Design and Prototyping of Dialysis Membrane in 3D Printing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is driving innovation across many industries and academic disciplines, including the field of hemodialysis. Its ability to fabricate complex geometries quickly and cost-effectively makes it a strong alternative to traditional manufacturing methods. In recent years, growing interest has emerged in applying 3D printing to the development of hemodialysis membranes and biomedical components, with the potential to significantly enhance treatment efficiency and personalization. This study focuses on the design, prototyping, and simulation of a dialysis membrane using 3D printing technologies. A three-dimensional model of a hollow-fiber dialyzer unit was developed in SolidWorks and fabricated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. In parallel, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was built using ANSYS Fluent to simulate co-current flow of blood and dialysate through porous membrane fibers. The fluids were modeled as flowing through interpenetrating porous domains to evaluate solute transport, particularly urea diffusion. XIV Simulation results showed good agreement with theoretical expectations of urea transfer from blood to dialysate, validating the computational model. These findings highlight the critical influence of membrane geometry and material properties on dialysis performance. Beyond prototype development, this work also serves as a methodological reference for future researchers at the intersection of biomedical engineering and digital manufacturing.