Drinking water can be continuously filtered from brackish water.
People whose kidneys no longer clean their blood must undergo dialysis every 2-3 days, a trying 4-6 hour process which also creates large amounts of fluid waste.
A research team from South Korea is aiming to change this with its wearable device for peritoneal dialysis. Here, dialysis fluid is introduced to the abdomen, absorbing harmful substances from the blood vessels in the peritoneum.
Then, the team’s artificial kidney filters out the toxins and guides the liquid back into the abdomen. In tests it cleared 99% of urea and 30% of creatine. A novel 3D-printed structure helped achieve a flow rate of 1 millilitre per minute.
The retina can indicate kidney disease.
