Clinical Studies on Dialysate Free Artficial Kidney-DIFAK-

Abstract

In order to lessen the amount of electric power needed to operate the dialysate supply system, to make free from the plumbing and to make the equipment more compact and easier to handle, we have developed a new portable machine with 30 h dialysate and adsorbents. We call this machine Dialysate Free Artificial Fidney-DIFAK- The volume of dialysate is only 30 L, and this 30 L of dialysate is filtrated through activated charcoal and aluminium oxide, and recirculated during hemodialysis. The volume of dialysate has been set at 30 L in due consideration of safety, as a result of careful testings and calculations. The activated charcoal and aluminium oxide are used as adsorbents. The activated charcoal is specially purified and adsorbs creatinine, uric acid, phenols, guanidine bases and organic acids. Aluminium oxide is granular and insoluble and adsorbs inorganic phosphorus. Therefore we have made home dialysis and bed-sidedialysis in the hospital easier with this machine. We have carried out 266 dialyses on 6 patients with this machine for two years. One dialysed patient has been on home dialysis for 10 months. No patients have ever had any side effects because of mechanical failure in any point of the procedure. When the hemodialysis treatments are carried out through this machine in combination with Hollow Fiber Kidney, the removal rate of waste metabolites is superior to the conventional hemodialysis and this equipment becomes smaller. It can be concluded that with the completion of this machine it is not necessary to prepare a special room in the hospital for dialysis, or to construct a new room for home dialysis. Therefore this machine -DIFAK- is highly recommended for your consideration in that it represents a positive step towards an efficient and cheeper method for the hemodialysis in the home as well as in the hospital.