Diminutive bacteria: implications for sterile filtration

摘要

Membrane filters have been widely used to sterilize liquids, especially those that cannot be heat sterilized in the final, container. The definition of a sterilizing filter has been the subject of much discussion and changes over the last 40 years. The initial definitions attempted to describe the physical structure of the membrane, assuming that it was a simple, thin screen that removed bacteria on its surface. The concept of pore size was therefore introduced, and the classification of filters by differences in pore size rating was developed.