Residual ethylene oxide in hollow-fiber dialyzers.

The deaeration and extraction kinetics of ethylene oxide (ETO) in hollow-fiber dialyzers were examined. The investigations showed that both deaeration and extraction can be described by two additive first-order kinetic expressions. The ETO content of membranes decreased rapidly at first, followed by a second slower decrease. Even after prolonged storage time, residual ETO was still detectable in the milligram range. These residuals cannot be eliminated by the usual rinsing of the dialyzer prior to use.