| Theme | Recent evaluation and characteristics for dialysis membranes from biocompatible viewpoints | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | PES (polyethersulfone) | |
| Publish Date | 2016/05 | |
| Author | Ryu Oishi | Department of Clinical Enjineering, Showa University Hospital |
| Author | Eriko Kinugasa | Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital |
| [ Summary ] | Polyethersulfone (PES) is a hydrophobic membrane material having a chemical structure similar to polysulfone （PS）. To neutralize hydrophobicity, hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is added when synthesizing the membranes. Although the quantity of PVP contained in PES is less than that in PS, it exhibits comparable biocompatibility to PS. In addition, PES does not contain bisphenol A (BPA) which is known to be an endocrine disruptor. BPA-free PES hemodialyzers/hemodiafilters have become commercially available by changing housing materials to consist of polypropylene instead of polycarbonate containing BPA. It is believed this change will provide improved safety for patients. |
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