Artificial Kidney
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Wearable artificial kidney hopes to gain FDA approval soon
As neat as your smartwatch is, there are other existing wearables which, you know, can actually make the world a world a better place -- though that's not to say whatever you have on your wrist now is useless and for pure vanity purposes. Aptly named the Wearable Artificial Kidney, a projected started back in 2008, this medical gadget hopes to make the dialysis process better for patients, thanks in particular to its portability features. As opposed to the more traditional, stationary machines found at hospitals or in homes, which tend to be extremely heavy, the current version of WAK weighs a mere 10 lbs (around 4.5 kg.) and can be attached around a person's waist.
Artificial kidney enables "dialysis-on-the-go"
Not like we haven't heard of at-home dialysis before, but a pair of researchers from UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System concocted a design which would make the process even more portable. The AWAK (automated, wearable artificial kidney) would "avoid the complications patients often suffer with traditional dialysis" by being bloodless in nature; additionally, it would theoretically "reduce or even eliminate protein loss." Fittingly, UCLA-VA has already inked an agreement with Singapore-based AWAK Technologies in order to develop a commercial version, but there's no mention of how soon the creators expect said device to be widely available.[Via Physorg]
