Filter Rating
The pore sizes of filter membranes are rated by a nominal rating that reflects the capability of the filter membrane to retain microorganisms of size represented by specified strains, not by determination of an average pore size and statement of distribution of sizes. Sterilizing filter membranes (those used for removing a majority of contaminating microorganisms) are membranes capable of retaining 100% of a culture of 10
7 microorganisms of a strain of
Pseudomonas diminuta (ATCC 19146) per square centimeter of membrane surface under a pressure of not less than 30 psi (2.0 bar). Such filter membranes are nominally rated 0.22 µm or 0.2 µm, depending on the manufacturer's practice.
5 This rating of filter membranes is also specified for reagents or media that have to be sterilized by filtration (see treatment of Isopropyl Myristate under
Oils and Oily Solutions or
Ointments and Creams in the chapter
Sterility Tests 71). Bacterial filter membranes (also known as analytical filter membranes), which are capable of retaining only larger microorganisms, are labeled with a nominal rating of 0.45 µm. No single authoritative method for rating 0.45-µm filters has been specified, and this rating depends on conventional practice among manufacturers; 0.45-µm filters are capable of retaining particular cultures of
Serratia marcescens (ATCC 14756) or
Ps. diminuta. Test pressures used vary from low (5 psi, 0.33 bar for
Serratia, or 0.5 psi, 0.34 bar for
Ps. diminuta) to high (50 psi, 3.4 bar). They are specified for sterility testing (see
Membrane Filtration in the section
Test for Sterility of the Product to be Examined under
Sterility Tests 71) where less exhaustive microbial retention is required. There is a small probability of testing specimens contaminated solely with small microorganisms). Filter membranes with a very low nominal rating may be tested with a culture of
Acholeplasma laidlawii or other strain of
Mycoplasma, at a pressure of 7 psi (0.7 bar) and be nominally rated 0.1 µm. The nominal ratings based on microbial retention properties differ when rating is done by other means, e.g., by retention of latex spheres of various diameters. It is the user's responsibility to select a filter of correct rating for the particular purpose, depending on the nature of the product to be filtered. It is generally not feasible to repeat the tests of filtration capacity in the user's establishment. Microbial challenge tests are preferably performed under a manufacturer's conditions on each lot of manufactured filter membranes.
The user must determine whether filtration parameters employed in manufacturing will significantly influence microbial retention efficiency. Some of the other important concerns in the validation of the filtration process include product compatibility, sorption of drug, preservative or other additives, and initial effluent endotoxin content.
Since the effectiveness of the filtration process is also influenced by the microbial burden of the solution to be filtered, determining the microbiological quality of solutions prior to filtration is an important aspect of the validation of the filtration process, in addition to establishing the other parameters of the filtration procedure, such as pressures, flow rates, and filter unit characteristics. Hence, another method of describing filter-retaining capability is the use of the log reduction value (LRV). For instance, a 0.2-µm filter that can retain 107 microorganisms of a specified strain will have an LRV of not less than 7 under the stated conditions.
The process of sterilization of solutions by filtration has recently achieved new levels of proficiency, largely as a result of the development and proliferation of membrane filter technology. This class of filter media lends itself to more effective standardization and quality control and also gives the user greater opportunity to confirm the characteristics or properties of the filter assembly before and after use. The fact that membrane filters are thin polymeric films offers many advantages but also some disadvantages when compared to depth filters such as porcelain or sintered material. Since much of the membrane surface is a void or open space, the properly assembled and sterilized filter offers the advantage of a high flow rate. A disadvantage is that since the membrane is usually fragile, it is essential to determine that the assembly was properly made and that the membrane was not ruptured during assembly, sterilization, or use. The housings and filter assemblies that are chosen should first be validated for compatibility and integrity by the user. While it may be possible to mix assemblies and filter membranes produced by different manufacturers, the compatibility of these hybrid assemblies should first be validated. Additionally, there are other tests to be made by the manufacturer of the membrane filter, which are not usually repeated by the user. These include microbiological challenge tests. Results of these tests on each lot of manufactured filter membranes should be obtained from the manufacturer by users for their records.
Filtration for sterilization purposes is usually carried out with assemblies having membranes of nominal pore size rating of 0.2 µm or less, based on the validated challenge of not less than 107 Pseudomonas diminuta (ATCC No. 19146) suspension per square centimeter of filter surface area. Membrane filter media now available include cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, fluorocarbonate, acrylic polymers, polycarbonate, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl, nylon, polytef, and even metal membranes, and they may be reinforced or supported by an internal fabric. A membrane filter assembly should be tested for initial integrity prior to use, provided that such test does not impair the validity of the system, and should be tested after the filtration process is completed to demonstrate that the filter assembly maintained its integrity throughout the entire filtration procedure. Typical use tests are the bubble point test, the diffusive airflow test, the pressure hold test, and the forward flow test. These tests should be correlated with microorganism retention.