Fabrication of mini-dialyzers using Anodic Aluminum Oxide and Polysulfone membrane and their comparative study for the improvement of hemodialysis to treat renal failure patients

Abstract

Renal failure is one of the leading health issue in the world that effects people worldwide. Number of chronic renal failure patients are increasing day by day due to different factors. Hemodialysis is the most easily approachable treatment for renal failure patient. Efficiency of this treatment mainly depend upon semipermeable membrane used in hemodialyzer. Currently Synthetic polysulfone membrane is considered as a dialyzing membrane on commercial scale, which have irregular geometry such as pore size and pore shape responsible for the low toxin removal efficiency. A novel anodic aluminum oxide membrane (AAO) with highly ordered structure, perfect chemical stability and high thermal resistance is an attractive approach as dialyzing membrane. In this research commercially available polysulfone membrane and lab prepared highly ordered anodic aluminum oxide membrane were used to fabricated a mini dialyzer in lab to study different factors that effects the blood flow during the process of dialysis. Blood of 10 renal failure patients were used to conduct the process of dialysis in both mini dialyzers at lab scale. Toxin removal efficiency of both dialyzers were checked and compared with each other. Result showed that overall toxin removal efficiency of AAO base mini dialyzer was better than polysulfone membrane base mini dialyzer. However toxin removal efficiency for polysulfone base dialyzer remain same, while in AAO base dialyzer efficiency dropped with time. Results of this comparative study will be helpful to obtain a dialyzer that can provide maximum toxin removal efficiency to improve the process of dialysis to treat renal failure patients.