Other

Collaborative Research, Inc.

Hemex, Inc.

Clara M Ambrus

Csaba Horvath

Agnes Stadler

In an improved process for immobilizing a chelator moiety on a silica substrate, the substrate is reacted in a liquid reaction medium with an alkyltrialkoxysilane compound having a functional group that provides an attachment site for covalently binding the chelator moiety to the substrate. The improvement comprises providing a particulate silica substrate having a surface area of less than about 50 m.sup.2 /g. An improved extracorporeal device for removing metal ions from blood and other fluids includes a cartridge having an inlet and an outlet and containing a plurality of tubular fibers that extend from the inlet to the outlet. Each fiber has a lumen enclosed by an anisotropic membrane. The membrane is supported by a macroporous structure that contains a chelator moiety immobilized on a particulate silica substrate having a surface area of less than about 50 m.sup.2 /g. The anisotropic membrane forms a diffusion barrier that is permeable to metal cations contained in the fluid but is substantially impermeable to high molecular weight components. A method of removing chelatable metal cations from blood fluid uses the described extracorporeal device. The blood fluid containing the chelatable cations is passed through the lumen of each tubular fiber and diffused through the anisotropic membrane enclosing each lumen. The cations are contacted with the immobilized chelator moieties in the macroporous structure supporting the membrane, which causes the cations to be immobilized in the macroporous structure. The metal cations are thereby effectively removed from the fluid.

Extracorporeal device containing immobilized chelator on silica

The thrombolytic effect of known plasminogen activators such as tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), prourokinase and modifications of t-PA and prourokinase is enhanced dramatically and unexpectedly when combined with streptokinase. The body is treated with a combination streptokinase and one or more plasminogen activators of the t-PA or prourokinase type to achieve an enhanced effect which has advantage in thrombolytic therapy including the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Potentiation of the thrombolytic effect of prourokinase type plasminogen

Extracorporeal apparatus for selective removal of pathogenic factors, i.e. antigens, from blood by circulating the blood through hollow fibers which, exterior to the lumen are in proximity to antibodies, i.e. proteins having strong biospecific activity for the pathogenic factors. In some situations, the antibody is segregated in a liquid medium outside the hollow fiber to improve mass transfer and the antigen penetrates the ultrafilter wall of the fiber to join the antibody.

Blood purification

Apparatus and process of removing quantities of heavy metals from blood utilizing immobilized chelating agents which are positioned on the opposite side of an anisotropic membrane from blood flowing across the retentive filter surface of the membrane.

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Buffalo, NY, United States of America

Clara M Ambrus