Imagine a tiny, high-tech filter and a biological cleaning station built into a chip that can be implanted in the body. Instead of spending hours hooked to a large machine in a clinic, this device mimics how a real kidney filters blood and removes waste. It uses special silicon membranes and living cells to do the work automatically inside the patient.
End-stage kidney disease patients rely on expensive, restrictive, and burdensome intramural dialysis. Current therapies lack the physiological efficiency of a real kidney and often require immunosuppressive drugs.
A modular system comprising ultra-high flux silicon filters with 20 nm pores, hemocompatible polymer coatings, and a bioreactor for kidney tubule cells with integrity monitoring.
If you are a device manufacturer dealing with the limitations of bulky external dialysis machines — this project developed a compact, manufacturable architecture for an implantable hemodialyzer that allows for more continuous and patient-friendly therapy.
If you are a biotech firm dealing with the difficulty of maintaining cell viability in implants — this project developed a bioimpedance-based monitoring system and growth-factor repair functionality for kidney tubule cell monolayers.
If you are a membrane producer dealing with low-flux filtration limits — this project developed nanoporous silicon membranes with uniform 20 nm pores at a 200 mm wafer level to achieve ultra-high flux.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the objective states the technology aims to provide kidney replacement therapy at reduced costs compared to current dialysis.
The project has demonstrated the ability to produce uniform 20 nm pores at a 200 mm wafer level, indicating a path toward scalable semiconductor-style manufacturing.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, but the project involves a consortium of 7 partners including 2 SMEs and 2 universities.
The project is designing a multichip system where biohybrid filter and tubule exchange units are stacked in parallel for implantation, with initial demonstrations planned in goats.
The project runs from 2023-05-01 to 2027-04-30, with the summary noting that further work is needed to complete regulatory and clinical pathways.
The consortium is well-balanced for a deep-tech medical project, consisting of 7 partners across 5 countries. With an industry ratio of 29% (including 2 SMEs), the project bridges the gap between academic research (2 universities, 3 research institutes) and commercial viability, specifically leveraging high-end chip technology from Imec and membrane expertise from Me-Sep.
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