Sachidanand Upadhyay, Founder, Lord’s Mark Industries explains the evolution of dialysis treatment
The primary function of Kidneys is to act as natural filters in human body, removing waste and excess fluids from the blood, but when they fail to perform this task as a result of controlled diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases that can make kidney function go down, dialysis is needed to remove the excess waste.
The origin of dialysis’s can be traced back to the 19th century, when Scottish chemist Thomas Graham gave the principle of diffusion, which laid groundwork for modern-day dialysis.
Later, the first successful dialysis treatment was introduced by Dr Willem Kolff, a Dutch physician, in 1943. He developed the first crude haemodialysis machine with the help of wooden drums, cellophane tubes, and a washing machine motor, providing limited relief to patients suffering from acute kidney failure.
These were crude machines, and the process of dialysis treatment with their help was cumbersome, time-consuming, and prohibitively costly.
The real breakthrough in the dialysis treatment was achieved in 1960’s when Dr Belding Scribner, an American Physician, revolutionised the whole process of dialysis by introducing an arteriovenous shunt, making long-term dialysis treatment a reality for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
This breakthrough in the renal treatment led to the establishment of the world’s first out-of-hospital dialysis unit, and gradually paved the way to the development of home haemodialysis (HD) program across the world.
Parallelly, scientist also developed another alternative known as peritoneal dialysis, which uses the peritoneum, a natural membrane in the abdomen, to filter toxins and extra fluid from the blood, developed as a substitute for haemodialysis.
The biggest advantage of using PD is that it can be done at home, giving patients more convenience and flexibility than HD, which needs a machine.
After this, the following three decades, until the 1990s, saw significant advancement in dialysers, dialysis membranes, and vascular access techniques, which improved patient outcomes by reducing complications and increasing treatment efficacy.
These advancements transformed the therapy from an all-day, every-day burden to a few hours three times per week. The advent of volumetric ultrafiltration and a shift from acetate-based to bicarbonate-based buffer further supported a reduction in therapy time by mitigating haemodynamic instability during haemodialysis treatments.
Dialysis entered a new era with the turn of the twenty-first century; now dialysis machines started incorporating sophisticated computer systems for precise control of fluid management, blood flow, and dialysate delivery, allowing for more tailored treatment plans.
As a result of integrating sophisticated computer systems, dialysis machines are gradually becoming smarter day by day, and now they can monitor vital signs, blood chemistry, and other parameters in real-time, providing alerts for potential complications and enabling data-driven treatment adjustments.
These advancements made the process of dialysis more efficient, affordable, accessible, patient-centric thereby promising a better life to millions battling severe kidney ailments.
One of the biggest advancements in kidney dialysis technology is the transformation of traditional dialysis machines into smart, portable devices. These modern backpack-like smart dialysis systems can offer patients greater mobility and flexibility in managing their treatment schedules, enhancing both convenience and quality of life.
With the integration of AI and machine learning capabilities, these smart devices can intelligently analyse patient data and optimise treatment parameters in real-time, ensuring more precise, efficient, and personalised kidney care.
Equipped with AI capabilities, these smart dialysis devices can also swiftly adapt prescriptions to suit an individual patient’s needs. Additionally, they can also enable healthcare providers to detect potential issues early, thereby preventing complications that can endanger the treatment process or the patient.
With continued research and newer technological breakthroughs such as AI, Blockchain’s, and Machine Learnings, the future of renal care is set to transform further, making dialysis a more seamless and less burdensome experience for millions of patients globally.
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