title: Technical and clinical evaluation of a new asymmetric polysulfone membrane (Biosulfane).
abstract: First generation asymmetric polysulfone membranes had high hydraulic permeability (kf = 40 ml/h/mmHg/sqm) but a low diffusive permeability due to the hydrophobic nature and wall thickness of 75-100 microns. We have tested a new polysulfone membrane with a wall thickness of 40 microns in a series of in vitro and in vivo dialysis session experiments. The new "Biosulfane" membrane presented a Kf of 45.8 with constant performance up to 240 mins. The koA was 760 and the clearance value at 350 ml/min of Qb in hemodiafiltration was 255 ml/min for urea, 210 for creatinine, 225 for phosphate, 76 for inulin. In high flux dialysis the clearances were similar except for inulin which was 32% lower due to the lower convection amount. Beta-2 microglobulin clearance was 22 ml/min in high flux dialysis and 37 in hemodiafiltration. Solute sieving coefficients were close to 1 for the majority of the studied solutes in a wide range of molecular weights and slight variations were observed for charged solutes due to Donnan's effect. The sieving for Inulin was 0.96 while that for Beta-2 microglobulin was not measurable due to a large molecule adsorption on the inner structure of the fibres. The good performances of this membrane are probably due to reduced wall thickness and a consequent improvement in diffusive permeability to small size solutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, St. Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ronco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brendolan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crepaldi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bettini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scabardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappellari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tasinazzo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Greca
mesh_terms: D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins; D017583:Hemodiafiltration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007444:Inulin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010539:Permeability; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013450:Sulfones; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010710:Phosphates; D011108:Polymers; D013450:Sulfones; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; C017662:polysulfone P 1700; D007444:Inulin; D003404:Creatinine