Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha

Hidehiko Sakurai

Katsuhiko Nose

Kimihiro Mabuchi

Hiroshi Shibano

Makoto Ohno

Seiji Watanuki

Isamu Yamamoto

Kazutake Okamoto

Mitsuru Suzuki

Noriyuki Tamamura

Tohru Uenishi

Yasuhiro Shiota

Hideo Sato

Katsuaki Kuze

Noriaki Kato

Noriko Monden

Shinya Koyama

Takafumi Hayashi

Motoki Kyo

Kazuhisa Shibata

Tomohiro Kitagawa

The present invention provides a polysulfone type hollow fiber membrane which is reliable in safety and stability of performance and is easily incorporated into a module, and thus can be suitably used in a highly water permeable blood purifier for use in a therapy of chronic renal failure. The present invention relates to a polysulfone type selectively permeable hollow fiber membrane comprising a polysulfone type resin and a hydrophilic polymer as main components, and characterized in that

Polysulfone-based hollow-fiber membrane with selective permeability

The present invention provides a highly water permeable hollow fiber membrane type blood purifier for medical use, which is excellent in safety and module-assembling ease and which has a high water permeability suitable for use in therapy of chronic renal failure. The present invention relates to a highly water-permeable hollow fiber type blood purifier comprising hydrophobic polymer hollow fiber membranes each of which contains a hydrophilic polymer, characterized in that the amount of the hydrophilic polymer eluted from the hollow fiber membrane is 10 ppm or less; in that the ratio of the hydrophilic polymer in the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane is 25 to 50 mass %; in that the burst pressure of the hollow fiber membrane is 0.5 MPa or higher; and in that the coefficient of water permeability of the blood purifier is 150 ml/m/hr./mmHg or higher.

Highly water-permeable blood purifier of hollow-fiber membrane type

The present invention provides a plasma separation filter capable of easily, speedily and safely separating plasma from a small quantity of blood without damaging blood cell components in the blood. The plasma retains the same protein concentration as in the blood. The present invention also provides a method using such a filter and an apparatus comprising such a filter. The filter of the present invention comprises a micro fiber medium formed of micro fibers with an average hydraulic radius of 0.5 &mgr;m to 3.0 &mgr;m. Such a micro fiber medium is placed in a container having an inlet and an outlet so that a ratio (L/D) of a blood flow passage length (L) to a blood flow passage diameter (D) is 0.15 to 6. The present invention provides such a filter, a plasma separation method using the filter, and a plasma separation apparatus comprising the filter. The present invention can significantly contribute to promote the automation and enhance speediness and safety in clinical tests.

Plasma separation filter

A blood purification membrane having a membrane thickness of 10 to 35 .mu.m, an inner diameter of 100 to 300 .mu.m, a porosity of 50 to 85%, a water permeability (ultrafiltration rate) at 37.degree. C. of not less than 20 ml/m.sup.2 .multidot.Hr.multidot.mmHg and a sieving coefficient of albumin of not more than 0.01, a substantially homogeneous interior structure, and a smooth surface structure. A process for producing the membrane and a module are also provided.

Module for blood purification, blood purification membrane and its

A cellulose acetate membrane composed of a mixture comprising a cellulose triacetate and a cellulose diacetate and having an improved heat stability, which does not substantially show a melting peak of cellulose diacetate but substantially shows a melting peak of cellulose triacetate, in a differential thermal analysis. By mixing a cellulose triacetate and a cellulose diacetate at an appropriate ratio, crystallization or orientational crystallization of each component due to a high pressure stream sterilization can be avoided and a cellulose acetate membrane with improved water permeability and sieving coefficient of myoglobin after a high pressure steam sterilization can be obtained.

Cellulose acetate hemodialysis membrane

A cellulose acetate membrane composed of a mixture comprising a cellulose triacetate and a cellulose diacetate and having an improved heat stability, which does not substantially show a melting peak of cellulose diacetate but substantially shows a melting peak of cellulose triacetate, in a differential thermal analysis. By mixing a cellulose triacetate and a cellulose diacetate at an appropriate ratio, crystallization or orientational crystallization of each component due to a high pressure steam sterilization can be avoided and a cellulose acetate membrane with improved water permeability and sieving coefficient of myoglobin after a high pressure steam sterilization can be obtained.

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Shiga, Japan

Hidehiko Sakurai