EP0112173A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plasmapheresis process
Assignee: EIDP Inc
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Filing: 1983-12-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-12-15
Abstract
Abstract Hollow fiber plasmapheresis module and process, said module comprising hollow fibers having cell-retaining pores and an effective length (L) to lumen diameter (D) ratio L/D not greater than 16,400 cm<-><1> D (L and D being in centimeters) within a housing having a blood inlet for conducting blood to the fibers, an outlet for conducting exit (plasma-depleted) blood from the fibers, and a plasma outlet for conducting plasma out of the module.
Inventors
- 👤 Ray Brown Duggins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:02
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D63/00; B01D63/02; A; A61; A61M; A61M1/00; A61M1/34; A61M1/3403; A61M1/3496; A61M1/36; A61M1/3601; A61M1/3603; A61M1/3604; A61M60/00; A61M60/10; A61M60/104; A61M60/109; A61M60/20; A61M60/247; A61M60/253; A61M60/268; A61M60/279; A61M60/30; A61M60/36; A61M60/37; A61M60/40; A61M60/424; A61M60/438; A61M60/80; A61M60/845; A61M60/851; A61M60/853; B01D61/00; B01D61/14; B01D61/147; B01D65/00; B01D65/08; A61M1/3621; A61M1/3623; A61M2205/00; A61M2205/33; A61M2205/3306; A61M2205/3331; A61M2205/3334; A61M60/113; B01D2321/00; B01D2321/20; B01D2321/2066; B01D2321/2083
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
Improved microfiltration module for separating whole blood into a cellular-enriched fraction and a plasma-enriched fraction, the module comprising in combination a plurality of blood wettable porous membrane hollow fibers having pores of substantially uniform size and capable of passing plasma but not cellular components, the fibers being further characterized in that the pore size is within the range 0.1 to 1.0 um and the lumen diameter (D) is no greater than 0.050 cm, the fibers being of substantially equal lengths and terminating in first open ends and second open ends: a liquid tight housing to contain the fibers: liquid tight sealing means cooperating with the housing and the first open ends of the fibers; liquid tight sealing means cooperating with the housing and the second open ends of the fibers, the two sealing means dividing the housing into two end chambers and one central chamber, the end chambers being in liquid transfer relationship with each other through the hollow fibers; blood inlet means for introducing whole blood into one end chamber; blood outlet means for removing a cellular-enriched blood fraction from the other end chamber; and plasma outlet means for removing a plasma-enriched blood fraction from the central chamber, the improvement characterized in that the effective length (L) to lumen diameter (D) ratio (L/D) is not greater than 16,400 cm- 1 D. (L and D being in centimeters).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
Improved microfiltration module for separating whole blood into a cellular-enriched fraction and a plasma-enriched fraction, the module comprising in combination a plurality of blood wettable porous membrane hollow fibers having pores of substantially uniform size and capable of passing plasma but not cellular components, the fibers being further characterized in that the pore size is within the range 0.1 to 1.0 um and the lumen diameter (D) is no greater than 0.050 cm, the fibers being of substantially equal lengths and terminating in first open ends and second open ends: a liquid tight housing to contain the fibers: liquid tight sealing means cooperating with the housing and the first open ends of the fibers; liquid tight sealing means cooperating with the housing and the second open ends of the fibers, the two sealing means dividing the housing into two end chambers and one central chamber, the end chambers being in liquid transfer relationship with each other through the hollow fibers; blood inlet means for introducing whole blood into one end chamber; blood outlet means for removing a cellular-enriched blood fraction from the other end chamber; and plasma outlet means for removing a plasma-enriched blood fraction from the central chamber, the improvement characterized in that the effective length (L) to lumen diameter (D) ratio (L/D) is not greater than 16,400 cm- 1 D. (L and D being in centimeters).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
Module of Claim 1 wherein the L/D ratio is not greater than about 540.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
Module of Claim 1 wherein the L/D ratio is about 100 to about 350.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
1, 2, or 4. Module of Claim/3 wherein the pore size is within the range 0.4 to 0.6 µm and the lumen diameter is 0.015 to 0.050 cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
any one of to 4 5. Module of/Claimsl/wherein the fibers are blood wettable polypropylene fibers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
any one of to 5 6. Module of/Claimsl/wherein the fibers are purged of air and filled with saline.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
any one of to 6 7. Module of /Claims 1 /further comprising means for conducting blood through the fibers in reciprocatory pulsatile flow.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
Module of Claim 7 wherein the means for conducting blood through the fibers in reciprocatory pulsatile flow comprises a blood circulating loop between an inlet and an outlet, there being an oscillator located on the loop.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
171 words
Improved method for plasmapheresis carried out in a system with a plurality of blood wettable porous membrane hollow fibers having a substantially uniform membrane pore size and having open inlet ends and open outlet ends, each fiber having a lumen diameter (D) of no greater than 0.050 cm, the pore size of the porous membrane being within the range 0.1 to 1.0 µm, the improved method comprising: (a) conducting blood in a forward direction into and through the fibers while maintaining a mean positive transmembrane pressure difference across the membranes from inlets to outlets of the hollow fibers; (b) collecting plasma-depleted blood from the outlets of the hollow fibers; and (c) collecting plasma which has passed through the pores of the membranes, the effective length of the hollow fibers being such that the L/D ratio is no greater than 16,400 cm -1 D (L and D being in centimeters) and the velocity of the blood in step (a) being such that the shear rate is 50 to 2500 sec -1 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
