Speaker
Description
Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are progressively increasing and the demand for renal replacement therapies is expanding [1]. Transplantation is the most effective option, but it is limited by the scarcity of organs thus making in-center hemodialysis (HD) the most reliable form of therapy. The crucial role of HD dosage in critically ill patients suffering from ESRD is well established. Studies show that higher frequency HD not only increases the quality of life of ESRD patients but also lowers morbidity and mortality rates [2]. Novel microdevices designed to perform continuously will result in a smoother correction of uremic abnormalities and offer greater mobility for ESRD patients.
Early development of a portable artificial kidney (PAK) for the treatment of ESRD is envisioned based on a novel blood purification device that integrates membrane technology in a microfluidic system – the microfluidic membrane device (MFMD).
Medical applications for 3D printing are expanding rapidly and are expected to revolutionize health care [3]. Actual and potential applications include tissue and organ fabrication, customized prosthetics, anatomical models, implantable and extracorporeal artificial organs [4]. This work focuses on the design and fabrication of membrane housings with well-defined microfluidic flow channels using 3D printing technology.
The device was designed using Onshape®, a 3D CAD (computer-aided design) software, and fabricated using a 3D printer (Ultimaker2+, Netherlands), using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The device was connected to an in-house built experimental system that simulates the extracorporeal blood circulation circuit found in HD machines and is capable of measuring very low pressure variations (< 1 mmHg) under dynamic conditions.
In order to characterize the membrane housings in terms of channel height, residency time, total volume and shear stresses at the wall of the device, experiments using pure DI water were performed by placing a non-permeable polyester transparency film in the place to be occupied by the HD membranes in the future (like shown in Figure 1).
Results show that both channels were approximately 100 μm in height and that flow rates between 14 and 60 mL/min impose shear stresses between 6.3 and 27.8 Pa.
