JPH04227030A - Permselective hollow fiber bundle and fluid separation apparatus having the same built therein - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a permselective hollow fiber bundle excellent in separation efficiency and effective for the miniaturization of a fluid separator and the enhancement of the capacity thereof. CONSTITUTION:A hollow fiber bundle constituted of hollow fibers 1 and filaments 2 with fineness of 0.05-20 denier, and the filaments 2 are arranged in a ratio of 2-3000 per one hollow fiber 1 in the substantially same length direction and the hollow fiber bundle is formed by the entanglement of the filaments 2 with the hollow fibers 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to ultrafiltration, dialysis,
The present invention relates to a permselective hollow fiber bundle that can be used for liquid separation or mixed gas separation by osmosis, reverse osmosis, etc., and a fluid separation device incorporating the same.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art There is a very high demand for hollow fiber type fluid separation devices to be smaller in size and higher in performance. In order to meet this demand, spacer yarns have traditionally been wound around each one or two hollow fibers in a helical pattern in order to prevent uneven flow of fluid inside the device, which causes a decrease in the separation efficiency of the device. A method of regulating the distance between hollow fibers so that it is substantially constant (Japanese Patent Publication No. 18084/1984), and a method of dispersing a plurality of filaments with a special shape in a hollow fiber bundle. A method of preventing hollow fibers from adhering to each other by
60658), the twisted yarns are applied uniformly within the hollow fiber bundle in parallel with the hollow fibers without being bonded to individual hollow fibers to fill unnecessary spaces in the cylindrical container of the fluid separation device, A method of selectively increasing the flow resistance (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-140172) has been proposed.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However,
In the method proposed in No. 18084, although the separation efficiency can be improved by using a spacer yarn wrapped around every one or two hollow fibers, the entire hollow fiber bundle becomes quite bulky, so If you try to increase the filling rate of hollow fibers to 60% or more, it is necessary to forcibly squeeze the hollow fiber bundle to make it thinner when setting it in the cylindrical container of the fluid separation device, which can easily damage the hollow fibers. The molding yield will drop significantly. Furthermore, although using a thin spacer yarn makes it possible to improve the filling rate, the winding process is extremely difficult and mass production of hollow fiber bundles is not possible. In addition, in the case of helical winding, there are many sections in the length direction of the hollow fibers where there is no spacer yarn between adjacent hollow fibers, so with thin spacer yarns,
Its role as a spacer is hardly achieved and separation efficiency is not improved. Increasing the filling rate of the hollow fibers to increase the effective membrane area of the permselective hollow fibers and at the same time making the membrane surface contribute to separation as much as possible is extremely important for downsizing and improving the performance of fluid separation devices. These points were problems with the present conventional method.

Furthermore, in the method proposed in JP-A-2-60658, a part of the hollow fibers is replaced with filaments that do not contribute to the performance, so the effectiveness of the permselective hollow fibers, which is important for performance development, is reduced. It is not possible to secure a sufficient membrane area, making it unsuitable for miniaturization and high performance. Furthermore, the filament has a corrugated shape in the axial direction, a diameter change, a helical shape, or an uneven surface, and there is a problem that manufacturing a filament having such a shape is time-consuming and expensive.

[0005] Furthermore, a method proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-140172 is that by filling different numbers of hollow fibers in the same cylindrical container, dialyzers with various membrane areas can be manufactured using one type of container. It is intended to manufacture
In order to fill the unnecessary space inside the cylindrical container caused by the difference in the number of hollow fibers used, we propose that one twisted yarn with the same diameter as the hollow fibers be inserted for every 10 to 25 hollow fibers. Therefore, it is not suitable for increasing the size and performance of fluid separation devices that aim to simultaneously satisfy high separation efficiency and increase in effective membrane area.

In view of these conventional techniques, the present inventors have developed a small and high-performance fluid separation device that has excellent separation efficiency and at the same time increases the effective membrane area by improving the packing ratio of permselective hollow fibers. The challenge was to realize it.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present inventors have solved the above problem by providing 2 to 3 permselective permselective hollow fiber bundles for each hollow fiber bundle in the gap of a permselective hollow fiber bundle for a fluid separation device having a built-in hollow fiber bundle. ，
The problem is solved by arranging filaments with a fineness of 0.05 to 20 denier at a ratio of 0.000 in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the hollow fibers, and entangling at least some of the filaments with the hollow fibers. did.

