Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
In a process for preparing a semipermeable membrane suitable for use in an artificial kidney of the filtration type for purifying blood, which comprises the steps of casting a film of a solution of cellulose acetate dissolved in a solvent which solution also contains a swelling agent, then partially evaporating the solvent from the film, and then immersing the film in a non-solvent to gel the film and to remove the solvent from the film, whereby to form a semipermeable membrane, the improvement which comprises: said cellulose acetate has an acetylation degree of from 52 to 56%, said solvent consists essentially of a mixture of dimethylformamide and acetone, said swelling agent consists essentially of a mixture of cyclohexanone and water in which the weight ratio of cyclohexanone to water is from 0.8 to 1.3, and wherein the weight ratio of dimethylformamide/acetone/swelling agent in said solution lies within the area bounded by points A, B, C and D in the attached drawing, wherein the coordinates of points A, B, C and D, expressed in terms of weight ratio of dimethylformamide/acetone/swelling agent, are as follows: point A, 60/20/20 point B, 35/45/20 point C, 25/35/40 point D, 50/10/40.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
In a process for preparing a semipermeable membrane suitable for use in an artificial kidney of the filtration type for purifying blood, which comprises the steps of casting a film of a solution of cellulose acetate dissolved in a solvent which solution also contains a swelling agent, then partially evaporating the solvent from the film, and then immersing the film in a non-solvent to gel the film and to remove the solvent from the film, whereby to form a semipermeable membrane, the improvement which comprises: said cellulose acetate has an acetylation degree of from 52 to 56%, said solvent consists essentially of a mixture of dimethylformamide and acetone, said swelling agent consists essentially of a mixture of cyclohexanone and water in which the weight ratio of cyclohexanone to water is from 0.8 to 1.3, and wherein the weight ratio of dimethylformamide/acetone/swelling agent in said solution lies within the area bounded by points A, B, C and D in the attached drawing, wherein the coordinates of points A, B, C and D, expressed in terms of weight ratio of dimethylformamide/acetone/swelling agent, are as follows: point A, 60/20/20 point B, 35/45/20 point C, 25/35/40 point D, 50/10/40.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which said solution is prepared by first mixing acetone with dimethylformamide, second adding cyclohexanone to the mixture, then adding water to the mixture and then dissolving said cellulose acetate in the mixture.