The Development and First Clinical Use of Semipermeable Microcapsules (Artificial Cells) as a Compact Artificial Kidney

Abstract

Guest Editor's Introduction: Activated charcoal has a microporous structure and a large surface area that nonspecifically adsorbs the substances in the molecular weight range of 100–5,000, including hepatoxins, uremic toxins and drugs. The success of the first clinical trial for the treatment of chronic renal failure with an activated charcoal column was carried out by Yatidis in 1964, but the clinical application for the charcoal column has not been possible. This is because the charcoal presented major problems such as the release of microparticles and platelet activation. Chang solved these problems by developing the activated charcoal which was microcapsulated by biocompatible materials. Since then, many kinds of activated charcoal columns have been commercialized for blood purification use and are still widely utilized. This paper which describes the first clinical use of microcapsulated charcoal was printed in Trans Am Soc Artif Intern Organs, vol 16, page 141–148 (1970) and is reprinted here with permission.