[0008]

[Structure of the Invention] The permselective hollow fiber bundle and the hollow fibers incorporated in the fluid separation device of the present invention are not limited by material or shape as long as they are hollow fibers having selective permeability. However, it is formed from polyolefin polymers such as polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide polymers, polyester polymers, cellulose polymers such as cuprammonium regenerated cellulose, and cellulose acetate.

Although the outer diameter, inner diameter, and length of the hollow fibers are not particularly limited, the effect of the filament is best exhibited in a fluid separation device incorporating hollow fibers with an outer diameter of about 100 to 1,000 μm. , especially in hemodialysis machines.

The filaments used in the present invention are dispersed within the hollow fiber bundles to form extremely small and uniform gaps between the hollow fibers, and at the same time serve to focus the hollow fiber bundles and bind them together. The fineness of the fiber and the mixing ratio for dispersing it into one hollow fiber are indispensable requirements for achieving the object of the present invention. That is, the fineness of the filament is 0.05 to 2.
0 denier is essential, preferably 0.5
-10 denier, more preferably 1-5 denier. Thin filaments are preferable in terms of improving the cohesiveness of the hollow fibers because they intertwine well with other filaments and hollow fibers, but if the fineness is less than 0.05 denier, workability becomes extremely poor and there is no uniformity in the hollow fiber bundles. In addition to being difficult to disperse, it is not possible to leave sufficient gaps between the hollow fibers. Moreover, if it exceeds 20 deniers, the bulkiness increases and the effective membrane area of the permselective hollow fiber cannot be increased, making it unsuitable for miniaturization and high performance. The ability to intertwine with hollow fibers is poor.

[0011] Also, the mixing ratio of filaments is hollow fiber 1
2 to 3,000 books are required, preferably 2 to 3,000 books.
~500 pieces, more preferably 3~100 pieces. If the mixing ratio is less than 1, a sufficient flow path cannot be formed between the permselective hollow fibers, the separation efficiency decreases due to uneven flow, and the binding effect of the hollow fibers by the filament is poor, so that the effect of the present invention is reduced. Not fully demonstrated.

[0012] The fineness of the filaments and the mixing ratio are appropriately determined in consideration of each other. In other words, the lower the fineness, the higher the filament mixing ratio, but if the mixing ratio exceeds 3,000 filaments, the bulkiness of the hollow fiber bundle increases and the effective membrane area of the permselective hollow fibers cannot be increased. Therefore, it is unsuitable for small size and high performance. When the filaments satisfying the above conditions are separated into a hollow fiber bundle, at least a portion thereof becomes entangled with the hollow fibers, and in many cases, the filaments also become entangled with each other, so that the entire bundle is tightly bundled.

The material of the filament is not particularly limited, and for example, polyester, polyamide, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, cellulose, cellulose ester fibers, etc. can be used as appropriate depending on the purpose and use. It will be done. Specifically, for example, polyvinylidene fluoride fibers are preferred for separating highly corrosive fluids, and for hemodialysis, fibers such as polyester and cellulose ester, which have a small amount of eluate, are preferably used.

The shape of the filament used in the present invention is not limited as long as it satisfies the above-mentioned fineness, but in particular, in order to bind the hollow fibers without making them bulky, it is necessary to Single fibers having a continuous and constant cross-sectional shape are preferred from the viewpoint of ease of manufacturing the hollow fiber bundle and cost. When the mixing ratio of filaments is kept small, use of filaments of any cross-sectional shape or non-circular shape will allow the filaments to entangle with the hollow fibers better and improve the cohesiveness.

