Mumbai: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) have achieved a milestone in developing a special membrane that cuts the cost and time required in dialysis procedure by almost 50 per cent.
The process of dialysis which involves artificially removing excess water and waste from blood in a patient suffering chronic kidney failure is very costly and painful.
The treatment is often, according to a study conducted by AIIMS, very costlier and thus around 90 per cent kidney related patients in India die within months because of lack of proper treatment.
The product has completed laboratory tests and awaits pre-clinical trials.
Researchers at the Chemical Engineering Department at the IIT-B said that they are expecting that their product will be available in market in the next three years.
According to Jayesh Bellare, who is leading the IIT-B team, the hollow-fiber membrane provides faster, efficient dialysis with less side affects at low cost.
The newly discovered membrane is a key component of the filter and removes impurities from the blood during the dialysis process.
Experts say that filter developed in India will indeed help decrease the cost and more people will be able to afford it.
Scientists involved in the discovery claimed that they have formulated a special material which improves performance and permitting faster treatment.
They also claimed that the membrane shows superior biocompatibility.
Each dialysis session lasts two-three hours and a patient requires the treatment two-three times in a week.
Annually two lakh people in India develop advanced kidney failure. A recent study stated that the number of Indians with diabetes is predicted to reach 101 million by 2030. Diabetics are at particular risk of developing kidney failure.
