The future of hemodialysis?

[Chisca, RN]

At 10 pounds I'm not sure I would want to wear this but it is portable.

Wearable Artificial Kidney Update: CKD Human Trial Successful Outcomes & Additional Positions Open — KidneyBuzz

[elkpark]

All the new technology starts out that way. Remember when calculators took up half a desktop? Remember when the first portable phones were the size and weight of a brick? When computers were the size of a room? And, as time goes on and the technology is refined and further developed, whatever it is gets smaller, lighter, better, and easier to use. I predict that, before too long, that rig she's modeling will be the size and weight of a standard fanny pack (and maybe even, eventually, more like an insulin pump).

[Chisca, RN]

Especially true when you compare the first Kolff dialysis machine to a Fresenius 2008K. The first 16 patients connected to the Kolff died. The 17th lived and the rest is history. If even one patient dies on the portable machine being developed I can't imagine the FDA will let them continue.

[NurseRies, BSN, RN]

It's pretty amazing , I imagine that a lot of our patients will still need traditional dialysis for a long time. Many of them are elderly, handicapped, use walkers. Also important to remember that acute dialysis treatments will always be needed. Unless they can come up with a self running machine. What about the patients that need dialysis for 8 weeks. There's also plasmapheresis. They've experimented with its use for certain cancers, encephalopathy, many autoimmune disorders. I don't think the days of extracorporeal circuit therapies are anywhere near over.

[AcuteHD]

It looks like it went through a 'successful' trial 16 months ago, so where is it now? I can't find anything about it recently. What really caught my attention was that it recirculates the dialysate and only uses a pint of water. If they could build that feature into a regular machine it would be great for bedside treatments. Take a little acid, a little bicarb and a little water and no portable RO unit or hoses. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

[suetje]

I believe the only clinical trial of the "wearable kidney" were in Europe. And yes, this is a working prototype but nanotechnology could make this much smaller. Not sure what you'd do with the ultrafiltrate tho!!!

[NurseRies, BSN, RN]

I imagine the ultra filtrate would be a small amount at a time since they are wearing it everyday. Like a colostomy bag or drain, the patient will have to go to the bathroom and drain it. Kind of like how we all go pee. I wonder if there would be wasted fluid as well from whatever they're using as a dialysate ?