Ultrathin silicon membranes for wearable dialysis.

A wearable artificial kidney will need a membrane efficient enough to remove a lot of toxins in a small device. This article explains the technical details of porous nanocrystalline silicon made into chips. Pore size can be controlled to keep albumin in but let middle molecules out, like a healthy kidney. Special coatings that repel water keep proteins from adhering to the membrane.

Read the abstract » | (added 12-10-2013)