Diffusive and convective solute transport through hemodialysis membranes: a hydrodynamic analysis

Recent clinical studies have shown that the overall effectiveness of hemodialysis is determined by both the convective and diffusive transport of a wide range of different molecular weight solutes. In this study, transport data were obtained for vitamin B12 and for polydisperse dextrans with a wide range of molecular weights using flat sheet Cuprophan and AN69 polyacrylonitrile membranes. The flux dependence of the actual sieving coefficient was described using classical membrane transport theory, allowing accurate measurements of both the diffusive and convective contributions to the overall solute transport through the porous structure of these dialysis membranes. Asymptotic membrane sieving coefficients and hindered diffusivities were in good agreement with a hydrodynamic model that accounts for the membrane pore size distribution through an expression for the solute partition coefficient in a random porous medium. This model provides an accurate quantitative description of both solute diffusion and convection through hemodialysis membranes, which is critical for the effective design and operation of hemodialyzers.