| abstract |
A hollow fiber membrane and methods of making the hollow fiber membrane are described. The membrane includes a hydrophobic polymer such as polysulfone, a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and a fluropolymer additive, and optionally a stabilizer, for instance, to stabilize the fluoropolymer additive in the membrane, particularly during conditioning or E-beam sterilization or both. Further conditioning improvements to membrane manufacturing are disclosed. The membrane may be incorporated into a dialysis filter for use in hemodialysis and related applications. The membrane has improved hemocompatibility, charge stability, or middle molecule clearance compared to conventional membranes. Also disclosed is a method of evaluating membrane charge stability. |