Toray receives 2023 Technology Award from Japanese Society for Artificial Organs, recognizing PMMA porous fiber column designed to absorb pathogenic proteins from the blood in dialysis process

Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2023 – Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has received the 2023 Technology Award from the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs for a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) porous fiber column that efficiently adsorbs pathogenic proteins in the blood.

The company based its breakthrough on its PMMA hollow fiber membrane spinning technology, which it developed based on its long experience with FILTRYZER®, the world’s only PMMA hollow fiber membrane hemodialyzer with protein adsorption properties. The PMMA porous fiber earned high regard for its practicality as a compact, high-performance adsorptive blood purification column that removes β2-microglobulin. That protein causes dialysis-related amyloidosis.

It has become increasingly important in recent years to very efficiently eliminate specific proteins from biological components. Examples include removing pathogenic substances in blood purification therapy and eradicating impure proteins in manufacturing biopharmaceuticals. Toray’s PMMA porous fiber technology can remove various sizes of proteins by altering pore sizes to match removal targets. The ripple effects of this technology are significant.

Toray will keep striving to create new adsorption blood purification columns with this technology and develop a range of applications. It will thereby endeavor to materialize its corporate philosophy of contributing to society by creating new value and increase sustainable growth.

Notes

1. Technology recognized
Innovative Protein-Adsorbing PMMA Porous Fiber Column

2. Recipients

• Yoshiyuki Ueno, Chief Research Associate, Medical Devices & Materials Research Laboratory of Advanced Materials Research Laboratories, Toray Industries, Inc.
• Hiroaki Fujieda, Research Associate, Medical Devices & Materials Research Laboratory of Advanced Materials Research Laboratories, Toray Industries, Inc.
• Tomoaki Osuka, Senior Research Chemist, Medical Devices & Materials Research Laboratory of Advanced Materials Research Laboratories, Toray Industries, Inc.
• Masaki Fujita, Research Associate, Medical Devices & Materials Research Laboratory of Advanced Materials Research Laboratories, Toray Industries, Inc.
• Yasushi Sakagami, General Manager, Dialysis & Blood Purification Products Production Dept., Toray Industries, Inc.
• Shigeharu Umehara, Staff, 2nd Dialysis & Blood Purification Products Engineering Section of Medical Devices Technical Dept., Toray Industries, Inc.
• Daiki Miyamoto, Staff, 2nd Lab of Engineering Development Center, Toray Industries, Inc.
• Takuya Tsuboi, Member, 2nd Lab of Engineering Development Center, Toray Industries, Inc.

3. Features of award-winning technology
It consists of a design technology for PMMA porous fibers that can selectively and efficiently adsorb and remove proteins of specific sizes and a column technology incorporating these fibers.

Related news release
December 20, 2022: Toray Achieves Further Advance with PMMA Fiber Nanostructure Control Technology by Creating Advanced Fiber that Efficiently Adsorbs Pathogenic Proteins in Blood
https://www.toray.com/global/news/details/20221212163958.html

4. Application status
In December 2022, Toray launched an adsorption type blood purification device that removes β2-microglobulin, the protein that causes dialysis-related amyloidosis. The company developed the device with its technology. It is helping to enhance the quality of life of dialysis-related amyloidosis sufferers.

About Japanese Society for Artificial Organs and its Technology Award
The Japanese Society for Artificial Organs promotes advances with artificial organs and related fields and disseminates research about them, contributing to scientific and cultural progress through such research. The Society established its Technology Award to honor individuals or organizations that have invented or developed hardware and software technologies that have contributed significantly to the clinical and industrial fields of artificial organs.