Cellulose acetate hollow fiber membranes blended with phospholipid polymer and their performance for hemopurification

Commercially available hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) made from synthetic polymers, including cellulose acetate (CA) HFMs, used as hemopurification membranes, need to improve in hemocompatibility, by suppressing protein adsorption and clot formation. In this study, CA HFMs blended with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) copolymer (PMB30 composed of MPC and n-butyl methacrylate (BMA)) were prepared by a dry-jet wet spinning process. Their performances were evaluated by characterizing their properties such as structure, permeability and protein adsorption. CA/PMB30-blend HFMs showed structure changes such as increase of porosity, development of large pores and decreasing of the thickness of the active layer. And the structure and permeability of CA/PMB30-blend HFMs were controllable by changing preparation conditions. Also, the CA/PMB30-blend HFMs had good permeability, low protein adsorption and low fouling property during the permeability experiment in comparison with CA HFMs, because the hydrophilic and hemocompatible MPC copolymer (PMB30) existed on the surface of the HFM.