Patent ID: 6802820
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: A61M,B01D

Abstract:
A method of carrying out in-vivo plasmapheresis and/or in-vivo ultrafiltration of a patient's blood, comprising:implanting a filter device within a blood vessel of a patient, said filter device comprising a plurality of elongated hollow fibers each fiber having an outer wall, an inner wall and an interior lumen extending along the length thereof, and wherein the fiber wall structure is a continuous change in mass density from said outer wall to said inner wall and comprises a continuum of voids bounded by solid frames, said fiber wall having an asymmetrical pore size and asymmetrical mass density morphology between inner and outer fiber wall surfaces wherein the mass density adjacent to said outer wall is greater than the mass density adjacent to said inner wall, and passing blood plasma and toxins through said fiber wall from the outer wall surface to said interior lumen and directing said blood plasma and toxins from the patient through said interior lumen.