Researchers are developing wearable artificial kidney technologies designed to provide more continuous and portable dialysis for patients with kidney failure.

Researchers are continuing to develop wearable artificial kidney technology that could eventually provide patients with kidney failure a more portable alternative to conventional dialysis.

Millions of people worldwide depend on dialysis when their kidneys can no longer adequately remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood. Conventional hemodialysis is generally performed several times a week and requires patients to remain connected to a dialysis machine for several hours during each session.

A wearable artificial kidney is designed to make renal replacement therapy more portable. Depending on the technology, such systems can use filtration membranes, sorbent materials and other components to remove waste products and excess fluid while allowing patients to remain mobile during treatment.

One of the major milestones in the field came from a U.S. human trial of a wearable artificial kidney involving seven patients. The study demonstrated that the device could provide continuous dialysis for up to 24 hours while patients remained ambulatory. However, technical problems were also identified during the trial, highlighting the challenges involved in developing a reliable wearable system.

Research has continued since then, with scientists working to reduce device size and weight while improving filtration, fluid management and toxin removal. In 2026, researchers reported a new dialysate-free wearable artificial kidney prototype that uses a combination of water removal and adsorption technologies. The system demonstrated kidney replacement functions in animal testing, but it remains at the research and development stage and is not yet an approved routine treatment for patients.

Another approach is wearable peritoneal dialysis. The Automated Wearable Artificial Kidney (AWAK) system received Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019. Its development has focused on allowing peritoneal dialysis to be performed using a portable system rather than relying entirely on conventional stationary equipment.

The technology is intended to address some of the limitations associated with traditional dialysis, including the time patients spend connected to treatment equipment. Continuous or more frequent waste removal could also provide a different treatment pattern compared with intermittent dialysis.

However, wearable artificial kidneys are still undergoing technological development, clinical evaluation and regulatory review. Researchers must demonstrate that the devices can operate safely and reliably for extended periods before they can become widely available.

If future clinical trials confirm their safety and effectiveness, wearable artificial kidneys could give some dialysis patients greater flexibility and mobility in their daily lives. For now, the technology remains an emerging area of kidney-care research rather than a commercially established replacement for conventional dialysis.