Capillary Flow Porometry for Fast, Easy, Accurate Predictions of Biomedical Membrane Performance

摘要

There is a wide range of filtration applications within the biomedical industry. Blood filters and I.V. filters provide safe delivery of blood and infusion therapies by excluding par-ticulate matter while ensuring proper flow to the patient. Barrier layers used in im-plantable devices permit the flow of preferred blood components into and out of the device while keeping undesired components out. Air filters are used to clean respiratory air. All of these and similar processes are carried out within the through pores of the membranes used in biomedical devices. Common membrane pore size measurement methods such as the Bubble Point test only define the largest pore size present in a membrane. In order to properly predict membrane efficiency, lifespan and flow through characteristics, the number of through pores of different sizes present in a membrane must be understood.