Patent ID: 8540081

Claim:
A method for producing a hollow fiber membrane fluid transport device, comprising the steps of: laying a plurality of polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fibers parallel one another, applying a fluorinated homopolymer, copolymer, or terpolymer film on the hollow polytetrafluoroethylene fibers interwoven through interstitial spaces between the fibers near one end or both ends of the hollow polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, rolling the fibers and film into a bundle, heating the bundle to melt the film; compressing a portion of the bundle such that molten film flows between the hollow fibers to form an integral bundle of hollow fibers; and cooling said film and fibers to form a solid mass providing a fluid-tight seal around each fiber such that the ends of the hollow fibers are open on one side of the solid mass and the open fiber ends are isolated from the fiber walls of the membrane.