171 words
Improved method for plasmapheresis carried out in a system with a plurality of blood wettable porous membrane hollow fibers having a substantially uniform membrane pore size and having open inlet ends and open outlet ends, each fiber having a lumen diameter (D) of no greater than 0.050 cm, the pore size of the porous membrane being within the range 0.1 to 1.0 µm, the improved method comprising: (a) conducting blood in a forward direction into and through the fibers while maintaining a mean positive transmembrane pressure difference across the membranes from inlets to outlets of the hollow fibers; (b) collecting plasma-depleted blood from the outlets of the hollow fibers; and (c) collecting plasma which has passed through the pores of the membranes, the effective length of the hollow fibers being such that the L/D ratio is no greater than 16,400 cm -1 D (L and D being in centimeters) and the velocity of the blood in step (a) being such that the shear rate is 50 to 2500 sec -1 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
Method of Claim 9 wherein the lumen diameter (D) is 0.015 to 0.050 cm and the pore size of the porous membrane is within the range 0.4 to 0.6 µm. 9 or
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method of Claim/10 wherein the shear rate is 90 to 100 sec- 1 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
9, or 11 12. Method of Claim/10,/wherein the L/D ratio is not greater than about 300.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method of Claim 12 wherein the L/D ratio is about 100 to about 300.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
any one of to 13 14. Method of /Claim 9/ wherein the fibers are blood wettable polypropylene fibers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
139 words
Method of Claim 9 comprising: (a) conducting blood in a forward direction into and through the fibers while maintaining a mean positive transmembrane pressure difference across the membranes from inlets to outlets of the hollow fibers; (b) conducting blood in an external circuit from a region near the inlets or outlets of the fibers to a region near, respectively, the outlets or inlets of the fibers; (c) collecting plasma-depleted blood from the outlets of the hollow fibers; and (d) collecting plasma which has passed through the pores of the membranes, the effective length of the hollow fibers being such that the L/D ratio is no greater than 16,400 cm -1 D (L and D being in centimeters) and the velocity of the blood in step (a) being such-that the shear rate is 200 to. 2500 s ec -1 .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
Method of Claim 15 wherein the lumen diameter (D) is 0.015 to 0.050 cm and the pore size of the porous membrane is within the range 0.4 to 0.6 µm. 15 or
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method of Claim/16 wherein the shear rate is 2400 to 2500 sec- 1 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
15, or 17 18. Method of Claim/16,/wherein the L/D ratio is not greater than about 460.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method of Claim 18 wherein the L/D ratio is about 100 to about 350.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
any one of to 19 20. Method of/ Claims 15/ wherein the fibers are blood wettable polypropylene fibers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
154 words
Method of Claim 9 comprising: (a) conducting blood in a forward direction into and through the fibers while maintaining a mean positive transmembrane pressure difference across the membranes from inlets to outlets of the hollow fibers; (b) terminating the forward conducting of blood; (c) conducting blood through the hollow fibers in the reverse direction; (d) collecting plasma-depleted blood from the outlets of the hollow fibers; (e) collecting plasma which has passed through the pores of the membranes; and (f) repeating in sequence steps (a), (b) and (c) to collect additional plasma-depleted blood and plasma, the effective length of the hollow fibers being such that the L/D ratio is no greater than 16,400 cm -1 D (L and D being in centimeters) and the velocity of the blood in steps .(a) and (c), except at the beginning and end of each step, being such that the shear rate is 200 to 2500 sec- 1 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
Method of Claim 21 wherein the lumen diameter (D) is 0.015 to 0.050 cm and the pore size of the porous membrane is within the range 0.4 to 0.6 µm.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
21 or 23. Method of Claim/22 wherein the shear rate is 1000 to 1200 sec -1 .
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
21, or 23 24. Method of Claim/22,/wherein the L/D ratio is not greater than about 540.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method of Claim 24 wherein the L/D ratio is about 100 to about 350.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
any one of to 25 26. Method of/Claims21/wherein the fibers are blood wettable polypropylene fibers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
any one of to 26 27. Method of/Claims2l/wherein the volume of blood conducted in step (a) is different from the volume of blood conducted in step (c).
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
Method of Claim 27 wherein the volume of blood conducted in step (a) is greater than the volume of blood conducted in step (c).
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
any one of to 28 29. Method of/Claims 21 /wherein the volume of blood conducted in either step (a) or step (c) is at least 5% of the total volume of blood in the system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
any one·of to 29 30. Method of/Claims21/wherein the transmembrane pressure difference across part of the membranes is negative for part of the distance that the blood is conducted across the membranes.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
48 words
Method of Claim 30 wherein the arith- metric product of: (a) the time-average of the transmembrane pressure while it is positive in a portion of the fiber and (b) the time in that portion of the fiber is greater than such product when the transmembrane pressure is negative.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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