Patent ID: 7128836

Claim:
An artificial liver for use in a liver dialysis apparatus, comprising: a blood compartment, wherein during use the blood compartment is connected to the blood circulatory system of a patient; a vegetable protein compartment adjacent to the blood compartment, wherein the vegetable protein compartment contains vegetable protein; and a clear dialysis compartment adjacent to the vegetable protein compartment, wherein during use the clear dialysis compartment is attached to a dialysis circuit wherein a first selectively permeable membrane separates the blood and vegetable protein compartments and a second selectively permeable membrane separates the vegetable protein and the clear dialysis compartments, wherein during use of the artificial liver, toxic molecules found in the blood compartment transfer to the vegetable compartment for absorption, wherein the first selectively permeable membrane is impermeable to blood cells, including white and red blood cells, and is impermeable to vegetable proteins contained in the vegetable protein compartment, and wherein the second selectively permeable membrane is impermeable to vegetable proteins contained in the vegetable protein compartment.