US Patent 7435343 Vibration filter

A vibration filter that eliminates the problems of polarization, blockage and fouling is disclosed to include a separation membrane for removing solid matter in a fluid, a base, a magnetic field generator controllable to provide a variable magnetic flux, and vibrators made by a magnetostrictive material and arranged in an array on the base and kept in close contact with the separation membrane for vibrating the separation membrane upon generation of a variable magnetic flux by the magnetic field generator.