A highly efficient and antifouling microfluidic platform for portable hemodialysis devices
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Research Letter
A highly efficient and antifouling microfluidic platform for portable hemodialysis devices Irfani R. Ausri, Eliana M. Feygin, Connie Q. Cheng, Yuxing Wang, Zhi Yuan (William) Lin, and Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang, Department of Chemistry & Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada Address all correspondence to X. S. Tang at [email protected] (Received 6 February 2018; accepted 6 March 2018)
Abstract End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a life-threatening illness that presents significant healthcare challenges. About 90% of ESRD patients receive hemodialysis treatment, but the currently available hemodialysis systems are bulky and prone to complications. We report the design of a microfluidic hemodialysis device composed of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chambers separated by a cellulose ester (CE) membrane. The polyethylene glycol-passivated PDMS and CE surfaces reduced platelet adhesion by 74% and 86%, respectively. Moreover, the device exhibited a higher urea clearance rate per unit area than a healthy kidney. The reported design sets the foundation for a next-generation biomimetic portable hemodialysis device.
Introduction End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the last stage of chronic renal failure. Specifically, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) has dropped to a critically low level and the kidney can no longer act as an effective filter that retains vital biomolecules while letting metabolic wastes pass through for subsequent excretion from the body.[1] ESRD patients often suffer from complications such as anemia, mineral and bone disorders, and uremic malnutrition.[2] With more than 600,000 people in the USA suffering from ESRD and an annual growth of 2–4%, ESRD is a growing concern and burden on the healthcare system. Although organ transplantation replaces a dysfunctional kidney with a healthy one, the severe shortage of available donors creates a burning need for an alternative.[3,4] Hemodialysis is a life-saving procedure that removes excess fluids and metabolic waste while maintaining the acid–base and electrolyte balance in ESRD patients’ blood.[5] Although hemodialysis treats approximately 90% of ESRD patients and has saved millions of lives, commercially available hemodialysis devices have many disadvantages, including their bulky sizes and 3–4 h of treatments for three times a week, which decreases patient compliance and significantly decreases the patients’ quality of life.[6–8] Furthermore, the US Renal Data System and Wolfe et al. reported that patients who receive regular hemodialysis treatments have lower life expectancies compared with those who received a kidney transplant.[9] Infections, vascular access complications, solute balance, and hemolysis are some of the factors that increase mortality risks.[10,11] Inadequate filtration can lead to hyperkalemia and
hypokalemia that will induce sudden cardiac arrest. The fouling of dialyzer’s membrane and tubing can also occur over time, which causes flow obstruction and h
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