The Wearable Artificial Kidney - closer than you can ever imagine

When I first heard about the Wearable Artificial Kidney (WAK) by Dr. Victor Gura of Cedars Sinai-UCLA, I was a little skeptical. I thought it was good but it would be out in the market long after I was gone! These kinds of revolutionary treatments or devices usually take decades, if not more, to reach the common man, especially in countries like India.

For those who are not aware of what the WAK actually is, let me give you a small introduction. Dialysis machines currently are bigger than a typical washing machine. My machine is about 5 feet in height and about a foot and a half square. For my treatments, I need about 300 liters of pure water - water that has been treated by a Reverse Osmosis process. The water purification machine is also fairly large and I need a special storage tank to store the treated water. You can imagine how big the whole setup is. Not portable by any means.

A few years back, a machine called the NxStage System One was released. This was a true game changer. It reduced the size of the dialysis machine to about the size of a multi-function printer. It was also designed to be very easy to use so that patients could actually use it at home. This machine gave a lot of freedom to patients. They could now dialyze at home, they could travel with ease.

Bill Peckham with the NxStage System One

The WAK takes miniaturization to a whole new level. It can actually be worn around your waist like a belt. It is completely portable and does not require a water treatment plant. The power requirements have also been reduced to such an extent that the machine can run on batteries! 

The WAK received a huge boost when the FDA (authority in the US that must approve any new treatment or medication) included it in the Accelerated Development Pathway program which meant that the device would not need decades before it came to market!

I recently interacted with the man himself! Dr. Victor Gura and his company Blood Purification Technologies are now on Facebook! I sent him a message asking him about the time he estimates this device to reach active production and about his plans for countries such as India. He responded saying it should take 2-3 years and that they would try their best to ensure that the device becomes available in as many places as possible!

The trick will be to avoid being gobbled up by the companies for whom this device will not make sense. The money power of large corporations for whom profits are more important that saving lives is a real danger in the development of this device. More than the technological ability to develop this device, Dr. Gura will need some extraordinary management and strategy skills to help him ensure that the device reaches the intended beneficiary - the patient.