Hollow fiber membrane for blood purification

Hollow fiber membranes are synthetic filtration devices made from polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol), ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyimide, and others. They consist of bundles of capillary-like tubules with semi-permeable microporous walls that separate blood flowing inside the tube (lumen) from dialysate or filtering fluid outside (shell). By controlling membrane composition and pore size, these devices allow selective removal of water, ions, and low-to-medium molecular weight solutes (e.g., urea, creatinine), while retaining larger proteins and cells. Hollow fiber dialyzers are essential for hemodialysis and plasmapheresis, with applications in renal failure, plasma exchange, and extracorporeal oxygenation. Their performance depends on blood compatibility, fouling resistance, selectivity, and mechanical properties. There is no specific molecular target here; instead, these membranes play a critical role as medical devices in extracorporeal blood treatment. They do not fall under the typical categories used in drug discovery or pharmacology for molecular targets.

Other names

Hollow fiber dialyzerhollow fiber ultrafiltration membranehemofiltermembrane dialyzer

Physical removal of solutes and water by filtration through selectively permeable synthetic membranes. Size-selective permeation based on molecular weight cutoff determined by pore size and membrane material.