Wearable Kidney Article in the News Section

[KarenInWA]

Just wondered what all of your thoughts are on the Artificial Wearable Kidney that will be tested in the Seattle area eventually. Here is a pic of it:

[Rerun]

So, is it Peritoneal or Hemo? 

[amanda100wilson]

I imagine that it would become really uncomfortable after a while, with the weight of the unit and chafing from the straps.  Also how do they get access?  If it is via a neckline, then infection risk will be an issue.

[deniferfer]

http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=1497

I found a article for anyone that wants to read about it..

My thoughts about it:

I love the idea they try to find a way to free people from being tied to a machine for 3 (or more) hours and give them a lot more freedom to go more places and do more things!! I also see it as a plus if it doesn't use needles to stick in your arm!! 

But I see some problems with it too. its 10 lbs and that would be a lot to carry around your waist, also I think it not something you want to walk around with, to go out with family and friends or to like go to work with. I know I wouldn't. But I see that it can be used at home and give you freedom to get around and do things around your house and not be stuck in a chair.

I would like to learn more how it works and I can see it as a great benefit for traveling or as a way to give some freedom to those on hemo.

[big777bill]

 Looks good to me.  Anything is better than sitting in that chair for 3-4 hours 5 days a week hooked up to "The Vampire"

[MooseMom]

There was a link on RenalWeb yesterday to a story out of San Francisco about an implantable artificial kidney.  It was a news item on their ABC affiliate, so this link has a video which is quite fascinating...

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=8706169

As for a wearable device, if the thing really worked and saved me from the isolation, monotony and general unwellness that comes with regular hemo, not only would I be willing to wear it in public, but I'd be so ecstatic that I'd probably make everyone look at it while I waxed lyrically about it!

[Whamo]

I want one!  How do they get access?  That's the big question.  Contact me if you want to test one near Loma Linda, California.

[KarenInWA]

There is no way I would wear this thing in public! It's way too big and clunky, would make doing most things difficult, and has absolutely no fashion sense. I don't see any practcality in it. How would you drive? Bathe? Pick up anything? Hug others? Can you imagine wearing that thing on a hot day? Or on vacation in an amusement park? Getting on a plane? OMG, what will the TSA think??? Hopefully, the final product will be a lot more user friendly.  This to me just seems way too cumbersome to deal with.

KarenInWA

[jeannea]

I agree it looks cumbersome. When I first saw it I thought it must be uncomfortable. But if it's a needed step in the research to get a small artificial kidney then I'm all for it.

[deniferfer]

There is no way I would wear this thing in public! It's way too big and clunky, would make doing most things difficult, and has absolutely no fashion sense. I don't see any practcality in it. How would you drive? Bathe? Pick up anything? Hug others? Can you imagine wearing that thing on a hot day? Or on vacation in an amusement park? Getting on a plane? OMG, what will the TSA think??? Hopefully, the final product will be a lot more user friendly.  This to me just seems way too cumbersome to deal with.

KarenInWA

Well it mite have some fashion sense if they could make it like a cute purse, different colors, maybe a little bling     (sorry guys to help for you here). I would hope it would come off to bathe...ZAP!! I also wonder how long the battery last? How long it takes to charge? I didn't even think about getting on a plane!!! It kinda looks likes a bomb...Not good at all!!  It really awesome the technology they have been able to come up with here but I see improvements that can be made. But all in all a change in the right direction.   

[noahvale]

^

[MooseMom]

The project at UCSF is working on an IMPLANTABLE artificial kidney, so have a look at it and follow the link I posted above.  Here is another link that gives much better information:

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2010/09/4450/ucsf-unveils-model-implantable-artificial-kidney-replace-dialysis

Since the device would be implantable, there would be nothing to "wear" externally.  The problem is size, but it looks like it is only a matter of time before that problem is solved because what will be used is actual kidney cells to build the biofilter.  This project is probably a few years behind the wearable artificial kidney, but it has been fasttracked by the FDA, so the wait time might be decreased by a fair margin.

