Redesign Dialysis Phase 1

Redesign Dialysis Phase 1

KidneyX's inaugural prize competition, Redesign Dialysis, asks innovators to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation dialysis products. Redesign Dialysis is a two phase prize: Phase 1 asks participants to design possible solutions or solution components that can replicate normal kidney functions and improve patient quality of life. For Phase 1, we're awarding up to 15 prizes of $75,000 each. Phase 2 (planned to open in late April 2019) will ask participants to develop and demonstrate prototype solutions. Phase 2 will have up to three awards of $500,000 each. You can participate in Phase II even if you didn't participate in Phase 1.

In Phase 1, we sought designs of solutions that will address at least one of the following areas:

• Replicating Kidney Functions (Blood Filtration, Electrolyte Homeostasis, Fluid Regulation, Toxin Removal and Secretion, and/or Filtrate Drainage and Connectivity)
• Improving Patient Quality of Life (e.g., minimizing burden on the family and care partner(s), reducing disease and treatment complications, increasing mobility and physical activity)
• Improved renal replacement therapy access (vascular or peritoneal access)
• Addressing engineering challenges (e.g., preventing clotting, bleeding, and infection in vascular circuit and associated devices)
• Ancillary technologies
• Biomaterials development
• Biological and Immunological modulation
• Biosensor development and other safety monitoring functions

For more specifics about current technical and scientific needs in the field, you can review Section F on the prize announcement or the Kidney Health Initiative's Technology Roadmap for Innovative Approaches to Renal Replacement Therapy.

Winning Solutions

Finalists

The following solutions were selected as the Finalists for KidneyX Redesign Dialysis Phase 1 and announced at the Inaugural KidneyX Summit, on April 29-30, 2019:

• An Air Removal System For a Wearable Renal Therapy Device
• A Non-Invasive, Wearable Telehealth Device To Detect Thrombosis And Monitor Vascular Access Health Of Arteriovenous Fistulas And Grafts In Hemodialysis Patients
• Atomically Precise Membranes (APM) for High-Flux and Selective Removal of Blood Toxins
• Building New Kidneys
• Development of a Dialysate-and Cell-Free Renal Replacement Technology
• Development of an Automated Multimodal Sensor to Improve Patient Outcomes in Hemodialysis
• Digitally-delivered Behavior Change Program To Help Patients Delay Dialysis
• Displacer-Enhanced Hemodialysis: Improving The Intradialytic Removal Of Protein-Bound Uremic Toxins Using Binding Competitors
• Drug-Eluting Electrospun Hemodialysis Graft
• Fluo Medical Fistula Monitoring Device
• Intracorporeal Hemodialysis System
• Nitric Oxide-Eluting, Disposable Hemodialysis Catheter Insert to Prevent Infection and Thrombosis
• Smart Sensor-enhanced Needle Guide Reduces Pain and Cost in Clinic
• The Ambulatory Kidney to Improve Vitality (AKTIV)
• Utilizing Optical Interrogation Methods for Early Diagnosis of Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Honorable Mentions

The following proposed solutions were selected as Honorable Mentions for KidneyX Redesign Dialysis Phase I:

• An Electrospun Fistula Cuff To Treat High Flow Access (HFA) Issues
• Continuous Implantable Peritoneal Ultrafiltration Device for Inter-treatment Volume Control in Hemodialysis Treated Patients
• Development, Characterization and Functional Assessment of Mobile & Modular Microfluidic Dialysis Device Delivery (M3D3 Unit) Artificial Kidney
• Intelligent AV Grafts for Predicting Stenosis and Avoiding Thromboses
• Novaflux Outside-In Filtration (OIF)
• Novel Omniphobic Coating To Reduce Hemodialysis Catheter Related Infections And Thrombosis
• Preventing Microbubble Complications in Hemodialysis Patients
• Redesigning Catheter Vascular Access for Dialysis: Metagenomic DNA Sequencing to Characterize Microbial Communities in Dialysis Catheter Biofilms for Inhibitor Discovery and Materials Engineering

Submitted Abstracts from Applicants

All applicants for KidneyX Redesign Dialysis Phase I were asked to share an abstract providing an overview of their proposed solution. To view a bundle of the abstracts that we received, please click here.