Evaluation of Dialyzer Jacket Structure and Hollow-Fiber Dialysis Membranes to Achieve High Dialysis Performance

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the optimum dialyzer jacket structure and hollow‐fiber dialysis membrane, both of which are indispensable factors for achieving high dialysis performance, by clarifying the relationship between the dialysis performance and the flow of dialysate and blood in a hollow‐fiber dialyzer. We evaluated the clearance, dialysate, and blood flow for four commercially available hollow‐fiber dialyzers, namely, the APS‐15S, APS‐15SA, TS‐1.6UL, and CX‐1.6U. To evaluate dialysate and blood flow, we measured the residence‐time distribution of dialysate and blood flow of these dialyzers by the pulse‐response method. We also determined the clearances of urea, creatinine, vitamin B 12 , and lysozyme to evaluate the dialysis performance of these dialyzers. While the baffle and taper structures allow effective supply of dialysate into the dialyzer jacket, the hollow‐fiber shape, inner diameter, and packing density significantly influence the dialysate flow. In dialyzers with long taper‐holding slits, the slit area is a key design parameter for achieving optimum dialysate flow. Similarly, the blood flow is significantly influenced by the structure of the inflowing and outflowing blood ports at the header of a dialyzer, and the shape and inner diameter of the hollow fibers. Hollow fibers with smaller inner diameters cause an increase in blood pressure, which causes blood to enter the hollow fibers more easily. The hollow‐fiber shape hardly affects the blood flow. While improved dialysate and blood flow cause higher clearance of low molecular‐weight substances, higher membrane area and pure‐water permeability accelerate internal filtration, thereby causing an increase in the clearance of large molecular‐weight substances.