Hepatic Assist 2: Devices for Use with Sorbents and Biological Reactors

Summary

Present research has indicated the applicability of reactors such as sorbents and biological agents for hepatic insufficiency; but problems of blood incompatibility, blood cellular adsorption on the reactors, low efficiencies, and reactor particle carry over into the vascular system have limited their use. The technique of the separation of plasma from whole blood by filtration through microporous membranes, the removal of solutes from the plasma by means of sorption or metabolic transformations with reactors, and the reinfusion of the purified plasma into the mainstream through membranes, preventing the carryover of the reactor, is believed to overcome these problems. This technique is particularly applicable in the removal of those solutes that are protein bound or those high molecular weight species that are not appreciably transferred by other techniques such as dialysis. Membranes and reactors for this purpose have been selected. Devices have been constructed and evaluated, demonstrating the feasibility of this concept. Future work will concentrate on demonstrating the feasibility of this concept in the treatment of hepatic failure.