Filtration technologies for bridge dialysis in austere medicine

Hyperkalemia is a leading cause of death in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), especially in combat situations. An extremely high mortality rate was recorded during both World War II and the Korean War. Renal replacement therapy remains the standard of care for the treatment of hyperkalemia but may not be available in austere environments or when field care and evacuation time are prolonged.Delays in treatment of our warfighters with combat kidney injuries may cause severe hyperkalemia, potentially leading to casualties. To mitigate this challenge, field-deployable Bridge Dialysis equipment is urgently needed to control hyperkalemia on the battlefield and during transport to significantly improve survival of warfighters with AKI. Nano Terra proposes to develop a filtration system using efficient filtration media having both high potassium binding capacity and selectivity. Our bio-inert surface technology will ensure the new filtration media does not cause any adverse effects on platelet health and blood chemistry. The media will be packaged in appropriate form factors and delivered using current dialysis technologies, including intra-abdominal mesh packing, extracorporeal filtration canister, and wound vacuum systems for temporary closure of the abdomen, and will be portable, easy to use, and require a minimal resource footprint.