Dr. Patzer's research interests lie in the application of reaction engineering and transport phenomena to biomedical engineering problems, particularly in the artificial organ and organ assist arena. The close proximity of the School of Medicine to the School of Engineering, coupled with the Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, provides a unique opportunity for interactions between engineers, medical researchers, and physicians on vital problems in the development and delivery of health care. Hemodialysis involves the countercurrent transmembrane exchange of metabolites from the blood to a physiologic fluid called dialysate.
Conventional systems use large quantities of dialysate in a single pass to effect the exchange.
A portable system, however, requires recycle of a small quantity of dialysate. As such, waste metabolites exchanged from the blood into the dialysate must be removed in order to maintain the dialysis flux driving force. The accompanying figure illustrates the electrochemical regeneration concept. Patient dialysis cost associated with a truly portable system is about half that for treatment at a dialysis center. More importantly, portable dialysis offers a rehabilitation opportunity which can return ESRD patients to an independent and self-directed lifestyle.