Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Artificial Kidney Prototype To Be Implantable
An artificial kidney prototype has been developed at the University of California San Francisco; the intent is to use a combination of tissue engineering and MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology to create a device that could actually be implanted within the body.
(Artificial kidney diagram)
The device, which would include thousands of microscopic filters as well as a bioreactor to mimic the metabolic and water-balancing roles of a real kidney, is being developed in a collaborative effort by engineers, biologists and physicians nationwide, led by Shuvo Roy in the UCSF Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. The treatment has been proven to work for the sickest patients using a room-sized external model developed by a team member in Michigan. Roy's goal is to apply silicon fabrication technology, along with specially engineered compartments for live kidney cells, to shrink that large-scale technology into a device the size of a coffee cup. The device would then be implanted in the body without the need for immune suppressant medications, allowing the patient to live a more normal life...The team has established the feasibility of an implantable model in animal models and plans to be ready for clinical trials in five to seven years...
The two-stage system uses a hemofilter to remove toxins from the blood, while applying recent advances in tissue engineering to grow renal tubule cells to provide other biological functions of a healthy kidney. The process relies on the body's blood pressure to perform filtration without needing pumps or an electrical power supply.
Philip K. Dick made use of the idea of wholly mechanical artificial organs in his 1964 novel Cantata 140:
George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs..."...if they keep after me, or if they won't make a deal regarding artif-org construction - then it'll be necessary to do something.
(Read more about Philip K. Dick's artif-orgs)
In his 1969 masterpiece Ubik, Dick removed the dash and called them artiforgs. Via MedGadget.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 9/3/2010)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Medical ")
Artificial, Implantable Kidney Prototype
'George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs...' - Philip K. Dick, 1964.
Ultra-short Pulse Laser Kills Bacteria In Vivo
'...coherent beams at precise wave-lengths passing through her flesh to zap foreign molecules within her body.' - Robert J. Sawyer, 2003.
Bioprint Prototype Handheld Bioprinter
'He turned the little art-derm nozzle...' - Philip K. Dick, 1960.
Altos Labs' Bezos Wants An Anti-Agathic (To Live Forever)
'So what we're looking for now is... an anti-agathic, an anti-death drug.' - James Blish, 1957.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Star Trek Voyager Replica Tricorder And Galaxy Quest
'They designed those controls after watching you...take her out!'
Rolls Royce Electric Airplane Breaks Records
'A white electric plane approached at great speed...'
Chang'e-5 Lunar Lander Seeks Water
'... get out the solar power apparatus and send it down to us from the air-lock by the crane.'
I Really Want A Folding Computer
'...A paper thin polycarbon screen unfurled.'
A Kill Switch For Your Car?
'The car faltered as the external command came to brake...'
Scientifiction, Searchlight of Science
'And science goes on, with scientifiction as its searchlight.'
Wearable Biomedical Sensors Printed Directly On Your Skin
'The dragon is a skin computer... People put it on their arms and exchange personal data.'
Artificial, Implantable Kidney Prototype
'George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs...'
Ultra-short Pulse Laser Kills Bacteria In Vivo
'...coherent beams at precise wave-lengths passing through her flesh to zap foreign molecules within her body.'
Bioprint Prototype Handheld Bioprinter
'He turned the little art-derm nozzle...'
Betty Crocker, The First Company Avatar
'After six months of surgery and psycho-conditioning, he was identical with the other 496 Mr. Prestos...'
Augmented Reality Book Covers Reveal The Inner Book
'The E-paper holograms leaped from lurid covers...'
The First Multi-User Hologram Table?
Let the Wookiee win.
Apollo 8 Astronauts Pass The Equigravisphere
'... divers other objects, firearms and bottles, abandoned to themselves, held themselves up as by enchantment.'
Stellar Pizza Is A Pizza Robot That Comes To You
'No hand touched the food...'
Yamaha MOTOROiD Living Motorcycle Experiment
'He had never ridden any motorized device that lacked onboard steering and balance systems.'