In the present invention, the hollow fibers and filaments are arranged in substantially the same direction over the entire length of the hollow fiber bundle, but the individual filaments are not necessarily arranged in a straight line almost parallel to the hollow fibers over the entire length of the bundle. Instead, some of them wave in minute sections, and some run diagonally as if gently spanning several hollow fibers. Therefore, some of the filaments are intertwined with adjacent filaments, and some of the other filaments are in contact with the outer wall surface of one to several hollow fibers, and these filaments are intertwined and in contact with each other at each location. However, as a whole, the hollow fiber bundle is tightly bundled over the entire length without bundle breakage.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an arbitrary cross section of the permselective hollow fiber bundle of the present invention. Since the diameter of the filament 2 is extremely thin, about 10-1 to 10-2 that of the hollow fiber 1, the presence of the filament 2 hardly increases the bulk of the entire hollow fiber bundle compared to the case where the filament 2 is not present at all. Achieves bundles with a high filling rate. In addition, in the case of a bundle consisting only of hollow fibers, unless the outer periphery is restrained with a band or the like, each hollow fiber will fall apart and cannot exist as a tightly bundled bundle. In the hollow fiber bundle, the filaments play the role of binding each hollow fiber without creating unnecessary large gaps, and maintain the distance between the hollow fibers in a small and almost constant state at any part. Therefore, the hollow fiber bundle of the present invention substantially maintains its bundle state unless a special external force is applied to it, and is very easy to handle. That is, in the case of conventional hollow fibers, it was essential to use a "wrapping paper" to surround the entire bundle, but in the hollow fiber bundle of the present invention, the individual hollow fibers of the hollow fiber bundle, especially from the outermost part of the bundle, Damage such as detachment of the fibers, crushing or bending of the hollow fibers hardly occurs during handling of the bundles.
A belt to wrap the bundle is not necessarily necessary. Therefore, the paper-wrapping operation of the hollow fiber bundle prior to insertion into the cylindrical container for the fluid separation device and the paper removal operation after insertion can be omitted, and molding can be performed extremely easily.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the fluid separation device of the present invention, in which a hollow fiber bundle 6 bound by filaments 2 is housed in a cylindrical container 3.

The filament 2 has approximately the same length as the hollow fiber 1 in the fluid separation device, is bundled together with the hollow fiber, and has both ends fixed to the container 3 of the fluid separation device with a potting agent 7. be done. In the case of a bundle composed only of hollow fibers, when the filling rate of the hollow fibers is increased to about 68%, dense areas of hollow fibers are formed at both ends of the hollow fiber bundle set in the cylindrical container 3. The highly viscous potting agent cannot penetrate into the small gaps between the hollow fibers in this densely packed area, resulting in a so-called defective potting area. In order to eliminate such dense areas of hollow fibers, the ends of the hollow fiber bundle are usually loosened before being set in a cylindrical container, but at this time, the hollow fibers become entangled with each other, increasing bulk, and forming a cylindrical container. If the hollow fibers cannot be set again in the shaped container 3, or if the hollow fibers are forcefully squeezed to make them thinner, the hollow fibers will be damaged and the molding yield will be reduced. However, in the hollow fiber bundle of the present invention, although the hollow fibers are arranged in a close-packed state, a small but sure gap is formed between each hollow fiber due to the presence of filaments. Even if the fiber filling rate is increased to about 68%, no dense areas of hollow fibers are formed, and even without massaging, the potting agent can easily penetrate between the hollow fibers at both ends of the hollow fiber bundle. is certain.

The first fluid enters the container through inlet 4 and exits through outlet 5. The second fluid enters through inlet 9 and exit 1
Flows from 0. Meanwhile, the first flowing outside the hollow fiber bundle
Since the fluid flows widely within the device without drifting, it exhibits high separation efficiency from the second fluid flowing within the hollow fibers.

Note that even if a small amount of filament is broken within the fluid separation device, the effects of the present invention are not affected.

[0021] There is no limitation to the method of manufacturing the permselective hollow fiber bundle made of permselective hollow fibers and filaments of the present invention, and the method includes aligning a predetermined number of filaments one by one with the hollow fibers and bundling them. method to make a hollow fiber bundle, 1
There is a method of aligning one or more hollow fibers and tens of bundled filaments and bundling them together to form a hollow fiber bundle. In this case, in order to disperse the filaments one by one around the hollow fibers and make some of them entwine with the hollow fibers, it is recommended to use a method of pouring water or sending air while pulling the filaments, or by using long bundles of filaments. Methods such as immersing a bundle in running water with one end fixed and the other end free, or vibrating a short bundle with one end fixed under running water are employed.

[0022]

[Examples] Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples. In addition, in the following examples, one of the fluid separation devices
As an example, a hemodialysis device was constructed, and its separation efficiency was evaluated based on the urea dialysis efficiency.

(Example 1) Inner diameter 250 μm, outer diameter 320
For two μm polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers,
A polyester multifilament consisting of 24 single yarns of 2.1 denier was arranged and wound and bundled while pouring water. Furthermore, fix one end of this in a long bundle,
With the other end free, each filament is oriented in running water in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the hollow fiber, and some of the filaments are entangled with other filaments and hollow fibers, making the hollow fiber A permselective hollow fiber bundle was prepared in which the fibers were bound together by filaments. The number of hollow fibers at that time was 6,900, and the filament mixing ratio was 12.

