Un Japanese research team he developed a portable mini dialysis that fits in a briefcase. A versatile aid for those suffering from kidney problems and a great ally in case of natural disasters or emergencies.
Small is beautiful
The device, weighing 3kg, measures 30cm x 18cm x 12cm deep including batteries. These dimensions make it by far the smallest device of this type in the world. The smallest dialysis systems currently on the market are the size of a minifridge, significantly larger.
It's a little gem: the filtering system is one eighth of the standard size, the pump is as big as a 2 euro coin. These are the two crucial elements that have decisively reduced the size of the device.
Researchers from the Universities of Yamanashi, Kobe, Kawasaki and Kitasato aim to commercialize it in 2023, immediately after the end of clinical trials.
Field dialysis
Often during emergencies or disasters the first things to be rational or cut off are electricity and water. These are the two fundamental elements for the survival of dialysis patients, because they feed all the machines.
This system will save many human lives by guaranteeing a “buffer” therapy pending more stable treatments.
To evaluate the performance of the system, the team tested it on goats: the results show an autonomy of up to two weeks of the device before the pump wears out.
"It can be taken anywhere and used in any eventuality," says Kenichi Matsuda, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Yamanashi and member of the mini dialysis research team.
The number of dialysis patients in Japan alone has touched exorbitant figures. Of the more than 334.000 dialysis patients, over 90% are forced to go to the hospital (the only location for standard devices and renal perfusion) according to the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.
