Blood Filter with Segmented Melt-Blown Non-Woven Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blood filters face limitations in leukocyte elimination performance, blood throughput per unit time, and erythrocyte recovery rates due to the low pore size uniformity of melt-blown non-woven fabrics, which require laminating multiple porous materials, restricting further improvements.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a blood filter using melt-blown non-woven fabrics with controlled mean fiber diameters and pore sizes, combined with a pre-treatment and main filter configuration, to achieve enhanced leukocyte removal and increased blood throughput, where the first non-woven fabric has a mean fiber diameter of 5 to 30 µm and a mean pore size of 10 to 30 µm, and the second has a mean fiber diameter of 1 to 5 µm and a mean pore size of 5 to 10 µm, with a mean pore size distribution rate of 30% or more.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple porous materials are laminated to improve pore size uniformity and leukocyte elimination performance, then leukocyte removal rate is improved, but blood throughput per unit time is limited and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into two functional sections: a pre-treatment filter with larger pores (10-30 µm) for initial filtration and a main filter with smaller pores (5-10 µm) for leukocyte removal. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally without requiring multiple layers of the same material, thereby maintaining high blood throughput while achieving excellent leukocyte elimination performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the filter have different pore sizes tailored to their specific functions. The pre-treatment filter region has larger pores optimized for initial blood filtration, while the main filter region has smaller pores optimized for leukocyte removal. This local differentiation of properties enables high leukocyte removal efficiency without compromising overall blood throughput.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple porous materials are laminated to improve leukocyte elimination performance, then leukocyte removal rate is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple laminated layers of the same porous material, the invention segments the filter into two functional sections with different pore sizes. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for multiple laminations while achieving the same leukocyte elimination performance through functional differentiation.
3Productivity
If melt-blown non-woven fabric is used to increase blood throughput, then blood throughput per unit time is improved, but pore size uniformity decreases and leukocyte elimination performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating regions with different pore sizes within the melt-blown non-woven fabric structure. The pre-treatment filter region has larger pores optimized for high blood throughput, while the main filter region has smaller pores with better uniformity optimized for leukocyte removal. This resolves the contradiction by allowing high throughput in one region while achieving pore uniformity in another region.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves excellent leukocyte removal performance with minimal porous material, significantly improving blood throughput and erythrocyte recovery rates, ensuring efficient filtration and reducing erythrocyte damage.
Implementation Method 1
a filter method which separates leukocytes by allowing blood to pass through a filter to adsorb leukocytes on the filter
Implementation Method 2
the melt-blown non-woven fabric, which is a porous material
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Disclosed are a blood filter which exhibits excellent leukocyte elimination performance as well as significantly improved blood throughput per unit time and erythrocyte recovery rate and a method of manufacturing the same. The blood filter of the present invention includes a pre-treatment filter which is a laminate of first non-woven fabrics having a mean fiber diameter of 5 to 30 µm and a mean pore size of 10 to 30 µm, and a main filter which is a laminate of second non-woven fabrics having a mean fiber diameter of 1 to 5 µm, a mean pore size of 5 to 10 µm and a mean pore size distribution rate of 30% or more. A filling density of the pre-treatment filter and a filling density of the main filter, with respect to a target blood throughput of the blood filter, are 0.1 g/100 ml to 1 g/100 ml and 1 g/100 ml to 3 g/100 ml, respectively.