Progress on wearable artificial kidney

Monday August 24th, 2009

By Jane Collingwood
Scientists are in the process of creating a "wearable" artificial kidney, which could be used as an alternative to undergoing dialysis.

The artificial kidney device acts like a miniature dialysis machine, and is worn like a belt. It is battery-powered and weighs about ten pounds.

Patients who use the device will be able to walk, work, or sleep, according to Dr Victor Gura of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

He explains that Wearable Artificial Kidneys have been made possible by the development of new materials and production techniques, which "were not even imaginable a few years ago".

Dr Gura said: "Regular, long-lasting therapy sessions tethered to an essentially unmovable machine are not ideal for patients. Our vision of a technological breakthrough has materialised in the form of a Wearable Artificial Kidney, which provides continuous dialysis 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"However, the long-term effect of this technology on the well-being of dialysis patients must be demonstrated in much-needed clinical trials. Although successful, this is but one additional step on a long road still ahead of us to bring about a much-needed change in the lives of this population."

Full details are published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Dr Gura also states that the Wearable Artificial Kidney will lead to significant reductions in costs. So far, it has been successful in early tests including two studies of dialysis patients.

Gura, V. et al. Technical Breakthroughs in the Wearable Artificial Kidney (WAK). The Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, published online on August 20, 2009.

Tags: Internal Medicine | North America

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