Abstract
The PAN-15SF(surface area, 1.5m2), a modified virsion of the PAN-17DX incorporating spacer filaments between its hollow fibers to increase dialysate flow uniformity and thus improve dialyser performance, was clinically evaluated in comparison with the widely used PAN-17DX (1.7m2), FB-150U (1.5m2), and F-80 (1.9m2). The PAN-15SF showed about the same clearance and removal rates for substances of low molecular weight as the PAN-17DX and the F-80, despite its smaller surface area, and significantly higher β2-microglobulin clearance than the FB-150U of equal surface area. Its overall mass transfer coefficient was significantly higher than that of the PAN-17DX for BUN, and high for other solutes. The results show that the performance of the PAN-15SF equals or exceeds that of the other dialysers, thus clinicaly confirming the improvement of dialyser performance by the incorporation of spacer filaments.
