The Artificial Kidney: Physiological Modeling and Tissue Engineering (Tissue Engineering Intelligence Unit 3)

Fundamental engineering principles are essential to consider when designing and developing artificial organs, especially the artificial kidney. Early contributors to the development of the artificial kidney were primarily chemical and electrical engineers who developed improved hemodialysis membranes, methods for producing large quantities of dialysis solutions and easy to use machines or dialysis delivery systems. Efforts along these lines continue today to improve hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis therapies.

Recent engineering efforts to improve artificial kidney therapies have focussed on developing a better understanding of the effect of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis on patient physiology or pathophysiology and to develop improved treatments using recent advances in tissue, cellular and genetic engineering. Investigators active in these areas have contributed authoritative chapters to this book.

The focus of this book was to provide bioengineers and other interested researchers with comprehensive reviews of active research related to the artificial kidney. Each chapter begins from first principles and develops the topic to include the most recent research. The chapter authors are experts in their respective fields. This approach will permit both the student and the expert to gain a thorough understanding of the research area.