AN IMPROVED BLOOD PURIFICATION SYSTEM MAY RESULT FROM A FILTER COMPOSED OF ACTIVATED CHARCOAL IMMOBILIZED IN A POROUS POLYMERIC MATRIX.

AN IMPROVED BLOOD PURIFICATION SYSTEM MAY RESULT FROM A FILTER COMPOSED OF ACTIVATED CHARCOAL IMMOBILIZED IN A POROUS POLYMERIC MATRIX. THE FILTRATION DEVICE WILL BE FORMULATED SO THAT IT HAS LOW RESISTANCE TO BLOOD FLOW AND DOES NOT CAUSE RED CELL LYSIS. THE POLYMERIC MATRIX WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING IRON CHELATING MATERIALS TO REDUCE IRON OVERLOAD OR ENZYMES WITH CATALYTIC PROPERTIES APPROPRIATE FOR TREATMENT OF SPECIFIC METABOLIC DISORDERS. THIS FEATURE WILL ENHANCE THE PROSPECTS FOR ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY DEVICES BASED ON THESE MATERIALS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED PHASE I STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF POLYMERIC MATRICES CONTAINING IMMOBILIZED CHARCOAL TO COMPLEMENT OR REPLACE BLOOD 1. QUANTIFICATION OF DRUG REMOVAL FROM WHOLE BLOOD BY VARIED POLYMERIC MATRICES CONTAINING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHARCOAL AND 2. QUANTITATION OF THE EFFECT OF THE FILTER ON PLATELET AGGREGATION AND RED CELL FUNCTION (TO INCLUDE ASSAYS OF RED CELL FRAGILITY AND, AFTER FILTRATION, THE OXYGEN BINDING CHARACTERISTICS OF RED CELLS). IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THESE STUDIES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A PHASE II EFFORT FOCUSED ON EVALUATION OF IRON REMOVAL AND CORRECTION OF METABOLIC DEFICIENCIES VIA COINCORPORATION OF APPROPRIATE ENZYMES.