Protein Separation and Hemocompatibility of Nitride Membranes in Microfluidic Filtration Systems

Abstract

Improving the health outcomes for end-stage renal Disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD) requires new technologies for wearable HD such as a highly efficient membrane that can achieve standard toxic clearance rates in small device footprints. Our group has developed nanoporous silicon nitride (NPN) membranes which are 100 to 1000 times thinner than conventional membranes and are orders-of-magnitude more efficient for dialysis. Counter flow dialysis separation experiments were performed to measure urea clearance while microdialysis experiments were performed in a stirred beaker to measure the separation of cytochrome-c and albumin. Hemodialysis experiments testing for platelet activation as well as protein adhesion were performed. Devices for the counter flow experiments were constructed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a NPN membrane chip. The counter flow devices reduced the urea by as much as 20%. The microdialysis experiments showed a diffusion of ~60% for the cytochrome-c while clearing ~20% of the Albumin. Initial hemocompatibility studies show that the NPN membrane surface is less prone to both protein adhesion and platelet activation when compared to positive control (glass).