A dialysis machine is available for patients with HIV. HIV is the virus that infects the blood causing the degenerative and fatal AIDS condition. The machine, called a hemopurifier, works similar to a dialysis machine by drawing blood from patients, removing the virus, and returning the blood back to the body. The hemopurifier has a tiny filter that captures HIV in its fibers, similar to other purifiers. Additionally, the machine can be used for other infectious disease microbes as long as the filter’s permeable membrane is setup for the particular virus. The hemopurifier is the future of dialysis for viral infections.
HIV Case Numbers Continue to Grow
There are an estimated 14,000 new cases of HIV infections every year. For victims who have low economic status, the disease can turn into AIDS after several years. The hemopurifier gives patients a way to clean the blood, increasing their chance for a longer lifespan and making them feel more healthy.
The hemopurifier emulates the function of the immune system. The filtration system has a permeable membrane that allows blood cells to run through. Within the filter, antibodies specific to HIV grab on to the virus, catching it on the filter and allowing clean blood to pass through. The cleaned blood helps patients feel more energetic, healthy, and lowers the circulating viral particles that destroy T cells.
The process takes only a few hours for each doctor visit. Although the focus is to help patients with HIV, the hemopurifier can also help with virus infections in people with hepatitis, measles, mumps, and the flu. The scientists also devised a schematic for large machines for hospitals as well as small, portable devices. It is capable of emergency situations where virus infections kill people within days such as ebola or bioterrorism attacks.
Removing HIV from the Blood
The importance of removing HIV from the blood is seen as patients have improved health after treatment. Dialysis machines are used for cleaning blood, and as viruses are removed, T cells and other immune cells are able to grow and proliferate to fight off opportunistic diseases. HIV attacks immune cells, inhibiting the body’s ability to fight off even simple microbes that don’t normally cause disease.
Because bioterrorism has become more prevalent and worrisome for government organizations, the dialysis machine can save lives by cleaning the blood before death. While scientists continue to study HIV, the hemopurifier helps improve the quality of life for those infected.
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