How Does a Dialysis Machine Work?

In haemodialysis, blood is drawn from the patient through an arteriovenous fistula or catheter and pumped into a dialyser — often called an artificial kidney. Inside, blood flows on one side of a semipermeable membrane while a special dialysate solution flows on the other. Waste products like urea and creatinine diffuse across the membrane into the dialysate, while essential substances remain in the blood. A typical session lasts about four hours and is needed three times per week. Over 3.4 million people worldwide rely on dialysis, and modern machines filter roughly 300 mL of blood per minute.