Wearable artificial kidney technology for toxin removal: The need, opportunities, and challenges in incorporating advanced materials

Since the advent of the first "Artificial Kidney" device in the last century, blood dialysis/purification technologies epitomized by the "Artificial Kidney" have saved millions of patients with kidney diseases. Despite significant advancements in the "engineering" aspects of this technology/device, it has not kept pace with the rapidly growing demand from patients, especially regarding aspirations for portability/wearability, sustainability, and low cost. This review will bridge the fields of "materials science" and "nephrology" elucidating the needs, opportunities, and challenges of integrating advanced materials into artificial kidney technology to achieve the core function of "toxin removal". Summarizing different toxin removal approaches can aid in personalized treatment for uremic patients through carefully designed "combination strategies" This interdisciplinary perspective will also facilitate future researchers and community groups entering this field in overcoming understanding barriers across various disciplines.