In-line mud screen manifold useful in downhole applications

A mud screen manifold in which a saver sub chamber, a screen chamber and a mud inlet chamber are formed in a body. A hollow saver sub is provided, suitable for insertion into the saver sub chamber after connection to a screen cage. When a shaped flange on the saver sub is received into a correspondingly shaped recess formed in the saver sub chamber, a mud flow inlet is in fluid flow communication with a cutout in the saver sub via the mud inlet chamber, and the saver sub is in fluid flow communication with the screen chamber via fluid flow through the screen cage. Contact seals prevent fluid flow from leaking around the screen cage. The mud inlet chamber, the saver sub and the saver sub cutout preferably cooperate to form a smooth-walled passageway for fluid flow communication between the mud inlet chamber and the screen cage.