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Hemodiafiltration system

  • US 5,011,607 A
  • Filed: 06/07/1990
  • Issued: 04/30/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1979
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for purifying a body fluid by combined dialysis and filtration, comprising:

  • (a) flowing the body fluid to be purified past one side of a semi-permeable membrane;

    (b) simultaneously flowing dialyzate past the opposite side of said semi-permeable membrane, said flowing steps (a) and (b) being under conditions sufficient to permit purification of the body fluid by dialysis;

    (c) over a first time span, and concurrently with said dialysis, causing the pressure on the dialyzate side of said semi-permeable membrane to be less than the pressure on the body fluid side thereof, said first time span and said pressure difference being sufficient to force middle and small molecular weight molecules to travel from the body fluid side to the dialyzate side of said semi-permeable membrane by filtration;

    (d) over a second time span, subsequent to said first time span and concurrently with said dialysis, causing the pressure on the dialyzate side of said semi-permeable membrane to be greater than the pressure on the body fluid side thereof, said second time span and said pressure difference being sufficient to cause infusion through said semi-permeable membrane of an amount of dialyzate which is compensatory for the amount of fluid passing from the body fluid side to the dialyzate side during said first time span; and

    (e) repeating said steps (c) and (d) in a manner such that alternating pressure differences occur across the same portion of said semi-permeable membrane at a rate which ensures efficient combined filtration and dialysis.

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