Method of winding a mass transfer device and product

Claim 1

In a dialysis cartridge made by winding hollow groups of one or more parallel tubular fiber membranes onto a mandrel in a criss-cross pattern, the improvement comprising at least one relatively stiff, generally solid fiber positioned to lie in said winding alongside with, and generally parallel to, each said group of hollow fibers without being twisted therewith, said generally solid fiber is at least 80 percent as thick as said hollow fiber such that said hollow fibers lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 8

The method of supporting and spacing easily deformable semipermeable filaments wound on a mandrel in a criss-cross pattern to form a mass transfer device, comprising the step of concurrently winding onto said mandrel, parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to said mandrel, and without twisting them together, at least one of said easily deformable filaments and at least one relatively stiff filament; said relatively stiff filament is at least 80 percent as thick as said semipermeable filament such that said semipermeable filaments lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 9

The method of supporting and spacing easily deformable semipermeable filaments wound on a mandrel in a criss-cross pattern to form a mass transfer device, comprising the step of concurrently winding onto said mandrel, parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to said mandrel, and without twisting them together, at least one of said easily deformable filaments and at least one relatively stiff filament; said relatively stiff filament is at least 80 percent as thick as said semipermeable filament such that said semipermeable filaments lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 12

The method of supporting and spacing easily deformable semipermeable filaments wound on a mandrel in a criss-cross pattern to form a mass transfer device, comprising the step of concurrently winding onto said mandrel, parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to said mandrel, and without twisting them together, at least one of said easily deformable semipermeable filaments and at least one relatively still filament; said relatively stiff filament is at least 80 percent as thick as said easily deformable semipermeable filament successive layers of said relatively stiff filament positioned in said criss-cross manner forming a protective cage structure defining channels in which said easily deformable semipermeable filaments can lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 13

The method of supporting and spacing easily deformable semipermeable filaments wound on a mandrel in a criss-cross pattern to form a mass transfer device, comprising the step of concurrently winding onto said mandrel, parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to said mandrel, and without twisting them together, at least one of said easily deformable semipermeable filaments and at least one relatively still filament; said relatively stiff filament is at least 80 percent as thick as said easily deformable semipermeable filament successive layers of said relatively stiff filament positioned in said criss-cross manner forming a protective cage structure defining channels in which said easily deformable semipermeable filaments can lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 16

The method of making a mass transfer device by winding onto a mandrel at an acute angle to the axis thereof, successive fiber layers composed on non-twisted strands each including at least one relatively stiff, solid fiber and at least one relatively flexible, hollow semipermeable fiber, the fibers of each strand being parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to the surface of said mandrel, and the strands of successive ones of said layers being at angles to one another, the hollow fibers being no thicker than said solid fibers, and said solid and hollow fibers being such that successive layers of said solid fibers positioned in a criss-cross manner form a protective cage structure defining channels in which said hollow fibers can lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 17

The method of making a mass transfer device by winding onto a mandrel at an acute angle to the axis thereof, successive fiber layers composed on non-twisted strands each including at least one relatively stiff, solid fiber and at least one relatively flexible, hollow semipermeable fiber, the fibers of each strand being parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to the surface of said mandrel, and the strands of successive ones of said layers being at angles to one another, the hollow fibers being no thicker than said solid fibers, and said solid and hollow fibers being such that successive layers of said solid fibers positioned in a criss-cross manner form a protective cage structure defining channels in which said hollow fibers can lie without substantial pinching.

Claim 20

The method of making a blood dialysis cartridge or the like, comprising the steps of: (a) Winding onto an apertured mandrel at an acute angle to the axis thereof, successive fiber layers composed of non-twisted strands each including at least one relatively stiff solid fiber and at least one relatively flexible, hollow semipermeable fiber, the fibers of each strand being parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to the surface of said mandrel, and the strands of successive ones of said layers being at angles to one another, the hollow fibers being thinner than said solid fibers, and the relative thicknesses of said solid and hollow fibers being such that successive layers of said solid fibers positioned in a criss-cross manner form a protective cage structure defining channels in which said hollow fibers can lie without substantial pinching: (b) Applying to said fibers, during the winding thereof, a hardenable adhesive material adapted to hold said fibers in a fixed position at spaced locations along said mandrel; (c) Allowing said adhesive material to harden; (d) Cutting through said hardened adhesive material at said spaced locations to form individual temporary cartridges; (e) Final-potting the ends of said temporary cartridges to fit into a housing in sealing relationship; (f) Cutting through said final-potted ends to remove said adhesive material and expose the ends of said fibers in a manifold surface; and (g) Treating the exposed ends of said fibers and said manifold surface with a meniscus-forming hardenable substance to produce a smooth non-thrombogenic surface on said fiber ends and manifold.

Claim 21

The method of making a blood dialysis cartridge or the like, comprising the steps of: (a) Winding onto an apertured mandrel at an acute angle to the axis thereof, successive fiber layers composed of non-twisted strands each including at least one relatively stiff solid fiber and at least one relatively flexible, hollow semipermeable fiber, the fibers of each strand being parallel to each other in a plane generally tangential to the surface of said mandrel, and the strands of successive ones of said layers being at angles to one another, the hollow fibers being thinner than said solid fibers, and the relative thicknesses of said solid and hollow fibers being such that successive layers of said solid fibers positioned in a criss-cross manner form a protective cage structure defining channels in which said hollow fibers can lie without substantial pinching: (b) Applying to said fibers, during the winding thereof, a hardenable adhesive material adapted to hold said fibers in a fixed position at spaced locations along said mandrel; (c) Allowing said adhesive material to harden; (d) Cutting through said hardened adhesive material at said spaced locations to form individual temporary cartridges; (e) Final-potting the ends of said temporary cartridges to fit into a housing in sealing relationship; (f) Cutting through said final-potted ends to remove said adhesive material and expose the ends of said fibers in a manifold surface; and (g) Treating the exposed ends of said fibers and said manifold surface with a meniscus-forming hardenable substance to produce a smooth non-thrombogenic surface on said fiber ends and manifold.