APPARATUS FOR PLASMA SEPARATION/EXCHANGE BY DOUBLE FILTRATION

摘要

: The invention provides an apparatus for plasma separation/exchange by double-step-membrane filtration, namely separation of blood into plasma and a corpuscular fraction and separation of the plasma into high-molecular-weight substances (e.g. gamma-globulin) and low-molecular-weight substances (e.g. albumin), discarding the undesired fraction and adding a substitute fluid. The apparatus contains a plasma reservoir in the extracorporeal circuit, the reservoir being provided with a level sensor for monitoring the plasma level in the reservoir and for keeping it within certain predetermined limits. The apparatus is effective e.g. in the treatment of blood of patients with peripheral circulatory insufficiency due to arteriosclerosis and of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.