Discussion in ‘Biomedical Engineering’
Regular renal diseases management guidelines including different drugs, treatment options or dialysis are indeed very powerful and necessary, but there are times when we have to turn to modern technology. Dialysis patients can’t live without the treatment, but their suffering is beyond imagination. Many of them must wait for years to get a kidney transplant and live normally, with seemingly no other solution on the horizon.
However, there’s finally a light in the dark tunnel – scientists from the University of California at San Francisco, USA, have developed the world’s first bionic kidney which can replace damaged kidneys easily and effectively. The bionic kidney is a perfect replica of our kidneys. This artificial kidney consists of numerous microchips and is moved by the heart.
Like the normal kidneys, it is able to filter waste and toxins from the bloodstream. The project was unveiled by Willian Vanderbilt Fissels and Shuvo Roy from the University of California, offering renewed hope for millions of kidney dialysis patients. Now, some of you may be wondering “But, what if the body rejects it?”, but, the scientists assure us that the chances of rejection are zero! Incredible, right? This is because the bionic kidney is made from renal cells.
The first prototype is the size of a coffee cup and can balance the levels of sodium and potassium in the body while regulating blood pressure. The project is wonderful news for any dialysis patient.
In the beginning (November 2015), the scientists received $6 million from the Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and it’s safe to say that the money were well spent. The scientists have high hopes for the bionic kidney, and the lead researcher, Dr. Victor Gura, says that the device will be available for sale in only 2 years.
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