Porous Fiber Bundle Structure for Low-Pressure Blood Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing purification columns face challenges in achieving both low pressure loss and high adsorption performance while being downsized, leading to issues such as non-uniform liquid flow, increased pressure on treated liquid, and potential damage to blood cells when used for blood purification.
Innovation Solution
A fiber bundle composed of porous, non-hollow fibers with specific surface roughness and cross-sectional modifications, housed in a tubular case with optimized dimensions and linear arrangement, to ensure uniform flow and minimize pressure loss while maintaining high adsorption capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the column size is reduced to reduce the amount of blood to be taken out, then the amount of blood to be taken out is reduced, but the efficiency of blood purification is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous non-hollow fibers as the adsorbent material, which provides a large internal surface area for adsorption within a compact column structure. The porous structure allows blood to contact the adsorbent efficiently throughout the fiber interior, maintaining high purification efficiency while reducing the overall column size and the amount of blood that needs to be processed outside the body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes specific parameters including the arithmetic average roughness of the fiber surface (11-30 nm in dry state, 12-40 nm in wet state) and the linear rate of the fiber bundle (0.97-1.00). These parameter optimizations ensure uniform blood flow distribution and prevent short-circuiting, thereby maintaining high adsorption efficiency in a downsized column configuration.
2Volume of stationary object
If only the length of the column is reduced, then the column size is reduced, but non-uniform liquid contact with adsorbent occurs and short pass flows occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces local quality variations through the specific surface roughness of the fibers (11-30 nm dry Ra, 12-40 nm wet Ra) and the linear rate control (0.97-1.00). These localized surface characteristics create optimal flow distribution patterns that prevent short-circuiting and ensure uniform blood contact with the adsorbent throughout the column, even when the column length is reduced.
3Volume of stationary object
If only the cross-sectional area of the column is reduced, then the column size is reduced, but the pressure to the liquid to be treated increases and pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous non-hollow fiber structure provides multiple flow pathways through the fiber interiors, distributing the blood flow evenly and reducing localized pressure increases. This maintains acceptable pressure loss even when the column cross-sectional area is reduced, as the porous structure prevents flow concentration and associated pressure spikes.
4Productivity
If high pressure is applied to the liquid to be treated, then the liquid flows through the column, but blood cell components are stimulated and activated causing damage and hemolysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the linear rate of the fiber bundle (0.97-1.00) and surface roughness parameters to optimize flow characteristics. These parameter optimizations enable sufficient liquid flow through the column while maintaining pressure levels that do not stimulate or damage blood cell components, thus preventing hemolysis even during efficient blood purification.
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 solution enables a small purification column with reduced treated liquid volume, low pressure loss, and high adsorption performance, minimizing blood cell damage and hemolysis during blood purification.
Implementation Method 1
a fiber bundle used for removing a substance to be adsorbed in a liquid to be treated by adsorption
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a purification column which is a small purification column in which a volume of a liquid to be treated is reduced in order to reduce the amount of blood to be taken out and which realizes a low pressure loss and has high adsorption performance. The present invention provides a fiber bundle including a plurality of porous fibers that satisfies the following requirements (A) to (E):(A) the porous fiber has a non-hollow shape,(B) an arithmetic average roughness (dry Ra value) of a surface of the porous fiber in a dry state is 11 nm or more and 30 nm or less,(C) an arithmetic average roughness (wet Ra value) of a surface of the porous fiber in a wet state is 12 nm or more and 40 nm or less,(D) a value represented by wet Ra/dry Ra is 1.05 or more, and(E) a linear rate of the fiber bundle represented by (length of fiber bundle)/(length of one porous fiber) is 0.97 or more and 1.00 or less.