A new technique to purify blood uses a nanofiber mesh, which could be useful as a cheap, wearable alternative to kidney dialysis, say a team of researchers at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science in Ibaraki, Japan. The mesh could be incorporated into a blood purification product small enough to be worn on a patient's arm, reducing the need for expensive, time-consuming dialysis.
The team made their nanofiber mesh using two components: a blood-compatible primary matrix polymer made from polyethylene-co-vinyl alchohol, or EVOH, and several different forms of zeolites, naturally occurring aluminosilicates. Zeolites have microporous structures capable of adsorbing toxins such as creatinine from blood.
The researchers generated the mesh using a versatile and cost-effective process called electrospinning, using an electrical charge to draw fibers from a liquid. Ebara and his team found that the silicon-aluminum ratio within the zeolites is critical to creatinine adsorption. Beta type 940-HOA zeolite had the highest capacity for toxin adsorption, and shows potential for a final blood purification product.
