An adsorber module and adsorber apparatus for whole blood treatment

Claim 2

An adsorber module for whole blood treatment com­prising: a casing provided with a blood introduction means and a blood withdrawal means, and a plurality of porous hollow fibers substantially equal in length arranged substantially in parallel rela­tionship and bonded together at both end portions thereof to form a bundle, each porous hollow fiber of said bundle having openings at both terminal ends thereof, said bundle being disposed in said casing along the length of said casing, said both end portions of the hollow fibers of said bundle being fluid-tightly connected to said blood introduc­tion means and said blood withdrawal means, respectively, thereby establishing communication between said blood introduction means and said blood withdrawal means through said bundle of hollow fibers, each porous hollow fiber comprising a membranous porous resin matrix having pores which open at least at the inner wall of the hollow fiber and a plurality of ligands attached to the overall surface of said porous resin matrix, said ligands being capable of interacting with a substance to be adsorbed.

Claim 3

The module according to claim 1, wherein said ligand has low antigenicity.

Claim 4

The module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said ligand is linked to the overall surface of said porous resin matrix by covalent bonding.

Claim 5

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said ligand is a hydrophobic compound.

Claim 6

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said ligand is a polyanion.

Claim 7

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said porous resin matrix has an average pore diameter of from 0.005 to 3 µm.

Claim 8

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said average pore diameter is in the range of from 0.01 to 2 µm.

Claim 9

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said membranous porous resin matrix of each hollow fiber has pores therewithin and openings on both surfaces thereof, said pores cooperating with said openings to form throughpaths running between both the surfaces of said resin matrix.

Claim 10

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said porous hollow fibers have an average effective length (L mm) and an average inner diameter (D mm) which satisfy the inequality: L/D² (mm⁻¹)≧ 2000 said average effective length being defined as an average of the lengths of said porous hollow fibers minus the lengths of said both end portions of said porous hollow fibers at which the fibers are bonded together and fluid-­tightly connected to said blood introduction means and said blood withdrawal means, respectively.

Claim 11

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said casing is further provided with at least one opening for withdrawing the plasma.

Claim 12

The module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said resin matrix is composed of at least one resin selected from the group consisting of cellulose, a cellulose derivative, a water-insoluble polyvinyl alcohol, a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol, a polyolefin, a polysulfone and a polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 13

An adsorber apparatus for whole blood treatment com­prising: (a) an adsorber module comprising: a casing provided with a blood introduction means and a blood withdrawal means, and a plurality of porous hollow fibers substantially equal in length arranged substantially in parallel rela­tionship and bonded together at both end portions thereof to form a bundle, each porous hollow fiber of said bundle having openings at both terminal ends thereof, said bundle being disposed in said casing along the length of said casing, said both end portions of the hollow fibers of said bundle being fluid-tightly connected to said blood introduc­tion means and said blood withdrawal means, respectively, thereby establishing communication between said blood introduction means and said blood withdrawal means through said bundle of hollow fibers, each porous hollow fiber comprising a membranous porous resin matrix having pores which open at least at the inner wall of the hollow fiber and a plurality of ligands attached to the overall surface of said porous resin matrix, said ligands being capable of interacting with a substance to be adsorbed, (b) a blood introducing passage means comprising a first conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said blood introduction means of module (a), a second con­duit having a blood inlet at one end thereof, and a blood transport means disposed between and fluid-tightly con­nected to the other ends of said first and second conduits; and (c) a blood withdrawing passage means comprising a third conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said blood withdrawal means of module (a) and having a blood outlet at the other end thereof.

Claim 14

An adsorber apparatus for whole blood treatment com­prising: (a) an adsorber module comprising: a casing provided with a blood introduction means and a blood withdrawal means, and a plurality of porous hollow fibers substantially equal in length arranged substantially in parallel rela­tionship and bonded together at both end portions thereof to form a bundle, each porous hollow fiber of said bundle having openings at both terminal ends thereof, said bundle being disposed in said casing along the length of said casing, said both end portions of the hollow fibers of said bundle being fluid-tightly connected to said blood introduc­tion means and said blood withdrawal means, respectively, thereby establishing communication between said blood introduction means and said blood withdrawal means through said bundle of hollow fibers, each porous hollow fiber comprising a membranous porous resin matrix having pores which open at least at the inner wall of the hollow fiber and a plurality of ligands attached to the overall surface of said porous resin matrix, said ligands being capable of interacting with a substance to be adsorbed, (b) a blood introducing passage means comprising a first conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said blood introduction means of module (a), a second con­duit having a blood inlet at one end thereof, and a blood transport means disposed between and fluid-tightly con­nected to the other ends of said first and second conduits; and (c) a blood withdrawing passage means comprising a third conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said blood withdrawal means of module (a) and having a blood outlet at the other end thereof.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 12, comprising an adsorber module according to any of the claims 1 to 11.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said casing of module (a) is further provided with at least one opening for withdrawing the plasma, said opening being fluid-tightly connected to said blood withdrawing passage means through a bypass comprising a fourth conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said opening, a fifth conduit having one end fluid-tightly connected to said blood withdrawing passage at its inter­mediate position, and a plasma transport means disposed between and fluid-tightly connected to the other ends of said fourth and fifth conduits.