Electrospun nanofber membranes for complete leukocyte removal in blood filtration: Pore size optimization and performance evaluation

The safety of blood transfusions faces significant challenges due to the presence of leukocytes, which can trigger severe immune responses and facilitate virus transmission. Existing leukocyte reduction filters, predominantly composed of melt-blown nonwovens, encounter difficulties in completely eliminating leukocytes for specific patient populations such as organ transplant recipients. This research introduces electrospun membranes composed of PBS and CS/PBS nanofiber membranes as a novel filtration material. Through the optimization of electrospinning parameters (including voltage, receiving distance, and solution volume), membranes with adjustable pore sizes ranging from 1.3 to 2.1 μm and substantial specific surface areas were developed. Blood filtration trials revealed that nanofiber membranes with an optimal pore size range of 1.9–2.1 μm achieved complete leukocyte removal while preserving a red blood cell (RBC) recovery rate of 87.72%–90.65%. In comparison to conventional filters, these electrospun nanofiber membranes present a promising strategy for highly efficient leukocyte depletion, catering to the demands of critical transfusion scenarios.