Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha

Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha, Trading As Terumo Corporation

Manabu Yamazaki

Ken Tatebe

Kazuaki Takahara

Kazuhiro Shimoda

Kousuke Kido

The present invention is directed to an oxygenator using a hydrophobic porous hollow fiber membrane possessing an inside diameter in the range of 150 to 300 microns, a wall thickness in the range of 10 to 150 microns, and a substantially circular cross section, which porous hollow fiber membrane possesses an average crimp amplitude in the range of 35 to 120% of the outside diameter, a maximum crimp amplitude/crimp half cycle period at maximum crimp amplitude ratio in the range of 0.01 to 0.1, and a crimp ratio in the range of 1.0 to 3.0%, and a method for the production thereof.

Oxygenator using porous hollow fiber membrane

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.

Growing community of inventors

Fujinomiya, Japan

Manabu Yamazaki