Abstract
External peritoneo-venous (P-V) shunt has ovwrcome the defects and incorporate the advantages of the two method: the internal P-V shunt and the reinfusion of concentrated ascites. A new wearable ascites concentrating divice was investigated to use the external P-V shunt for other applications. This device consists of these parts: [1] flush bulb with one-way valve, [2] concentrator made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and [3] sterilized pack and connecting tubes. Water can be filtrated out through the concentrator haidraulic pressure under the two conditions: [a] fiber area of concentrator is more than 0.5m and [b] the fibers are rinsed every 30minutes using original ascites. This divice was used occasionally in one case with intractable ascites accompained by chirrosis and heart failure. Several liter of ascites could be concentrated by this method for 10 hours.
