artificial kidney
Mechanical renal substitute
An artificial kidney is a machine that filters waste and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys fail to function properly.
The most common form is the dialysis machine, which patients may use several times weekly for hours at a stretch.
Researchers continue working toward implantable versions that would free patients from external equipment.
Kidney disease medicine
- nephronKidney's filtration unit
- glomerulusCapillary knot filtering blood
- creatinineMuscular metabolism waste compound
- GFRKidney filtration measurement
Artificial blood purification process
- peritonealOf the abdominal lining
- blood purificationRemoving contaminants from circulation
- filtrationSeparating solids from liquids
- uremiaBlood toxicity from renal failure
electrolyte balance · dialysate · diffusion · osmosis · fistula · catheter · access site · graft
Capable of bodily insertion
- wearableAble to be worn
- portableAble to be carried
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- hollow fiberPermeable tube for separation
cartridge · pump · tubing · filter · biosensor · microfluidic · miniaturized · bedside
Engineering applied to biology
- regenerativeAble to renew itself
- lab-grownCreated artificially, not naturally
- stem cellUnspecialized, self-renewing biological unit
- scaffoldTemporary elevated work structure
nanotechnology · biomimicry · CRISPR · gene editing · xenotransplant · organoid · microchip · silicon
Remaining alive against odds
- second chanceRenewed opportunity after failure
- hopeDesire for good outcomes
- quality of lifeGeneral life satisfaction
- independenceFreedom from external control
mobility · therapy · essential · vital · patient · caregiver · burden · cost
nephrology
Kidney disease medicine
- nephronKidney's filtration unit
- glomerulusCapillary knot filtering blood
- creatinineMuscular metabolism waste compound
GFR · proteinuria · nephrologist · rejection · immunosuppression
hemodialysis
Artificial blood purification process
- peritonealOf the abdominal lining
- blood purificationRemoving contaminants from circulation
- filtrationSeparating solids from liquids
uremia · electrolyte balance · dialysate · diffusion · osmosis · fistula · catheter · access site · graft · anticoagulant
implantable
Capable of bodily insertion
hollow fiber · cartridge · pump · tubing · filter · biosensor · microfluidic · miniaturized · bedside · priming
bioengineering
Engineering applied to biology
- regenerativeAble to renew itself
- lab-grownCreated artificially, not naturally
- stem cellUnspecialized, self-renewing biological unit
scaffold · nanotechnology · biomimicry · CRISPR · gene editing · xenotransplant · organoid · microchip · silicon · bioreactor
survival
Remaining alive against odds
- second chanceRenewed opportunity after failure
- hopeDesire for good outcomes
- quality of lifeGeneral life satisfaction
independence · mobility · therapy · essential · vital · patient · caregiver · burden · cost · access
- medical devicespacemaker, defibrillator, AED, ventilator, CT scanner
- transplantsorgan transplant, liver transplant, bone marrow transplant, heart transplant, stem cell transplant
- Blood Therapiesblood transfusion, transfusion, plasma therapy, packed cells, apheresis
- Perfusionheart-lung machine, ECMO, cardiopulmonary bypass, blood pump, priming
artificial, artificially, artificiality, artifice, artificer, kidney, kidneys