Improving the Blood Compatibility and the Gas Permeability of Polyether Ether Ketone Hollow Fiber Membrane Used for Membrane Oxygenator via Grafting Hydrophilic Components

As the core component of extracorporealmembrane oxygenation(ECMO)therapy for patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure, the structuresand the properties of membrane oxygenator play a crucial role in determiningboth the efficiency of the gas exchange and the safety of the patients.Herein, with the aim of enhancing the blood compatibility, gas permeability,and durability of the membrane oxygenator, a porous polyether etherketone hollow fiber membrane (PEEK-HFM) was prepared via a combinationof melt spinning and thermally induced phase separation method. Subsequently,three different hydrophilic components including a nonionic polymer(poly-(ethylene glycol), PEG), an ionic monomer (acrylic acid, AA),and a zwitterionic monomer (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine,MPC) were introduced onto the PEEK-HFM surface by UV-induced grafting.The effects of different hydrophilic modifications on the surfacecharacteristics (such as surface water wettability, surface potential,and porous morphologies) and the related properties (including mechanicalperformance, blood compatibility, and gas exchange permeability) werestudied in detail. After grafting different hydrophilic components,not only the pore size of the corresponding PEEK-HFMs decreased comparedto the unmodified PEEK-HFMs but also the surface roughness. Meanwhile,although the hydrophilic modifications resulted in the deteriorationof the tensile strength of resulting PHFMs, it enhanced the bloodcompatibility of modified PEEK-HFMs. Moreover, among these modifiedmembranes, the one grafted with MPC showed the best blood compatibilitydue to its more hydrophilic surface. Additionally, the modified membranesstill maintained excellent gas permeability, ensuring the gas exchangeperformance between carbon dioxide and oxygen. Furthermore, a comprehensivecomparison between the modified PEEK-HFMs and a commercial membraneoxygenator (poly-(4-methyl-1-pentene), PMP) demonstrated that the modifiedPEEK-HFMs exhibited higher gas permeability, better blood compatibility,stronger gas exchange ability, and comparable tensile strength, indicatingtheir potential as a high-efficiency option for membrane oxygenators.