Ionic liquid-derived blood-compatible composite membranes for kidney dialysis (original) (raw)

High flux novel polymeric membrane for renal applications

Scientific Reports

Biocompatibility and the ability to mediate the appropriate flux of ions, urea, and uremic toxins between blood and dialysate components are key parameters for membranes used in dialysis. Oxone-mediated TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be excellent additives in the production and tunability of ultrafiltration and dialysis membranes. In the present study, nanocellulose ionic liquid membranes (NC-ILMs) were tested in vitro and ex vivo. An increase in flux of up to two orders of magnitude was observed with increased rejection (about 99.6%) of key proteins compared to that of polysulfone (PSf) and other commercial membranes. NC-ILMs have a sharper molecular weight cut-off than other phase inversion polymeric membranes, allowing for high throughput of urea and a uremic toxin surrogate and limited passage of proteins in dialysis applications. Superior anti-fouling properties were also observed for the NC-ILMs, including a > 5-h operation time with no sys...

Challenges and Advances in Hemodialysis Membranes

Advances in Membrane Technologies, 2020

Hemodialysis (HD) is a filtration vital process through which the bloods' toxins and contaminations are removed. However, several immune system activations occur during dialysis, which can result in morbidity and mortality. The efficiency of the currently available blood purification process is hindered, on one hand, by the deficient toxins and middle molecule removal, and on the other hand, with the loss of valuable blood components (such as plasma and its constituents). This chapter offers an overview of the challenges and advances in HD membranes. It includes an introduction of the end stage renal disease, concepts of dialysis, its historical background, and the path through which the configurations and materials evolved. The interactions between membrane polymeric materials with human blood is also discussed. The aspect of material modification is one of the critical areas in HD technology as it targets to solve the most immediate and prevalent HD issue of membrane bioincompatibility. High flux dialysis (HFD) and hemofiltration (HF) are introduced and discussed. This class of membranes was introduced to solve middle molecule (such as β2-microglobulin) related challenges. This chapter highlights the question of why the issue of incompatible materials still exists along with current membrane modifications.

Membrane innovation: closer to native kidneys

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 2018

Modern methods in analytical biochemistry have established that uraemia is associated with the retention of proteins, both in their native state and post-translationally modified, over a wide range of molecular weights up to 60 kDa. Evidence is accumulating that these higher molecular weight retention solutes are important uraemic toxins, and therapies such as online haemodiafiltration (HDF), which enhance their removal, are associated with improved outcomes. However, HDF has limitations regarding cost, clinical implementation and the need for an external source of sterile substitution solution to maintain fluid balance. New membranes that have a solute removal profile more closely approaching that of the glomerular filtration barrier when used for conventional haemodialysis, while at the same time not allowing the passage of clinically significant amounts of beneficial proteins, are needed to address these limitations. Tighter control of the molecular characteristics of the polymers used for membrane fabrication, along with the introduction of additives and improvements in the manufacturing process, has led to membranes with a tighter pore size distribution that allows the use of an increased absolute pore size without leaking substantial amounts of albumin. At the same time, the wall thickness and internal diameter of membrane fibres have been decreased, enhancing convective transport within the dialyser without the need for an external source of substitution solution. These new expanded range membranes provide a solute removal profile more like that of the native kidney than currently available membranes when used in conventional haemodialysis.