New devices enable at-home dialysis

For most of the 400,000 Americans with kidney failure, life is dominated by visits to the dialysis center. Travel, work and other activities take second place to those thrice-weekly life-sustaining visits. However, a movement is afoot to allow more patients to get dialysis at home, which in addition to being more convenient, also allows patients to get their blood cleaned daily. Key to making it work are new suitcase-size dialysis machines, like NxStage Medical's System One (pictured), which weighs just 70 pounds, compared to other "small" dialysis systems that can weigh up to 300 pounds. Of course, for at-home dialysis to catch on, Medicare will need to pick up the tab, which may not happen if the home-based systems are significantly more expensive than dialysis centers. But at least one insurance-industry study has shown that at-home treatment can result in fewer hospital stays, saving the government health-care program as much as $20,000 per year per patient.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Has anyone notified Keith Richards about this ?

[matt teece @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

hey i developed the nxstage website. kind of cool seeing them get some spotlight here on engadget. way to go guys :-)

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

shit is NOT made of legos, though. and no bluetooth.

[glottis @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

why is this such a big breakthrough NOW, my uncle in Oxford, UK has a thing like this for the last couple of months or so and it weighs around 13-20Kg is portable and everything ... buy yeah it doesnt has any bluetooth :D

[Dazzla @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Is this really new, my old housemate was on dialysis from early 2003 to just a couple of months ago.

He has a machine like this for the entire time and that was on the NHS. and it was portable. he didn't have any problems bringing it snowboarding with us.

[Nobody @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

It's important to understand that there are two types of dialysis, and that this machine only handles one of them.

This machine does peritoneal dialysis, which is typically only prescribed for younger folks who can handle the procedure and who don't need the full clensing effect of the more time and energy-intensive hemodialysis.

Your grandmother is still going to have to go to the clinic three times a week for a four to eight hour marathon hemodialysis.

From a University of Pennsylvania website:
Hemodialysis, where the blood is withdrawn from the body into a machine that uses a special membrane (dialyzer) to filter wastes and remove extra fluid from the blood. Hemodialysis also restores the electrolyte balance in the blood.

Peritoneal dialysis, where a fluid is placed into the abdominal cavity through a special tube called a catheter and is left in place for several hours, after which it is removed. The fluid removes wastes and extra fluid from the body.

[Karen Everts @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

This is truly the 1st portable, home hemodialysis machine out there! I know this for a fact because I was the 1st one in Indiana on it. By doing it 6 days a week, I feel so much better and know I have a livable life again. I have been on peritoneal, 3 day a week hemo and now this. I wouldn't trade it for anything except a kidney transplant!! Thanks to everyone who has made NxStage System One a reality!! Karen