Sunday, February 18, 2024

Ongoing product development crowdsourced project: Hemodialyser jugadoo toothbrush with microlumen fluidic bristles

Project goal : Product development by repurposing hemodialyser filters into toothbrushes with microfluidic cleaning and flossing potential 


Problem statement in a serendipitous ideation context :




The idea appeared while our Dental post graduate colleague was onto scaling spring cleaning my teeth when I asked what exactly does that equipment do to which she replied it just sends a jet of water that spring cleans to which I suddenly thought why can't we use our hemodialyser fibers to create a tooth brush with bristles where water flows through each bristle! I then showed her and her Professor how our hemodialyser fibers looked like. It was unbelievable that the hair like fibers actually had a lumen although I was demonstrating and teaching this to my students for decades, so we further took out the fibers and examined them under a microscope and yes they did have a lumen! 




Our nearest novel tooth cleaning competitor (although our idea is completely different) is in the link below and there are many more most of them cost a bomb:


Project challenges and expected evolution:

Let's first layout the (not challenging) issues :

Finances : Aha here's the real jugadoo part. A single hemodialyser currently  costs around 1000/- max (more https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iit-b-breakthrough-may-cut-dialysis-cost-by-half/articleshow/45225103.cms)
and one can generate 100 jugadoo tooth brushes from the bristles inside a single hemodialyser filter, so roughly 10/- per tooth brush would be the cost price till it evolves. 




Off course before that one needs to figure out the most important part about how to deliver the fluid into each bristle with a microscopic lumen! 

Current design challenges and review of literature requirements :

Water pump for the microfluidic tooth brush : 

A naive view : That simple plastic water gun in holi for each brush would do?! 

Understanding Microfluidics: 

The thorniest technical piece of the puzzle in the question below for which we are crowdsourcing this project :

The fluidic header of the clustered brush bristles:

How does the plasma and RBC enter the microscopically hollow dialyzer capillaries made of polymers? 




Pasting this question itself in google  will reveal a few papers that I have summarized below :

Here's a "paper that summarizes various theoretical approaches describing the transport of fluid and solutes in artificial membranes, bridging physics and biophysics in order to collect different parts of the puzzle and bring light to the complex mechanism of membrane transport. It is aimed at both specialists (dialysis researchers, doctors working in the field of dialysis and blood purification, students of biomedical and life sciences) as well as wider audience with interest in physical processes in biological and polymer membranes: 


Again not helpful from the teeth cleaning perspective so perhaps you can hop skip jump through reading the above paper! 

Now here's a potentially helpful paper linked full text below if when you can get to the part where they talk about efforts to, "develop a microfluidic device that was an interface point between dialyzer miniaturization and an OOC device" although here's where you may feel a pang to switch your jugadoo toothbrush project from making a microfluidic toothbrush to making human organs and their capillaries, essentially walking and talking wet microfluidic Android simulations of biological humans but remember the tooth brush has better monetizing value, just think of the entire population of this world waking up in the morning to use your microfluidic toothbrush with a water gun at a throwaway price that can make you the next trillionaire! You can always use that money to fund your other projects then?  

The one below for the first time comes to answering our question although we are still far from the technical translation of it into a tooth brush (but we got closer):

"DIALYZER HEADER

The dialyzer header is the space between the cap of the external polypropylene casing and the potting compound which holds the capillary fiber bundle and forms a barrier between the blood and dialysate compartments. The composition of the potting compound varies between manufacturers but generally contains polyurethane (polyol and multifunctional isocyanates). To allow blood to flow through the hollow capillary fibers, the ends of the potted bundle are cut, ideally leaving a smooth surface to reduce the risk of subsequent clotting within the header."

Unquote : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sdi.13161

The above is also the header for our potential jugadoo fluidic toothbrush and while we were happy with the 10/- cost price for the micro lumen fluidic bristles, the header is going to add to the costs once we can figure out how best to design the same top in the toothbrush!  



There's another interesting problem statement in the above article :

 "...single use of dialyzers and dialysis equipment can have environmental impact as dialyzers cannot currently be recycled and require land fill disposal." 

Hey our jugadoo toothbrushes are going to help reduce environmental impact by our recycling them as tooth brushes! 

Technical challenges to reuse :

Again quoting from the same article above:

"After the dialysis session, dialyzers are rinsed to remove all blood, although this process is generally automated, it can be done manually."

"Then, the dialyzer is filled with a germicide, usually now peracetic acid rather than formaldehyde, or a combination of hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and acetic acid (Renalin® 100), labeled and stored."

Invitation to crowdsourcing ideas in the whatsapp group linked below  to figure out how to create that fluidic header for the toothbrush top :

https://chat.whatsapp.com/JMz5aZCu3Yy5s1FP08bx8k

Please ask anyone you know who can share their technical inputs to jump in.  

