Mass Exchange Devices Research Articles

A hemodialysis apparatus based on biologically active dialysate

Hepatic and renal insufficiency caused by ionizing radiation, bums, injuries, infectious diseases, intoxication, narcomania, etc. may induce metabolic and toxemic damage to the human body. In Russia, more than 200,000 patients regularly undergo therapy for renal insufficiency, and there is a 10% yearly increase in the number of such patients. Conventional methods of therapeutic detoxication decrease the mortality rate in patients with these diseases by only 20%. Hemodialysis and ultrafittration of blood involves mass exchange between the patient's blood and a dialysate through semipermeable membrane. There are presently standards for parameters of automatic extracorporeal blood clearance, blood perfusion, and specifications of massexchange devices (hemodialyzers, hemofilters, plasma filters, and blood conducting manifolds). The optimal composition of dialysate and parameters of its transport are also well known [1]. Modern hemodialysis devices are equipped with microprocessor control, and all components of these devices contacting with sterile physiological media are disposable. This provides reproducibility of results of hemodialysis and excludes virtually completely the adverse effects of the devices on the patient's state. However, the problem of improvement of quality of artificial clearance of blood (up to the efficacy of normal clearance in a healthy human body) remains to be solved. In the mid 1950s, both in Russia and abroad experimental studies were directed toward development of an artificial liver. This device was intended to partially replace the functions of damaged liver by making use of modified swine hepatocytes as an artificial detoxicating medium.

Description of dynamic lung fluid transport phenomena by linear non-equilibrium thermodynamic equations

We propose a mathematical model of dynamic lung transvascular fluid flow based on linear non-equilibrium thermodynamic equations. The model makes use of experimental results concerning lung fluid balance during hydrodynamic and hypooncotic loading. An ‘inexact problem’ solution method was employed to solve the mathematical problem and to obtain coefficients of mass transfer. Transport features dependent on the system's condition and on boundary phase surface phenomena were also considered. A complex analysis of such a multi-unit system as the lung is useful for the evaluation of fluid balance mechanisms and their application to the development of artificial mass exchange devices.

New design of mass-exchange device

New design of mass-exchange device