(Example 2) The permselective hollow fiber bundle prepared in Example 1 was placed in a container with an inner diameter of 31.6 mm and a length of 210 mm, molded, and assembled to produce a dialysis device. At that time, the filling rate was 68.5% and the effective membrane area was 1.0m2.
Met.

When 100 dialysis devices having the above specifications were manufactured, the molding and assembly yield was 98%. In addition, in a dialysis experiment, a solution of urea with a concentration of 1 g/liter was flowed inside the hollow fiber at a rate of 200 ml/min, and water was poured outside the hollow fiber at a rate of 50 ml/min.
The clearance was measured by flowing at 0 ml/min and measuring the inlet and outlet concentrations of urea, and found to be 191 ml/min. Further, the permeability coefficient of urea of the hollow fibers used was 15.2 x 10-4 cm/sec, and the calculated theoretical clearance was 192 ml/min. From the above, the dialysis efficiency was 99%.

(Example 3) Inner diameter 250 μm, outer diameter 320
For two μm polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers,
A polyester multifilament consisting of 1,120 single yarns of 0.1 denier was arranged and wound and bundled while pouring water. Next, fix this in a long bundle at one end, leave the other end free, and let it flow under running water.Furthermore, in the form of a bundle with a length of 310 mm, stand it vertically under running water, and place the top end of the fixed bundle on the left and right sides. I swung it. Furthermore, by repeating the same operation upside down, the multifilament was dispersed into individual filaments. In this way, each filament was arranged in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the hollow fibers, and some of the filaments were entwined with other filaments and the hollow fibers, so that the hollow fibers were bound together by the filaments. A permselective hollow fiber bundle was prepared. The number of hollow fibers at that time is 8.30
There were 0 filaments, and the filament mixing ratio was 560.

(Examples 4 to 12) Table 1 for the same polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers used in Example 1
Example 1 under the conditions of material, fineness, and mixing ratio as shown in
A permselective hollow fiber bundle was created using the method described in
A dialysis device was manufactured by storing it in a container with a diameter of 4.7 mm and a length of 251 mm, molding it, and assembling it. The number of hollow fibers in this case is 8
, 300 tubes, filling rate 68%, effective membrane area 1.5m2
Met. Using the obtained dialysis apparatus, a dialysis experiment similar to that in Example 2 was conducted and the results of clearance and dialysis efficiency are shown in Table 1.

[0028]

[Table 1]

(Comparative Example 1) A hollow fiber bundle consisting only of the same polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers as used in Example 1 was prepared. Further, the molding and assembly were performed under the same conditions as in Example 2 regarding the number of hollow fibers, filling rate, container, and effective membrane area. As a result, when 10 fibers were produced, the molding and assembly yield was 0%, and all of the small holes were caused by the hardening liquid (potting agent) not penetrating during potting to cast the partition walls at both ends of the hollow fiber bundle. The product was defective due to leakage from the bulkhead.

(Comparative Example 2) A hollow fiber bundle consisting of 9,400 polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers, the same as those used in Example 1, was placed in a container with an inner diameter of 40 mm and a length of 240 mm, molded, assembled, and subjected to dialysis. The device was manufactured. The filling rate at that time was 60% and the effective membrane area was 1.6 m2. Table 1 shows the results of the clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by conducting the dialysis experiment described in Example 1 using the obtained dialysis apparatus.

(Comparative Example 3) The same polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber as used in Example 1 was coated with
Similar to Example 1 of Publication No. 8084, a 75-denier processed polyester yarn was wound in a helical manner around two layers, S and Z, with one winding per 10 mm of hollow fiber to produce a bundled hollow fiber bundle. However, the number of hollow fibers, filling rate,
The container and effective membrane area were molded and assembled under the same conditions as in Example 2. As a result, when 10 pieces were manufactured, the molding and assembly yield was 0%, and all of them were defective products due to damage to the hollow fibers when inserted into the container due to the bulkiness of the hollow fiber bundle. .

