Thanks to a new grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), researchers led by UC San Francisco bioengineer Shuvo Roy and Vanderbilt University nephrologist William Fissell will develop a surgically implantable artificial kidney. The Kidney Project team has prototyped and begun testing key components of the coffee-cup-sized device.
The new artificial kidney, a silicon nanofilter, removes toxins, salts, some small molecules, and water from the blood. Based on manufacturing methods used in the production of semiconductor electronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the device functions on blood pressure alone and without a pump or electrical power.
A “bioreactor” component also contains human kidney tubule cells embedded within microscopic scaffolding. The cells perform metabolic functions and reabsorb water from the filtrate to control blood volume.
The artificial kidney being developed by Roy and Fissell is designed to be connected internally to the patient’s blood supply and bladder and implanted near the patient’s own kidneys, which are not removed.
The researchers believe the prototype provides a promising alternative to dialysis or kidney transplantation.
