New kidney machine could free patients from lifelong hospital care
A new portable dialysis machine could give patients with severe kidney disease unprecedented freedom to travel and live outside the hospital. The Dutch Kidney Foundation reported that it aims to bring the first wearable artificial kidney to the market within a few years.
Currently, about 5,000 patients in the Netherlands must undergo hemodialysis three times a week in a hospital for hours at a time. These life-saving treatments require large, stationary machines, effectively confining patients to their homes and hospitals. Travel or vacations require arranging dialysis at local hospitals abroad.
That may soon change. UMC Utrecht has begun clinical trials testing the safety and effectiveness of a new device, the Neokidney, which fits in a rolling suitcase and can be used anywhere. "And that will mean a real improvement in quality of life," said Tom Oostrom, director of the Nierstichting. "It was our patients’ organization that actually initiated this innovation. We noticed that the large dialysis manufacturers had little motivation to develop smaller, portable artificial kidneys. Therefore, more than a decade ago, we made the decision to take control of the situation.
The initiative follows the legacy of Dutch physician and inventor Willem Kolff, who developed the first dialysis machine in 1945, saving the life of a woman with acute kidney failure.
Kolff later emigrated to the United States, where he improved artificial kidney technology and invented the heart-lung machine, enabling heart and lung transplants. He attempted to develop a portable kidney but faced technical limits. "About twenty years ago, when he was already very old, Kolff encouraged us to develop such a device ourselves," Oostrom said. "According to him, the technology was now advanced enough."
The Nierstichting partnered with TNO to select development partners, eventually joining with companies from Singapore and Switzerland to form Nextkidney. Initial prototypes were tested in France in collaboration with UMC Utrecht, yielding promising results. Three major Dutch insurers—CZ, Menzis, and Zilveren Kruis—have committed financial support to bring the device to market.
Clinical trials this year involve about 50 patients in Utrecht, Brussels, and Caen, France. "Where initial tests evaluated the model in the hospital for a short period, we are now testing it for longer and assessing how it performs when patients use it at home," said UMC Utrecht internist-nephrologist Karin Gerritsen, head researcher of the European study. "We are examining everything: Does the device clean blood effectively and remove excess fluid? Do patients experience side effects? What impact does this dialysis have on blood pressure, heart rate, and blood values? Ultimately, we will conduct and assess at least 1,000 treatments."
If results remain positive, the company intends to seek European and U.S. market approval. Health insurance in the Netherlands expects to cover the device by 2027 or 2028. It could reduce costs by decreasing the need for healthcare personnel when patients perform dialysis independently.
Oostrom also sees potential international benefits. "In disaster zones, portable dialysis could save lives. After the tsunami in Japan, parts of the country had no dialysis options. For patients, time is critical. A portable kidney will make it much easier to provide life-saving care."
