Renal disease is a chronic illness which can put a significant physical, psychological and practical burden on patients and this makes it an area where D4D can make a real difference to people’s lives. The development of systems, devices and services to assist renal patients' independence and help achieve better outcomes is the key aim of the D4D Renal Technology theme.

Approximately 50,000 people in the UK have kidneys that have failed. Only around half of these people have a working kidney transplant, whilst the rest rely on regular treatment with either haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

The majority of haemodialysis patients have to attend hospital for a four hour treatment three times every week. Including travelling time to and from hospital, and the time taken for a nurse to connect and disconnect a patient from the machine, a single treatment session can take seven hours or more.

Treatment often leaves patients feeling too washed out to function normally for the rest of the day. Lack of activity and the restricted renal diet can lead to muscle loss, which can affect independence. It can also have an impact on a patient's ability to lose weight, which may prevent the patient being eligible for a kidney transplant.

We're approaching these challenges in several ways.

To find out more read more about our projects.