First artificial implantable kidney developed

A team at the University of California has developed an artificial kidney which has the ability to filter toxins out of the bloodstream and also use human kidney cells for carrying out other vital functions like regulating blood pressure and producing vitamin D. The team headed by Shuvo Roy has tested this artificial organ on animals and it has further plans of testing it on humans. This artificial kidney is a two-part system which consists of toxin- removing filters where thousands of silicon membranes are stacked together. The nano pores on the filters are very dense and precisely shaped so that they can filter smoothly using no external force but the body’s own blood pressure. The second half of the organ is composed of a separate cartridge where the filtered clean blood and watery filtrate are both shunted into after the toxins, sugars, water, and salts are removed and filtered in the previous chamber. In this second chamber water, sugars, and salts are reabsorbed and vitamin D is produced to prevent blood pressure from sinking too low. Shuvo Roy points out how this artificial organ is a better option than dialysis and says, "Dialysis is not only time-consuming, but it's also debilitating. Many patients don't feel good, because it's not doing all the functions of a normal, healthy kidney. The new kidney doesn't just filter toxins. It has metabolic functions, and hormonal functions, and dialysis does not capture these abilities".

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