Dialysis on the go for patients waiting transplants

An international team, led by Singapore-based firm AWAK Technologies, which has developed the device, says the shoulder bag contains a mini version of the bulky equipment normally used to carry out the job of diseased kidneys.

The new kit could mean patients can go shopping, take a walk or even go abroad instead of spending hours hooked up in a hospital ward, say the scientists.

A trial is already under way at the University Children`s Hospital in Tubingen, Germany, the `Sunday Express` reported.

Team leader Professor Rupert Handgretinger hailed it as "a major breakthrough". "The children can continue a normal life with their families," he said.

In fact, the scientists made the revolutionary advance by squeezing its dialysis kit into a laptop-sized bag. A sterile sugar and mineral solution is pumped through a tube from the bag to the abdomen and, crucially, the kit needs just a litre of fluid which can be recycled for six months.

Timothy Statham, chief executive of the National Kidney Federation, said the news was "exciting" for patients needing dialysis. He added: "This could improve the quality of life
for many."