Wearable Artificial Kidney Coming Soon In A Hospital Near You

Dialysis patients may soon be free of clunky machines, as promised by a new clinical trial that suggested wearable artificial kidneys can finally be within reach.

Kidney specialist Dr. Maria DeVita said that this technology is a game changer, as it gives humans all hope that there will be significant improvement in taking care of people who require dialysis.

According to US News, people with advanced kidney disease must resort to spending hours a day at dialysis centers, getting attached to special machines that clean their bloods as their kidneys were supposed to do.

Having a small portable device that could perform hemodialysis on patients so that they can go about their day has been the dream for a long time - and it seems that it's getting nearer.

Fox News reported that the artificial kidneys, created by Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb and his colleagues, continuously operates and had been effective in pilot studies for as long as 8 hours. Currently, they used the kidneys on 11 patients to record a 24-hour test. Out of the 11, five were able to finish the test of the wearable artificial kidney. Results showed that they are able to function fully, and that the devices performed as expected.

However, despite the positive results, there were challenges along the way. One of the patients had to stop treatment because of the blood circuit clot, while two others needed new batteries before the end of 24 hours. Three other had to interrupt treatment to have gas bubbles removed from their blood circuit.

The technical problems were enough to stop the trial, but there had been no serious complications. Dr. Karin Gerritsen and Dr. Jaap Joles from the University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands said in an email to Reuters, "Wearable and portable artificial kidneys are certainly on the horizon, but it will still take a few years before they become widely available."