sterile single use units so I would only have to worry about sterilizing the media bottle. Sterilizing the bottle should be easy enough, clean, dry, put some ba in it and swirl it around until everything gets a good dose of ba and the dump it out and connect to the filter.

I just want to know if anyone has used the "Autofil" bottle top filters. All of the pictures are the front of the filter and I assume the nipple for the vacuum line is on the back because the Autofil stands have a rubber receptacle that looks like the nipple goes into it.
I need to know if I can still use my simple little vacuum pump with the Autofil filters or do I need to buy that ridiculously priced stand?

So can anyone help fill me in? Surely someone here has used the Autofil bottle top filters.
 
I never heard of it, but then again im not familiar with the art of compounding steroid powder
 
I use EMD Millipore SteriCup
PVDF bottletop filters
Also Argos PVDF bottletop filters(Amazon)
The Argos come as complete unit with plastic reciever flask
I just use the filter on glass media bottle and toss the plastic flask
 
Thanks for the response Bluebeard. I actually ended up pulling the trigger on the autofil's, basically no other viable option. Their "receptacle" for the vacuum hose is different than other brands but they include an adapter so you can use something other than their cradle.

Overall, with the glass media bottle, I can not complain. Now I did notice, and this might be due to the volume these filters are supposed to handle, under the filter membrane there was this maze of channels that all led into a small center channel going down into the bottle. The other end of the suction line was about half way down the center hole. I guess the maze is so there is an increased surface area where the oil can get through. So if some part of the membrane gets clogged then slightly down the channel it can get through and into the maze. The other brand of nalgene was rated for 150mls vs 500mls with Autofil. The nalgene just had the center hole and a channel down into the bottle and again the end of the suction line came into about half way down. So with the Autofil there was some oil left in the maze but I bet if I left the pump running longer I would have gotten more out of it. I didn't realize about the maze and oil being in it until after I had disconnected everything and then went to move the filter after i had let it sit for a while as I handled the oil in the bottle.

I figured I would add to this thread so that if anyone has a similar situation they will get the answer I was originally looking for.
 
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