University of Saskatchewan Website

A professor at the University of Saskatchewan is developing a new and improved membrane to be used in dialysis machines.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, the number of people facing kidney failure has climbed 35 per cent since 2009. With this in mind, Dr. Amira Abdelrasoul says she has created a membrane that will minimize complications and improve patient health.

Current dialysis membranes, that are used to filter the toxins, salts, and excess fluids from patients’ blood, contain heparin, a medicine that reduces blood clots. These membranes can also cause severe side effects because of their intense negative charge. These include effects such as blood poisoning, anemia, heart conditions and infections. Abdelrasoul was able to create a membrane that contained heparin, as well as a neutralized surface.

She adds that in order to view the membrane during this project, she utilized the Canadian Light Source on the USask campus. The CLS allowed her and her team to see inside each layer of the membrane, streamlining analyzation and development.

Moving forward, she says further testing and adaptations will be made in order to ensure the membrane works with all blood types.