Abstract
An optimum designed dialyzer requires an advanced explication of a mechanism of solute transfer through a hollow fiber membrane. As a measurement of dialysate flow condition in the dialyzer is usually difficult to carry out, an explanation of the transfer mechanism has many problems. The overall mass transfer resistance is calculated as a sum of membrane, blood and dialysate side mass transfer resistances. The dialysate side mass transfer resistance influences on the solute clearance. Therefore, this paper describes effect of fins on a dialysis membrane. These fins could decrease the degree of contact of membranes each other in a dialyzer, for increase of the effective surface area, and for improvement on the dialysate flow conditions. Hand made modules of single hollow fiber with and without fins showed no difference in dialysate side mass transfer coefficient. It suggested that the fns have no effects on increasing the dialysate side resistance. A dimensionless calculation with solute clearances showed an increase of effective surface area in a dialyzer having fin type hollow fiber membrane. An observation of dialysate flow pattern with X-ray CT suggested that the fins decrease the channeling in a dialyzer.
