Gas transfer and blood compatibility of asymmetric polyimide hollow fiber.
We have fabricated an asymmetric polyimide hollow fiber for use as a membrane oxygenator. A dry/wet phase inversion process has been applied to a spinning process to prepare the hollow fiber. The fiber structure consisted of a complete defect-free skin layer and a porous substructure characterized by the presence of an open-cell structure and macrovoids. The outer diameter was 480 microm with a wall thickness of 50 microm. Transfer rates of O2 and CO2 in the asymmetric polyimide fiber were 2.3 x 10(-5) and 1.1 x 10(-4) (cm3 (STP)/(cm2 s cmHg)), respectively, which were four times higher than those measured in the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber of the presently-available membrane oxygenator. The (QO2/QN2) selectivity of the polyimide fiber was 4.9, indicating that the surface skin layer is essentially defect-free. The blood compatibility of the polyimide hollow fiber has been evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The polyimide had an excellent blood compatibility when compared with PDMS.
Niwa
M
M
Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan.
Kawakami
H
H
Kanno
M
M
Nagaoka
S
S
Kanamori
T
T
Shinbo
T
T
Kubota
S
S
D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007094:Imides / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010107:Oxygenators, Membrane / Q000592:standards*; D010539:Permeability; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011817:Rabbits; D014684:Venae Cavae
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001798:Blood Proteins; D007094:Imides; D011108:Polymers; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen