Hemocompatibility of Hollow Fiber Membranes for Hemodialysis Based on Polyethersulfone (PES) with Hydroxyapatite
Noriko Maulani Yusuf1, Yanuardi Raharjo2, and Yusuf Wibisono1, Nimatul Izza1*

1 Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
2 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia

*Email: izza_nimatul[at]ub.ac.id

Abstract

Kidney failure remains a serious global health problem, with haemodialysis serving as a key treatment to support patient survival. One of the technologies used in haemodialysis is the hollow fiber (HF) membrane, which has a hemocompatible inner surface and a bioactive outer surface. Polyethersulfone (PES) is often used to fabricate HF membranes due to its chemical and thermal stability, but its hydrophobic nature can cause fouling and reduce blood compatibility. This study aimed to improve the hemocompatibility of PES HF membranes by incorporating hydroxyapatite (HAp), a hydrophilic and biocompatible material.
Four types of HF membranes were prepared with different HAp concentrations. The membranes were evaluated for hydrophilicity using water contact angle measurements, for protein rejection using bovine serum albumin, and for blood compatibility through clotting time and haemolysis rate tests. The addition of HAp improved hydrophilicity and protein rejection capacity, with the best overall performance achieved at moderate to high HAp loading. Blood compatibility tests confirmed that all modified membranes met acceptable clinical requirements, showing no significant negative effect on coagulation time or haemolysis.
These results demonstrate that incorporating HAp into PES HF membranes can enhance surface properties while maintaining good compatibility with blood, making this approach promising for the development of advanced haemodialysis membranes.

Keywords: Haemodialysis- Hemocompatibility- Hollow Fiber- Hydroxyapatite- Polyethersulfone

Topic: Agricultural and bioprocess engineering