In search of a 24 hours per day artificial kidney.

Wearable, 24 hrs per day, 7 days per week artificial kidneys are being developed. Patients will benefit from more even control of physiologic parameters than can be obtained with conventional intermittent dialysis. Improvement in economic and social circumstances will result. Both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis techniques are being miniaturized. Small REDY cartridges containing urease, zirconium phosphate, hydrouse zirconium oxide and activated carbon are being utilized to regenerate dialysate. Hemodialyzers will be worn on the forearm and include long, wide, low resistance series blood flow paths to reduce the potential for thrombosis. Peritoneal effluent is regenerated and filtered by the sorbent cartridge and automatically cycled back into the peritoneal cavity.