Home Dialysis Machine to Use HP Inkjet Technology

PALO ALTO, Calif.–On Thursday, Hewlett Packard announced a
licensing agreement that allows Home Dialysis Plus to use
applications from HP’s inkjet printers in a new home dialysis
device.

HD+ plans to use HP’s patented technology to develop a portable
system that allows patients to get the benefits of nocturnal
dialysis in the home. The new machine should be available by the
end of 2010, the manufacturer said.

The inkjet technology will be used within the dialysis machine’s
proportioning system to mix the correct amount of water and
concentrated dialysate (a salt and electrolyte solution) in real
time, and pump the dialysis solution into the dialyzer. The HP
technology was originally developed to mix and apply different
colored inks.

Mixing the solution in real time helps to filter toxins over a
longer period, HD+ explained. In addition, HP’s smart memory
chip technology will be used to ensure the correct dialysate
prescription is being delivered consistently so dialysis can take
place while the patient is sleeping.

“With an increasing emphasis on home health care as a more
cost-effective and efficient alternative, the new home dialysis
machine will be a true breakthrough,” said HD+ CEO Michael
Baker. “HP technology is critical to creating a unique
patient experience that will offer ease of use and improved patient
outcomes and life expectancy.”

HD+ said its new device will offer a slower and more accurate
dialysis treatment, which used overnight, is more in tune with the
body’s natural biological processes versus visits to a
dialysis center three times a week. It should also
“dramatically reduce” a patient’s post-treatment
recovery time from hours to minutes.

In addition, the technology is expected to offer a smaller and
easier-to-use option for portable dialysis at any location with
access to a water source, making it easier and cheaper to train
patients on how to perform their treatments at home, HD+ said. The
company expects the cost of its new system to be lower than the
cost of shipping prepackaged dialysate solutions.

Based in Portland, Ore., HD+ focuses on home treatment options for
patients with end-stage renal disease.