New technology improves the quality of life of patients with chronic and acute renal failure while reducing the workload of medical professionals

Tokyo-based Toray Industries Inc. received this year’s prestigious industry Ichimura Award for Outstanding Achievement for the development of an artificial kidney made from an antithrombogenic polymer.

Toray said he relied on his basic nanotechnology and computational chemistry skills to create an artificial kidney from a polysulfone membrane that improves antithrombogenic performance in line with advances in dialysis treatment.

The new technology, the company explained, helps improve the quality of life of patients with chronic and acute renal failure while reducing the workload of medical professionals.

The Ichimura Award in Industry for Outstanding Achievement is given to developers or groups who have contributed to progress in industrial fields through Japanese technology. The foundation also awards grants for research and development in science and technology projects.

How does the antithrombogenic polymer work?

Artificial kidneys remove waste products from the blood of kidney patients. Dialyzers incorporate polysulfone blended with hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone for antithrombogenic properties.

In order to improve its performance, Toray applied a proprietary hypothesis focused on how adsorbed water interacts with polymers using computational chemistry in the polymer design process. The research led to the discovery of a new antithrombogenic polymer that can suppress platelet adhesion better than polyvinylpyrrolidone. Toray went on to develop and commercialize artificial kidneys for acute and chronic renal failure based on this technology.

This technology has been applied to a number of products that improve patient quality of life and clinical efficiency, including the Toraylight NV hemodialyzer, Toraylight HDF and Toraysulfone NV hemodialysis filters, and HEMOFEEL SNV, which provides gentle and continuous hemofiltration. .