Gewebefilter

Gewebefilter is a term used in biology and medicine to denote a filter device or membrane designed to separate tissue components from a mixture. The concept relies on size-exclusion or affinity interactions to retain or remove unwanted material while allowing desired components to pass. Gewebefilter devices are often used during tissue processing, histology, and cell isolation.

Most commonly, Gewebefilter refers to membrane filters or sieve-like barriers with defined pore sizes. They are made from polymers such as polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, or cellulose, and may be pre-sterilized and intended for single use or reusable with appropriate cleaning. They can be used by gravity filtration, vacuum filtration, or centrifugation to concentrate tissue suspensions or to clarify homogenates.

Applications include preparing single-cell suspensions from solid tissue by removing debris and extracellular matrix fragments; clarifying tissue lysates for downstream assays; and separating components such as nuclei, mitochondria, or extracellular vesicles by size. In tissue engineering, filters can play a role in decellularization workflows or to separate solubilized matrix from cells. In pathology, they help in obtaining cleaner specimens for molecular analyses.

Limitations include potential loss of target material due to excessive retention, filter clogging with fibrous tissue, and variable performance across tissue types. Selection of pore size, material, and sterilization procedure depends on the tissue type and intended downstream use. See also: membrane filtration, microfiltration, decellularization, cell separation.