Artificial Kidneys and Other Technologies to Treat Kidney Disease
For people facing kidney failure, artificial kidneys have the potential to dramatically improve quality of life.
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Transcript
DR. RODGERS: For people with chronic kidney disease, high-tech dialysis alternatives offer hope for better kidney care.
Hi, I’m Dr. Griffin Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at NIH.
My colleague, Dr. Bruce Tromberg, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, explains.
DR. TROMBERG: Artificial kidneys are one of the most exciting innovations in health care research. Prototypes of artificial kidneys are in the preclinical development stage, as bioengineers work to bring these devices to people with chronic kidney disease.
Artificial kidney designs featuring silicon membranes and human kidney cells may offer an efficient way to filter blood, while using the body’s blood pressure instead of batteries or pumps. For people facing kidney failure, artificial kidneys have the potential to dramatically improve quality of life.
DR. RODGERS: Follow us @NIDDKgov. This is Dr. Griffin Rodgers.