Advanced technology: nanofiltration

Nuclear scientists at the Institute for Nuclear Research (JINT) and experts from the Alpha Production Complex in Dubna have successfully fabricated nanofiltration for dialysis. This type of membrane has never been mentioned in the world. According to the researchers, the invention will save tens of thousands of people from cardiovascular death.

The application of nanotechnology will become more common in the future, especially in the health sector.
(Photo: Vietnamnet )

When a person has a stroke or blood vessel disease in other organs, it is important to clean the blood. Such dialysis allows the separation of cholesterol and lipoproteins, which often clog the blood vessels.

Currently, in the Russian Federation to do this still have to import equipment from advanced countries, with an average cost per dialysis of about 39 thousand rubles. Using self-made equipment, the cost will be reduced a few times, in other words, the number of people cured will increase.

Dubna scientists have proposed a nanofilter for use in this treatment. At Dubna, people produce membranes in a rather complex process. First, the material was put into the cyclotron accelerator, and the argon bombarded. After passing through the alkaline solution, tiny pores called nano holes appear in the bombarded spots. This would result in a perforation of holes 200 nanometers in diameter. The size is one-250th of a human hair.

Alfa's chief scientist, Iuri Prutov, said: 'Through the membrane, the blood is separated into many different components. RBCs are retained on the membrane, while plasma carries the virus and antibodies are separated . '

The research of Russian scientists has attracted the attention of ROSNANO Medical Device Group. This group has invested to buy the patent and continue to research to put into production. Under the plan, they will build a joint venture called Beta which produces not only membrane filtration equipment but whole blood purification equipment and not only domestic supply but also export.