抄録
Deterioration of membrane permeability in dialysis treatment is measured by the impulse response method. A small quantity of sodium chloride solution is injected as a tracer into the blood inlet of test dialyser. Then the residence time distribution of tracer is measured at the dialysate outlet. The declining part of response data is analyzed by a counter current plug flow model, and gives the axial length distribution of overall mass transfer coefficient. Thereby the variation of membrane permeability in dialysis treatment can be measured.
Results of impulse response experiments for 3 types of dialysers having different membrane materials and structures, are summarized as follows. After a dialysis treatment for 5 hours, the permeability of (saponified) cellulose hollow fiber membrane is nearly invariable except remarkable decrease in the arterial side, whereas uniform permeability deterioration is measured for PMMA hollow fiber and (regenerated) cellulose plate membranes. These results are closely correlated to the fidings of scanning electron microscopy for the white blood cell adsorption pattern on the membrane surface.
