Project description and overview:

This project seeks to manufacture and validate an award-winning inexpensive portable peritoneal dialysis system suitable for developing countries where there is a significant unmet need for affordable home-based dialysis.

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) has steadily grown in acceptance as the recommended first response treatment for kidney failure by the global peak body. However, widespread use of PD in the developing world is limited by the absence or only partial reimbursement/subsidy for dialysis costs.

This has an impact on the affordability of PD fluid bags and dialysis equipment for patients and their families. There are also limitations on movement and space to store bulk fluid bag supplies at patient homes. The cost of PD fluid bags is driven by the cost of manufacture and transport of bulk sterilised medical grade PD fluid bags to patients’ homes, often in remote locations. If the cost of manufacture and transport of PD fluid can be significantly reduced, PD solutions will be more accessible to more patients in the developing world.

The EMD PD device fits into a small domestic carry-on case and comprises 3 components:

• A portable efficient miniature distiller that heats and sterilises water for medical grade use
• A sterile manufactured ready-for-use (dry) PD bag
• A no touch “Care Station” that facilitates the clean filling of the bag and making
  patient connections with reduced risk of infection.

EMD has developed a breakthrough CAPD type PD system to provide access to life-saving dialysis treatment for the first time by providing access to sterilised water at point of care and radically reducing the cost of PD bags by removing the need for central manufacture and long distance transport of PD fluids.