Medtronic

Medtronic —the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies — wanted to set out to create a compact, portable kidney dialysis machine for use in a wide variety of care settings, including those that lack the infrastructure needed for traditional dialysis.

Drivers

Chronic kidney disease affects more than 700 million people worldwide, and millions die each year from lack of treatment. Developing countries in particular lack suitable treatment options outside of major cities. Ready access to the treatment due to portability of the device, with an easy user interface was a widely felt need.

Solution

Kablooe helped Medtronic design and prototype a device that weighs about 50 pounds and is the size of a large suitcase, making it roughly 10 times smaller and lighter than conventional dialysis machines. It is designed to only use approximately 20 liters of potable water per treatment, which is 75 percent less than current systems. The machine is designed to be affordable and expand patient access in more parts of the world.

Outcomes

In China, this device was granted priority status in 2017 under the innovative device pathway, also known as the Green Channel. Medtronic also intends to seek regulatory approval in other regions of the world, and was honored to be recognized by The USPTO 2018’s #Patents4Humanity award for creating this portable compact kidney dialysis machine with the potential for use in areas lacking the infrastructure required for traditional dialysis.