Abstract:
A method and apparatus for selectively removing xenoreactive antibodies from blood, serum or plasma are provided wherein a ligand capable of binding to xenoreactive antibodies is immobilized to an immunoaffinity membrane, and the blood, serum or plasma is passed through the ligand-containing immunoaffinity membrane so that xenoreactive antibodies are removed from the blood, serum or plasma prior to its reintroduction into a patient. The invention allows for specific removal of only those xenoreactive antibodies associated with the hyperacute rejection observed when organs or tissues from certain non-human animals come in contact with human blood or blood fluids, as would occur during xenotransplantation. The invention is advantageous in that it can be carried out simply and efficiently using a single piece of equipment, and the invention will be useful in reducing or eliminating the hyperacute rejection and rapid destruction of graft tissue that would normally occur following xenotransplantation.
Abstract:
The invention provides dual-skinned membrane useful as one way or rectifying membranes which reduce back filtration of solute molecules in dialysis and which improve nutrient supply and product recovery in membrane bioreactors. The membranes are dual-skinned polymeric materials preferably in the form of hollow fibers. The membranes have skins of polymer on the opposite sides with differing permeability to solutes and sieving coefficient characteristics. The skin on each side have pores that are invisible at 10,000 times magnification, the microporous structure between said skins contains pores capable of retaining solutes in a molecular weight range of about 5000 to 200,000 in an increased concentration between the interior and the exterior skins. Improved dialysis devices are formed by using bundles of the hollow fiber membranes as a dialysis means having rectifying properties.
Abstract:
The invention provides dual-skinned membrane useful as one way or rectifying membranes which reduce back filtration of solute molecules in dialysis and which improve nutrient supply and product recovery in membrane bioreactors. The membranes are dual-skinned polymeric materials preferably in the form of hollow fibers. The membranes have skins of polymer on the opposite sides with differing permeability to solutes and sieving coefficient characteristics. The skin on each side have pores that are invisible at 10,000 times magnification, the microporous structure between said skins contains pores capable of retaining solutes in a molecular weight range of about 5000 to 200,000 in an increased concentration between the interior and the exterior skins. Improved dialysis devices are formed by using bundles of the hollow fiber membranes as a dialysis means having rectifying properties.