Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha

Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha, Trading As Terumo Corporation

Kazuhiro Shimoda

Kazuaki Takahara

Ken Tatebe

Manabu Yamazaki

Yukio Seita

Toshiji Ichikawa

Makoto Emi

A method for the manufacture of a hollow fiber membrane by mixing polypropylene, an organic filler capable of uniformly dispersing in the polypropylene in a fused state and easily dissolving in an extractant being used, and a crystal seed forming agent. The resulting mixture, in a molten state, is discharged in the shape of a hollow fiber through an annular spinning nozzle and into contact with a liquid made of said organic filler or a compound similar thereto. This results in cooling and solidifying the hollow fiber, which is then forwarded into contact with an extractant incapable of dissolving polypropylene, to remove the organic filler and form the membrane.

Process for hollow fiber membrane for artificial lung

A porous polypropylene hollow fiber membrane of a circular cross section 150 to 300 .mu.m in inside diameter and 10 to 150 .mu.m in wall thickness for use in an artificial lung, which hollow fiber membrane is characterized by having an inner surface aperture ratio in the range of 10 to 30%, a porosity in the range of 10 to 60%, and an oxygen flux in the range of 100 to 1,000 liters/min.m.sup.2.atm. and inducing no leakage of blood plasma within 20 hours use in the external circulation of blood therethrough.

Hollow fiber membrane for an artificial lung

A porous hollow fiber membrane, comprising a polyolefin hollow fiber membrane of an annular cross section of substantial circle 150 to 300 .mu.m in inside diameter and 10 to 150 .mu.m in wall thickness, said hollow fiber membrane forming on the inner wall side thereof a tight layer of intimately bound fine polyolefin particles and on the outer wall side thereof a porous texture of fine polyolefin particles bound in chains and containing fine pores extended continuously form said inner wall side to said outer wall side.

Hollow fiber membrane and method for manufacture thereof

Growing community of inventors

Fuji, Japan

Kazuhiro Shimoda