The main goal of the project is to create a combined lung and kidney support device that can be connected to umbilical vessels, offering a less invasive approach compared to current therapies.
Despite significant technological and medical advancements, approximately 2 million newborns worldwide still succumb to various medical conditions each year, with many suffering from fatal lung failure, sometimes accompanied by kidney failure. A major contributing factor to these deaths is the limitations associated with the use of invasive mechanical ventilators, artificial lungs, and kidneys. While these technologies were originally designed for adults and subsequently adapted for neonatal care, they do not adequately meet the specific needs of newborns due to their highly invasive nature.
These intensive treatments often separate infants from their families for extended periods and frequently fail to prevent fatal outcomes. Moreover, approximately 15 percent of children (3,000 out of 20,000 worldwide) who receive organ replacements experience severe side effects, requiring lifelong hospitalizations and preventing them from living independently.
Furthermore, access to these therapies is limited, as procedures like artificial lung transplantation have strict inclusion criteria and demand highly skilled medical personnel in well-equipped hospitals. Currently, this level of care is only accessible to approximately 20,000 newborns worldwide each year.
