All Pall Supor® PES membrane filters including EKV, EAV, Supor EX (ECV), SuporLife®, SuporFlow® should be in a water wet state prior to sterilization (by autoclave or steam-in-place) to reduce false integrity test failures when there is a requirement to perform post-use post-sterilization integrity testing (PUPSIT), with water as wetting fluid.

It is important to note that performance of the filter is not affected whether the filter is sterilized in a wet or dry state.

When the filter devices are autoclaved / in-situ steamed “dry”, they may not reliably wet with water for subsequent post-sterilization integrity (Forward Flow, Bubble Point) testing.  The integrity of the filter devices can then only be proven using a low surface tension wetting fluid, such as isopropanol/water mixtures and/or product wet integrity test value and/or using product wet integrity test values. With regards to filter wetting, please refer to Pall application note, Wetting and Flushing of Pall Microbially-Rated Filter Cartridges and Capsules.  We recommend a flush regime for about 5 minutes. When the filter is integrity tested with water as wetting fluid before sterilization, filter is sufficiently wetted for autoclave and/or in-situ steaming.

For more information, please see Pall Publications:

USD 3297 - Wetting and Flushing of Pall Microbially-Rated Filter Cartridges and Capsules

USTR 805 - Steam-sterilization of Pall Filter Assemblies which Utilize Replaceable Filter Cartridges