The first thing I did after the massive (massive) amount of narcotics wore off was to check and see whether I could somehow replace my real kidneys with robotic ones that won’t have this problem. Happily, the answer is “soon.” Ten teams of researchers headed by a group at UCSF have developed an artificial kidney that works just about as well as the real, biological thing. An artificial hemofilter screens toxins, while bioengineered renal tube cells provide other vital functions of a healthy kidney. Your blood pressure keeps the whole thing running without needing batteries or a pump. Besides not being susceptible to kidney stones, the artificial kidney will help save billions of dollars and thousands of lives for people who depend on dialysis.
The researchers already have a proven, working prototype… Problem is, it’s currently the size of a small room, which makes it a bit of a challenge to implant in most people. Using currently existing technology, however, the device should be able to shrink down to about the size of a coffee cup, and clinical trials should start in 5-7 years.
