EFFECT OF MEMBRANE FOULING ON SOLUTE REMOVAL PERFORMANCE OF DIALYZERS WITH DIFFERENT MEMBRANE AREA

In blood purification therapy, the membrane fouling due to protein molecules reduces solute removal performance. We investigated the relationship between the membrane fouling and membrane area of dialyzer systematically, by reproducing the fouling in an aqueous system. The decreasing degree of solute removal performances depended on the membrane area of dialyzer, and a higher clearance was kept in dialyzers with larger membrane area. Increased effect of the internal filtration, filtration from the inside to outside and its opposite occurring in one dialyzer at the same time, found with increased membrane area enhanced the removal of middle molecules regardless of the membrane fouling