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Background: The level of bacteremia in patients with sepsis and septic shock is a predictor of complications and mortality, regardless of the type of bacteria. Devices for bacteria, endotoxin and cytokines removal by adsorption have been recently developed. Thus, extracorporeal blood purification therapies have been proposed as adjunctive therapy in sepsis in combination with drugs. Some potentially useful drugs, however, are precluded due to their organ or metabolic toxicity. The present study represents a preliminary report on the in vitro effect of a sorbent device (minimodule with HA380 beads, Jafron medical, Zhuhai, China) in which the particles have been functionalized with vancomycin on the surface. The impact of the surface‐modified beads on circulating bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) has been tested in a simulated in vitro circulation. Methods: In vitro experiments were carried out with 800 mL of blood enriched with S. aureus species. Blood was circulated in the vancomycin‐functionalized and non‐functionalized mini‐module cartridges in hemoadsorption setup (300 mL each) and the bactericidal effect was assessed. Also, 200 mL of blood was used as a control. Results: A significant increase in the time to positivity of blood cultures was observed after 60 min and also after 120 min of therapy with the mini‐module functionalized with vancomycin as opposed to the non‐functionalized cartridge. Conclusions: These results suggest a possible way of treating sepsis by using drug‐ or antibiotic‐functionalized cartridges without worrying about pharmacological toxicity. The prolongation of the time to bacterial culture positivity to S. aureus after a passage through a column packed with beads functionalized with vancomycin represents a proof of concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]