(Comparative Example 4) A hollow fiber bundle was prepared by wrapping a 75-denier processed polyester yarn around a hollow fiber in the same manner as in Comparative Example 3, and the effective membrane area was adjusted to 1.1 of Examples 4 to 12.
7,800 hollow fibers were housed in a container with an inner diameter of 41.3 mm and a length of 266 mm at a filling rate of 45% so that the area was the same as that of 5 m2, and the fibers were molded and assembled to produce a dialysis device. Table 1 shows the results of the clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by conducting the dialysis experiment described in Example 1 using the obtained dialysis apparatus.

(Example 13) For one polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber used in Example 1, 2.
A polyester multifilament consisting of 96 single strands of 1 denier was arranged, and a permselective hollow fiber bundle was prepared in the same manner as described in Example 1, with an inner diameter of 36.9 mm,
A dialysis device was manufactured by storing it in a container with a length of 276 mm, molding it, and assembling it. At that time, the mixing ratio was 96, the number of hollow fibers was 6,200, the filling rate was 45%, and the effective membrane area was 1.3 m.
It was 2. Using the obtained dialysis apparatus, a dialysis experiment was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2, and the results of clearance and dialysis efficiency are shown in Table 1.

(Comparative Example 5) The same polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers as used in Example 1.
5 denier polyester processed yarn (single yarn denier 2.5
A focused hollow fiber bundle is obtained by winding the multifilament processed yarn consisting of 6 monofilaments (d) in a single layer at a winding rate of 0.5 turns/10 mm in the same manner as in Example 3 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-18084. Created. However, the number of hollow fibers, filling rate, container and effective membrane area are as per Examples 4 to 12.
A dialysis device was manufactured by molding and assembling under the same conditions as above. Table 1 shows the results of the clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by conducting the dialysis experiment described in Example 2 using the obtained dialysis apparatus.

(Example 14) For the same four polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers used in Example 1, 15
A polyester multifilament consisting of 12 denier single filaments was arranged, a permselective hollow fiber bundle was created in the same manner as described in Example 1, and the bundle was placed in a container with an inner diameter of 34.7 mm and a length of 251 mm and molded. and assembled to manufacture a separation device. At that time, the mixing ratio was 3, the number of hollow fibers was 7,
300 tubes, filling rate 60%, effective membrane area 1.3m2
Met. Table 1 shows the results of clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by carrying out a dialysis experiment in the same manner as in Example 2 using the obtained dialysis apparatus.

(Comparative Example 6) 1 for 24 hollow fibers
A dialysis device was manufactured under the same conditions as in Example 14, except that polyester multifilament consisting of 12 5-denier single filaments was arranged and the mixing ratio was 0.5. A dialysis experiment similar to that in Example 2 was conducted using the obtained dialysis apparatus. The results of the obtained clearance and dialysis efficiency are shown in Table 1.
Shown below.

(Comparative Example 7) Using the same polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber as used in Example 1, JP-A-2-1
A hollow fiber bundle similar to the Example of Publication No. 40172 was prepared. That is, one twisted polyester yarn consisting of 36 single yarns of 15 denier was tied together for 25 hollow fibers. This hollow fiber bundle has an inner diameter of 40 mm and a length of 2
A dialysis device was manufactured by storing it in a 40 mm container, molding it, and assembling it. At that time, the mixing ratio of twisted yarn to one hollow fiber was 0.04, the number of hollow fibers was 8,800, and the filling rate was 56%.
The effective membrane area was 1.5 m2. Table 1 shows the performance of the obtained dialysis device.

(Example 15) Inner diameter 185 μm, outer diameter 22
A polyester multifilament consisting of 32 1.6 denier single filaments is lined up against four 0 μm copper ammonia regenerated cellulose hollow fibers, and the filaments are made into hollow fibers by winding and converging them while blowing air. A permselective hollow fiber bundle was prepared in which the filaments were arranged in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the filaments and some of the filaments were entwined with the hollow fibers. The number of hollow fibers at that time was 12,000, and the filament mixing ratio was 8.

The permselective hollow fibers prepared above were placed in a container with an inner diameter of 36.5 mm and a length of 276 mm, molded, and assembled to produce a dialysis device. At that time, the wet filling rate was 67% and the effective membrane area was 1.80 m2. A dialysis experiment similar to that in Example 2 was conducted using the obtained dialysis device. As a result, the actual clearance value was 194ml/
The permeability coefficient of urea of the hollow fiber used is 12×1
Calculating the theoretical clearance at 0-4cm/sec is 198
ml/min. As a result of the above, the dialysis efficiency was 98%.

