Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
09:00
Microdissection of Primary Renal Tissue Segments and Incorporation with Novel Scaffold-free Construct Technology
Published on: March 27, 2018
Technical breakthroughs in the wearable artificial kidney (WAK)
Victor Gura1, Alexandra S Macy, Masoud Beizai
1Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90212, USA. vgura@cs.com
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN
|August 22, 2009
Summary
The wearable artificial kidney (WAK) offers a breakthrough in kidney failure treatment. Advanced WAK versions demonstrate efficient daily dialysis and improved waste removal for end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nephrology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- The wearable artificial kidney (WAK) has been a long-sought solution for kidney failure.
- This study details advancements in WAK technology, including versions V1.0, V1.1, and V1.2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of pulsatile flow in enhancing dialysis efficiency.
- To evaluate the impact of dialysate pH optimization and high-flux membranes on WAK performance.
- To compare the clearance capabilities of the wearable artificial kidney with conventional dialysis pumps.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a battery-powered WAK pump with a double-channel pulsatile counter-phase flow system.
- Compared WAK pump flows and clearances against conventional pumps and gravity-driven steady flow.
- Assessed the removal of ammonia and beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)M) using activated charcoal in the dialysate.
Main Results:
- Pulsatile flow significantly increased blood and dialysate clearances compared to steady flow.
- Optimizing dialysate pH to 7.4 enhanced ammonia adsorption.
- The lightweight WAK V1.0 and V1.1 achieved effective creatinine clearances of 18.5 mL/min and 27.0 mL/min, respectively, in uremic pigs, comparable to larger, non-wearable devices.
Conclusions:
- Optimized pulsatile flow dynamics, including alternating transmembrane pressures and higher amplitude pulsations, enhance convective transport, creating a novel hemodiafiltration method.
- A larger surface area high-flux dialyzer and elevated dialysate pH further improved WAK efficiency.
- The WAK shows promise for efficient daily dialysis and improved management of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Related Concept Videos
01:26Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) is an essential intervention for patients experiencing severe kidney dysfunction. This therapy offers a continuous mechanism for removing fluids and toxins from the bloodstream, leveraging the patient’s blood pressure to facilitate filtration through a specialized filter. This method contrasts with intermittent dialysis, providing a gentler and more consistent removal of waste products and excess fluid, which is particularly beneficial in critically...
01:20Acute Kidney Injury V: Interprofessional Care
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) requires a collaborative healthcare approach to restore renal function and prevent complications. Essential management strategies involve monitoring fluid and electrolyte balance, adjusting medications, initiating dialysis when necessary, and providing nutritional support.Fluid and Electrolyte ManagementFluid Monitoring: Regularly monitoring body weight, central venous pressure, and urine output helps detect fluid imbalances early. Patient intake and output are...
01:25Hemodialysis I: Introduction
Hemodialysis (HD) is a medical treatment that artificially removes waste products, excess fluids, and toxins from the blood when the kidneys are no longer able to perform these functions effectively. In this process, blood is filtered through a semipermeable membrane, allowing for the selective removal of waste while preserving necessary components like blood cells and proteins. Hemodialysis is typically performed in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or severe kidney...
01:30Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, also known as CRRT, is a procedural treatment for acute kidney injury (AKI) that gradually removes uremic toxins and fluids while maintaining acid-base balance and stabilizing electrolytes. It is particularly useful for hemodynamically unstable patients. Unlike intermittent hemodialysis, which is faster, CRRT provides a gentler approach over 24 hours, closely mimicking the function of natural kidneys. However, CRRT is not ideal for patients with...
01:27Dialysis
Renal failure occurs when the kidneys lose their ability to filter waste products from the blood effectively. It can be classified into two types: acute renal failure (ARF) and chronic renal failure (CRF).
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...
01:15Dialysis
Dialysis is a diffusion-based purification process that separates analyte molecules from a complex matrix. This is accomplished by allowing molecules in the solution to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a liquid on the other side. The membrane is usually made of cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate, and the second liquid must be miscible with the solution. Ions (e.g., chloride or sodium) or organic molecules (e.g., glucose) can pass through the membrane pores, which generally have...