Finding new opportunities to improve hemodialysis membranes

Abstract

The article analyzes approaches to the formation of dialysis therapy membranes, on the basis of which a new promising method for creating and using composite and polymer materials for hemodialysis is proposed and experimentally tested. Special attention is paid to a significant increase in the working surface of semi-fiber synthetic polysulfone membranes by placing biocompatible boehmite nanoparticles on it. Before impregnation, the agglomerates of the nanoparticles were dispersed. At the same time, their size was reduced to individual particles in the delivery state with a size of ~ 30 nm. The crushing of agglomerates was facilitated by ultrasound (ultrasound). During dispersion, a surfactant was also used, the mechanism of action of which consisted in penetration between the agglomerate particles and a decrease in surface tension. After dispersion, the nanoparticles were located in nanocontainers of a mesh hydrogel formed when surfactants of polyethylene glycol enter distilled water. Boehmite was injected into polysulfone fibers using an ultrasonic capillary effect. When exposed to ultrasound and surfactants are used, the suspension with nanoparticles rises along the fiber channel and the particles are fixed on their inner surface. At the frequency of the ultrasonic generator used in operation, the liquid rises only a third of the height. Therefore, the further introduction of the suspension, the amount of which is calculated according to the geometric dimensions of the fibers, was carried out by instilling into the fibers from above using a syringe. The article shows the disadvantages of modern membranes and ways to eliminate them. One of these ways is to increase the inner surface of the dialyzer when using nanoparticles with a size of ~ 30 nm. An analysis of the size of blood elements showed that the nanoparticles we use are significantly smaller than them and can actually be used in hemodialysis technological processes.