[What is the current outlook for an implantable artificial kidney?]

Considering the homeostatic demands made by the organism on an artificial eliminating substitute kidney system, it seems that the haemofiltrative principle for transporting matter is the most suitable for simulating the natural glomerular kidney function in an implantable artificial kidney. Biophysical laws can be used to influence long-term filtrative efficiency and the blood-flow in the haemofilter system can be controlled by technical feedback regulation. Endogenically, the filtration process is, in terms of energy, driven by the aterial blood pressure (specifically, by the trans-membrane pressure thus generated). The definitive ultrafiltrate treatment takes place by intestinal reabsorption and elimination of the end products, whereby these functions may be assisted by the use of sorbents etc. or an adequate substitution therapy if reabsorption is insufficient. These processes can reasonably be triggered by neurohormonal feedback regulation if the homeostasis situation is greatly disturbed by the haemofiltration process. The implantable artificial kidney is thus a biochemical hybrid kidney.