STTR Phase I: Development of Ultrathin Nanomembranes for Home-based Hemodialysis

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project relates to the treatment of end-stage renal disease, a significant health burden in the US. Trends are moving toward patient-managed, in-home treatments. The goal of this proposal is to accelerate adoption of safer home hemodialysis therapy through development of prototype dialysis systems. Despite the recognized economic, health and quality-of-life benefits of more frequent hemodialysis treatments, adoption of home hemodialysis using present systems is being limited by doctors? and patients? safety concerns. Simpler and safer hemodialysis therapies will require breakthroughs in both device components and form-factors. The development of a small-scale, highly efficient dialysis system enabled by silicon nanomembranes holds potential for increasing adoption of home dialysis and its related benefits for the 430,000 individuals affected by end-stage renal disease in the US. The proposed project concerns the scale up of silicon nanomembranes, which offer extraordinary and unparalleled permeability, enabling small-scale hemodialysis. This project focuses on the optimization of membrane ?liftoff?methods which enable the release of large areas of silicon nanomembranes from silicon wafer supports on which they are produced, thereby simultaneously increasing active membrane area and reducing production cost. Fluidic housings will be developed for these membranes appropriate for blood volumes for large animal (Pig/sheep) and human scales. Bench-top validation will be conducted to measure toxin clearance and ultrafiltration in the prototype system.