I think we've all felt that dialysis as practiced today is just too burdensome and expensive to maintain.  Miniaturization has occurred in so many different technologies...remember how big cellphones used to be?  Necessity is the mother of invention, and we need more cost efficient ways to deliver dialysis, not to mention just more compassionate ways!

This is all very exciting stuff!

[mcclane]

that is awesome ! 

I know that with any new technology, ver 1 is always clunkier.  As others have already mentioned, it is better than being tied down while doing dialysis.  I do expect that if this unit is successful, they figure out a way to make it even lighter and less bulky.

[KAF454]

One of those should fit discretely behind my favorite Flava Fav timepiece!

[SteveK87]

The project at UCSF is working on an IMPLANTABLE artificial kidney, so have a look at it and follow the link I posted above.  Here is another link that gives much better information:

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2010/09/4450/ucsf-unveils-model-implantable-artificial-kidney-replace-dialysis

Since the device would be implantable, there would be nothing to "wear" externally.  The problem is size, but it looks like it is only a matter of time before that problem is solved because what will be used is actual kidney cells to build the biofilter.  This project is probably a few years behind the wearable artificial kidney, but it has been fasttracked by the FDA, so the wait time might be decreased by a fair margin.

I think we've all felt that dialysis as practiced today is just too burdensome and expensive to maintain.  Miniaturization has occurred in so many different technologies...remember how big cellphones used to be?  Necessity is the mother of invention, and we need more cost efficient ways to deliver dialysis, not to mention just more compassionate ways!

This is all very exciting stuff!

Do you think this device would work with FSGS?  It's my understanding FSGS attacks the kidney filters, which causes the kidney failure.

[MooseMom]

Yes, fsgs inflames normal renal tissue, and when it heals, it becomes scar tissue that does not filter like it should.  But you ask a good question.  If this implantable kidney uses normal kidney cells, then would fsgs ultimately destroy these cells?  It was thought that suPar was the culprit that caused fsgs, and there was great excitement, but now they are not so sure after all.  Bottom line is that they still don't really know what causes fsgs, so as long as there is biological matter used in RRT, it would follow that fsgs might still pose a problem.  Hm....very interesting.

[Chris]

Ohhh my back! comes to mind with the wearable dialysis. However this is a prototype andif an actual production model comes out, I am sure things would become lighter along with using cheaper materials where possible to save money. Reminds me of an oversized insulin pump tho.

[MaryJoe]

I've been thinking about wether I'd wear one of these, and I think I would if it offered more freedom to live my normal life.  I showed it to my husband who said "Should be a no-brainer for you - you've carried purses that were bigger and probably heavier than that thing!"  He's right, so sign me up.  Besides, no one has ever accused me of having an overly developed fashion sense!

Gee, if we walk real close together, maybe he could carry it for me...

The implantable one intrigues me.  I hope the trials go well for both models. 

[Rerun]

We didn't go from the Sys 36 to the IPad overnight.  We will get there.

[Whamo]

I'm excited about this research.   We certainly need more options.   Dialysis costs Medicare $235 a session.   That's a lot of money.  If they can bring down costs and improve the quality of life it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned.   This early version uses a catheter, which is not the optimum access.  In time, with a lot of thought and hard work, they'll improve it.  Ideally they'll make one that will let me return to the water.  It kills me to see another summer go by without catching some waves. 

[MooseMom]

Here is a story out of Wake Forest that I've been following for a few years.  I saw a news item about a young man who was born with a deformed bladder, and he got a new one via the regeneration program at Wake Forest.  Making a new bladder was "easy" compared to making a new kidney, but it looks like they've managed the first steps as you can see from this press release:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/wfbm-lkp062112.php

(I'm sorry...I tried three times to copy and paste the whole press release, but it just didn't work, so I've had to post just the link instead.  My apologies, but please do read it.  It is fascinating and makes me feel so very hopeful.  Like I've said before, I believe there is a growing realization that dialysis and tranplantation...with 400,000 patients on dialysis and 90,000 waiting for new kidneys....just isn't going to provide more than a drop in the proverbial bucket.  The ideas of miniature and inplantable artificial kidneys or regenerated/rebuilt kidneys are going to pave the way of the future!  It's very exciting stuff!)