Doctors at the University of Washington, Seattle are currently testing out a new wearable artificial kidney (WAK) that would free dialysis patients from the tether of traditional machines. The key factor in the WAK’s portability is its compact filtration system, which reuses water. Upon completion of its first clinical trial, the WAK showed promising results with patients.
Treatment with the wearable artificial kidney was well tolerated and resulted in effective uremic solute clearance and maintenance of electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. These results serve as proof of concept that, after redesign to overcome observed technical problems, a wearable artificial kidney can be developed as a viable novel alternative dialysis technology.
photos via JCI Insight