(Examples 16 to 20) The same copper ammonia regenerated cellulose hollow fibers used in Example 15 were prepared using the same material, fineness, and mixing ratio as shown in Table 2. A permselective hollow fiber bundle was prepared in a similar manner, placed in a container as shown in Table 1, molded, and assembled to produce a dialysis device. The number of hollow fibers, wet filling rate, and effective membrane area were as shown in Table 2. Using the obtained dialysis apparatus, a dialysis experiment similar to that in Example 15 was conducted and the results of clearance and dialysis efficiency are shown in Table 2.

[0041]

[Table 2]

(Comparative Example 8) A hollow fiber bundle consisting only of the same copper ammonia regenerated cellulose hollow fibers as used in Example 15 was prepared. Further, molding and assembly were performed under the same conditions as in Example 15 regarding the number of hollow fibers, wet filling rate, container, and effective membrane area. Example 15 with the obtained dialysis device
Table 2 shows the results of the clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by conducting the dialysis experiment described above.

(Comparative Example 9) Bemberg (registered trademark) multifilament consisting of 44 single fibers of 1.7 denier was used for the same four copper ammonia regenerated cellulose hollow fibers used in Example 15. They were aligned, wound and focused without blowing air. The number of hollow fibers at that time was 10,300, and the filament mixing ratio was 1:1.
Met. The permselective hollow fiber bundle prepared above was placed in a container with an inner diameter of 36.5 mm and a length of 276 mm, molded, and assembled to produce a dialysis device. Table 2 shows the results of clearance and dialysis efficiency obtained by carrying out the dialysis experiment described in Example 15 using the obtained dialysis apparatus. Note that when the end surface of the hollow fiber bundle was observed, it was found that the hollow fibers and filaments were separated.

[0044]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, the bulkiness of the hollow fiber bundle is hardly increased due to the fineness of the filaments, and since the bundles are tightly bound, a fluid with a high filling rate of hollow fibers can be obtained. Separation devices can be manufactured with high yield, making it possible to downsize and improve performance. For example, if the filling rate ρ of the hollow fibers is the cross section M of the inner wall of the container, the area m of the circular cross section formed by the outer periphery of the hollow fibers, and the number of hollow fibers N, then ρ=N・m/
Defined by M, in the conventional method, the molding yield decreases when the filling rate exceeds 60%, but according to the present invention, the molding yield decreases to 68%.
Even with a filling rate of 95% or more, it is possible to achieve a molding yield of 95% or more. Therefore, in the fluid separation device of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effective membrane area equivalent to that of the conventional method even if the container is designed to be smaller due to the increased filling rate.

In addition, in the fluid separation device of the present invention, since a large number of thin filaments are dispersed within the hollow fiber bundle, extremely small and uniform gaps are formed between the hollow fibers. The fluid flowing on the outside of the fibers is distributed throughout the space using these gaps as flow paths, and the separation efficiency can be significantly improved without drifting.

When the fluid separation device of the present invention is used as a hemodialysis device, the actually measured clearance (the amount of solute such as urea that is actually dialyzed and removed by the device per unit time) is expressed by the following formula 1. The dialysis efficiency, defined as a percentage of the theoretical clearance, can be approximately 100% in the hemodialysis apparatus according to the present invention.

[0047]

[Math 1]

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a permselective hollow fiber bundle in which filaments of the present invention are dispersed.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the fluid separation device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Hollow fiber 2 Filament 3 Container 4 First fluid inlet 5 First fluid outlet 6 Hollow fiber bundle 7 Partition wall (potting part) 8 Header 9 Second fluid inlet 10 Second fluid outlet

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim: 1. Filaments having a fineness of 0.05 to 20 deniers are arranged at a ratio of 2 to 3,000 filaments per hollow fiber in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the hollow fiber,
and a permselective hollow fiber bundle in which at least some of the filaments are entwined with the hollow fibers so that the hollow fibers are bound together by the filaments. 2. Filaments having a fineness of 0.05 to 20 denier are arranged at a ratio of 2 to 3,000 filaments per hollow fiber in substantially the same direction as the length direction of the hollow fiber,
and a fluid separation device incorporating a permselective hollow fiber bundle in which at least some of the filaments are entangled with the hollow fibers so that the hollow fibers are bound together by the filaments.