Unmet Need
Acute kidney injury is common among critically ill patients, and has an associated mortality rate of 30% to 70% [1]. Continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) is a treatment for acute kidney injury that uses diffusive clearance to remove toxins and solutes from the patient’s circulation. In CVVHD, dialysate, which is a nonsterile aqueous electrolyte solution, is perfused across the dialysis membrane, which allows solutes to exit the blood into the dialysate through diffusion via the concentration gradient [1]. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shortage of dialysate, preventing patients from accessing adequate care. Thus, there is a clear need for a method that would allow hospitals to inexpensively manufacture their own dialysate, preventing supply chain disruptions from affecting patient care.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a method for manufacturing dialysate that uses standard hemodialysis equipment and a custom adapter. This method is simple, easy to adopt, and has the potential for scale. It requires minimal training to set up and can be easily operated by nurses. By enabling for inexpensive, in-house production of dialysate, this technology reduces the impact of supply-chain related shortages.
Stage of Development
Prototype.
Patent
N/A
Publication
