| [ Summary ] |
Reducing the inner diameter of hollow fibers is one method to enhance the internal filtration of dialyzers. In analytical studies, reducing the inner diameter of hollow fibers increased internal filtration and clearance of low molecular weight proteins, involving an increased blood side pressure drop. Test results from in vitro studies estimating myoglobin clearance of test modules whose inner diameter was 135, 150, 200 micro m showed that clearance was higher with narrow inner diameter fibers. Measuring results of internal filtration with doppler ultrasonography on bovine blood showed that reducing the inner diameter below 150micro m produced a total internal filtration volume of over five litters. |