Although one working
kidney is adequate to sustain life, the failure of both
kidneys’ prevents the body from filtering
chemicals and cleansing
blood of
waste material. Since
kidney failure has no cure, certain
treatments are required to help the
body function without the aid of this
organ. The most effective treatment option is
dialysis, the
filtering of
blood. In all but a few exceptions, all individuals with ESRD are obligated to permanently recurring
dialysis in order to sustain life.
There are two main types of dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis uses the natural lining around the abdomen to clean blood. Hemodialysis is a process whereby blood is externally cleansed through manmade filters attached to a machine. About 70 percent of the time, hemodialysis is preferred At this time, there are nearly 300,000 individuals in the United States receiving hemodialysis treatment.
Although hemodialysis can be effective and safe, its effectiveness has been hindered by mounting financial and technical obstacles. In order to receive hemodialysis, access to the vascular system is required. Typically, this access is accomplished by using grafts, fistulas, or catheters. Unfortunately, however, all three of these methods of access have proven to be slow, unreliable, and often unpredictable. For example, according to the 2000 Year Book of Vascular Medicine, nearly 35% of implanted fistulas develop complications after less than three years and require modification or replacement. Moreover, current experience indicates that 60% of grafts fail each year due to clotting.
This is a portion of a business plan I wrote for a company I started. We manufacture devices that aid those that are on hemodialysis treatment.