Hollow fiber membranes are a class of artificial membranes containing a semi-permeable barrier in the form of a hollow fiber. Developed in the 1960s, these micro-thin fibers have since become prevalent in water treatment, desalination, cell culture, tissue engineering and medicine.

But how does the hollow fiber membrane work?

Hollow fiber membranes are composed of microscopic holes or pores that filter out the passage of microbiological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, or cysts, only allowing purified liquid to pass through the tubes.

This capability of hollow fiber membrane technology made it useful in applications, specifically in the medical field. 

Hollow Fiber Membrane in Dialyzers

Often referred to as “artificial kidneys”, dialyzers are used for hemodialysis patients to filter out excess waste and fluid from their blood. 

Most dialyzers available today are of the hollow-fiber types, composed of around 10000 hollow fiber tubes, made from cellulose-based materials or synthetic polymers.

This is the same technology developed by Toray Industries for their dialysis machines. And this has now been adapted for water filtration – in the ultra-compact, easy-to-use and easy-to-install IVO Water Purifier.

Yes! IVO is equipped with this medical-grade filtration technology that filters microscopic impurities and microorganisms as little as 0.1 micron, all while retaining calcium, magnesium and other minerals essential for your body. 


Sources: 
* Wikipedia: Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (Eolss): v.1 : Desalination and Water Resources (Desware): Membrane Processes. Oxford: EOLSS Publishers Co Ltd. 2010. ISBN 978-1-84826-877-7.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10898241
https://www.davita.com/treatment-services/dialysis/dialyzer-reuse-for-dialysis
http://www.desware.net/Sample-Chapters/D05/D09-006.pdf
https://shodor.org/master/biomed/physio/dialysis/hemodialysis/sixa.htm