Method for making artificial kidney

Claim 2

A production line method for making a one-piece integral non-disassembleable, hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of: (1) feeding a tow comprising a plurality of hollow fibers in substantially parallel array along a line, (2) providing means capable of forming a tubesheet around said tow and sealing said fibers therein, (3) forming a first tubesheet on said tow at a first location, (4) forming a second tubesheet on said tow at a second location spaced longitudinally from said first location, (5) transversely severing each of said first and said second tubesheet and said hollow fibers therein to thereby form a fiber bundle assembly, (6) forming a first portion of a jacket member, (7) forming a second portion of a jacket member, said first and said second jacket portions being shaped to house said fiber bundle assembly and to sealingly mate with said first and said second tubesheets and with each other to thereby define a pair of fluid-tight chambers separated from each other by an intervening fluid-tight chamber, (8) positioning said fiber bundle assembly between said first and said second jacket portions, and (9) bonding said jacket portions to said tubesheets and to each other to thereby form said one-piece integral hollow fiber device.

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fluid-tight intervening chamber has one outlet port communicating with the interior thereof.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fluid-tight intervening chamber has an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with the interior thereof.

Claim 5

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the portion of said elongate jacket which defines at least one of said blood chambers includes an integral blood supply means.

Claim 6

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the portion of said elongate jacket which defines said intervening chamber includes at least one integral channel means interconnecting with a port in communication with the interior of said chamber.

Claim 7

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongate jacket members have end and side portions spaced apart and interconnected by curvilinear portions.

Claim 8

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said end and said side portions is substantially flat.

Claim 9

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at their end portions in a pair of tubesheets spaced longitudinally from each other, said tubesheets being at least partially curvilinear in cross section, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said curvilinear portion of said tubesheets and encompassing a portion of an inlet end chamber, an intervening chamber and an outlet end chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner surface configurations encompassing a portion of an inlet end chamber, and intervening chamber and an outlet end chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheet whereby said tubesheets are nested in contact with the inner surface configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact, (4) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members, and (5) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheets and to each other to thereby simultaneously form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.

Claim 10

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at their end portions in a pair of tubesheets spaced longitudinally from each other, said tubesheets being at least partially curvilinear in cross section, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said curvilinear portion of said tubesheets and encompassing a portion of an inlet end chamber, an intervening chamber and an outlet end chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner surface configurations encompassing a portion of an inlet end chamber, and intervening chamber and an outlet end chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheet whereby said tubesheets are nested in contact with the inner surface configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact, (4) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members, and (5) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheets and to each other to thereby simultaneously form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said intervening chamber is provided with a single port.

Claim 12

A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said intervening chamber is provided with spaced apart inlet and outlet ports.

Claim 13

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at each end thereof in a tubesheet encapsulating said fibers and being at least partially curvilinear in cross-section, each said tubesheet having integrally bonded thereto a header member forming an end chamber adjacent to the outer end surface of each said tubesheet, said tubesheet and said header comprising a tubesheet-header sub-assembly, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said tubesheet-header and encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheet-header whereby said tubesheet-headers are nested in contact with said inner surfaces of said configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact. (4) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members, and (5) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheet-header and to each other to thereby form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.

Claim 14

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at each end thereof in a tubesheet encapsulating said fibers and being at least partially curvilinear in cross-section, each said tubesheet having integrally bonded thereto a header member forming an end chamber adjacent to the outer end surface of each said tubesheet, said tubesheet and said header comprising a tubesheet-header sub-assembly, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said tubesheet-header and encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions, said curvilinear and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheet-header whereby said tubesheet-headers are nested in contact with said inner surfaces of said configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact. (4) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members, and (5) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheet-header and to each other to thereby form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.

Claim 15

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at their end portions in a pair of tubesheets spaced longitudinally from each other, said tube-sheets being at least partially curvilinear in cross section, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions having a lenticular cross-sectional shape, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said tubesheets and encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions having a lenticular cross-sectional shape, said curvilinear and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheets whereby said tubesheets are nested in contact with said inner surfaces of said configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact, (4) forming header members shaped to define an end chamber adjacent to the outer end surface of each said tubesheet when bonded thereto, (5) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members and said headers in contact with each said tubesheet, and (6) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheets and to each other and bonding said header members thereto to form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.

Claim 16

A production line method for making a one-piece integral, non-disassembleable hollow fiber device having a pair of fluid-tight end chambers separated from each other and joined into an integral unit by a fluid-tight intervening chamber, said intervening chamber containing therein a plurality of capillary hollow fibers providing communication between the interiors of said end chambers through the passageways in said fibers, which comprises the steps of (1) providing a hollow fiber bundle assembly comprising a multiplicity of hollow fibers linearly arranged in substantially parallel array and terminating at their end portions in a pair of tubesheets spaced longitudinally from each other, said tube-sheets being at least partially curvilinear in cross section, (2) forming a first jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions having a lenticular cross-sectional shape, said curvilinear portions and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations corresponding to a first portion of said tubesheets and encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber, (3) forming a second jacket member having spaced apart end and side portions and interconnecting curvilinear portions having a lenticular cross-sectional shape, said curvilinear and said end and side portions having inner-surface configurations encompassing a portion of an intervening chamber and a portion corresponding to a second portion of said tubesheets whereby said tubesheets are nested in contact with said inner surfaces of said configurations in said first and said second jacket members when the inner surfaces of said jacket members are in contact, (4) forming header members shaped to define an end chamber adjacent to the outer end surface of each said tubesheet when bonded thereto, (5) positioning said hollow fiber bundle assembly between said jacket members and said headers in contact with each said tubesheet, and (6) bonding said jacket members to said tubesheets and to each other and bonding said header members thereto to form said one-piece integral non-disassembleable hollow fiber device.