The Wearable Artificial
Kidney
Tom Jancura
What is Dialysis
 2 Types of dialysis
 Hemodialysis-uses a machine to filter the blood
 Peritoneal- Uses the lining of abdomen to filter blood
 Filters the blood of toxins, and waste products
 Used when a patient is waiting for a kidney transfer or
just not getting a transfer.
What is it?
• Being developed in
Washington by Dr. Victor
Gura
• Way for patients to receive
dialysis treatment and still
live and everyday life
• A 10 lb belt that goes
around the patients waist
with multiple components
to help with the dialysis
Problem Being Solved
• This device is to help treat patients with end stage renal
failure (kidney failure)
• This means their Kidneys can not filter the waste
products from their blood
• This can be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure,
or other diseases
• If not treated can lead to increased acid levels, raised
potassium levels, decreased calcium levels, increased
levels of phosphate, and in later stages anemia
Current Technology
The Artificial Kidney
 Will make patients lives easier for dialysis treatment
 Will lower the mortality rate for chronic kidney disease
 Attached to the body through a catheter which will take the
blood from the body and filter the waste and replenish the
nutrients that are vital for the human body.
 Will use less water and not have to be distilled because
water can be recycled through the filtration devices on the
belt
Results
 The Artificial Kidney has been approved for clinical trials in the US
 Although trials of the kidney have already been conducted in
Europe
 The trial will last at least 24 hours and the goal is for 10 patients
to last the full length of the trial
 Successful trials have been completed in Europe ( in Vicenza, Italy
and London)
 Trials were completed successfully in Italy for 6 hours and in
London for 8 hours.
Current Trials
 Trials are being held in Seattle Washington, and trying
to get the device approved by the FDA for patient use
 Patients go through a normal dialysis treatment
 Then go through their clinical trial of 24 hours just on
the wearable artificial kidney
 Closely monitored by Dr. Victor Gura (head of
research) and his team of researchers in case of
malfunction
Limitations
 Must be worn at all times
 Powered by a battery, so the need for battery change/
charging
 Worn around the waist and could get in the way
 The device is 10 pounds hanging from the waist
 Unknown cost because still in design and trials
Future
• Make the belt smaller and more compact
• Make the belt lighter and more convenient for older
patients
• Possible Design changes to become more efficient
• Pass clinical trials and be put to use for actual patient
care
Resources
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dialysis.html
 Victor Gura, Claudio Ronco, Andrew Davenport. The Wearable Artificial
Kidney, Why and How: From Holy Grail to Reality. Seminars in Dialysis.
Volume 22. Issue 1. pp 13-17. January 2009.
 http://hsnewsbeat.uw.edu/story/faq-seattle-wearable-artificial-kidneysafety-trial
 https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/aboutckd
 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/583426
 http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/health-careinc/2014/09/wearable-tech-goes-to-the-doctor-uw-to-test.html