Fluidic toothbrush project UDLCO

[2/18, 10:12 PM] Rakesh Biswas: This is an experiment in trying to see if industry academia crowdsourcing is possible to develop a jugadoo idea to it's natural conclusion! 

More here :


If interested and if you know anyone else who could be interested and may have some tech ideas to offer please use the project group invite link below to brainstorm further:



[2/18, 10:21 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: 'Fluidic header design' in this article-it serves as a model.But have to evaluate safety..

Can we consider 3d printing or injection molding techniques?


And also,microfluidic design where water flows through every bristle and can fit into toothpaste head-gotta look for any materials..


[2/18, 10:38 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Most of the materials are already in the 1000/- Rs hemodialyser. It just needs to be repurposed although repurposing the head is the real challenge that will need some tech design thinking


[2/18, 11:03 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: I've studied about water floss before

[2/18, 11:03 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: but this is new


[2/18, 11:35 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: 1200 INR 



[2/18, 11:44 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Better than normal brushing technique or better than best considered modified bass technique?

Better than gargling/kulli?

About sonic brushes- SonicTeeth works so well because it uses ultrasonic technology. SonicTeeth vibrates at 5,000 times per minute, which moves the toothpaste between the teeth and along the gum line for a deep cleaning that isn’t too rough on the teeth. 


This ultrasonic vibration is another tech where some cost will be involved, along with Microlumen for water flow with pressure control.

My guess is the bristles may not be micro lumen (10 to the power -6, but much wider and only having a little pressure in the water jet, not enough to target plaque/food stuck in corners but only enough to have water pressure similar as kulli/gargle)

All these not a detailed research. Just sharing thoughts and trying to find any useful info.

[2/18, 11:46 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Shall we have to replace the dialyzer to only toothbrush?

Can it be repurposed to anything else which has a brush?

Like say cleaning equipment etc?

[2/18, 11:49 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Or say water filter?

[2/18, 11:49 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Many things possible, clinically useful and marketable may be better.

[2/18, 11:50 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Repurposing hemodialyser filters into water filtration systems can provide an affordable and effective solution for households or communities lacking access to clean water. Here are some DIY steps to repurpose hemodialyser filters into a basic water filtration system:

### Materials Needed:
1. Hemodialyser filters (unused or expired)
2. Plastic or glass containers (for holding filtered water)
3. Activated carbon or charcoal
4. Sand
5. Gravel or small rocks
6. Cotton or fabric (optional, for additional filtration)

### DIY Steps:

#### 1. Prepare the Hemodialyser Filters:
- Obtain unused or expired hemodialyser filters from medical facilities or suppliers. Ensure that the filters are clean and free from contaminants.

#### 2. Design the Filtration System:
- Select a plastic or glass container to serve as the main filtration unit. The container should be large enough to accommodate the hemodialyser filters and filtration media.

#### 3. Construct the Filtration Layers:
- Layer the bottom of the container with small rocks or gravel to act as a coarse filter.
- Place a layer of sand on top of the gravel to further filter out larger particles and sediments.
- Add a layer of activated carbon or charcoal to absorb impurities, odors, and chemicals present in the water.
- Optionally, insert a layer of cotton or fabric on top of the activated carbon to provide additional filtration.

#### 4. Install the Hemodialyser Filters:
- Carefully cut open the hemodialyser filters to access the hollow capillary fibers inside.
- Arrange the fibers vertically or horizontally within the container, ensuring even distribution and maximum surface area exposure.

#### 5. Assemble the Filtration System:
- Secure the hemodialyser filters in place within the container to prevent movement or displacement during filtration.
- Seal any gaps or openings around the edges of the container to maintain a tight seal and prevent bypassing of unfiltered water.

#### 6. Test the Filtration System:
- Pour contaminated water into the top of the filtration system and observe the flow of filtered water into the collection container below.
- Monitor the quality and clarity of the filtered water to assess the effectiveness of the filtration system.

#### 7. Maintenance and Replacement:
- Regularly clean and maintain the filtration system by rinsing the components with clean water and replacing the filtration media as needed.
- Monitor the condition of the hemodialyser filters and replace them periodically to ensure optimal filtration performance.

### Safety Precautions:
- Handle hemodialyser filters and filtration media with care to avoid injury or contamination.
- Use clean and sterile equipment when assembling the filtration system to prevent bacterial or microbial growth.
- Test the filtered water for quality and safety before consumption or use.

By following these DIY steps, individuals or communities can repurpose hemodialyser filters into cost-effective water filtration systems, providing access to clean and safe drinking water for areas facing water scarcity or contamination issues.

[2/18, 11:50 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: 👆🏻AI


[2/18, 11:50 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Certainly! Repurposing hemodialyser filters into other products or devices can explore various applications beyond toothbrushes. Here are a few potential ideas:

1. **Water Filtration Systems**: Hemodialyser filters can be repurposed to create affordable water filtration systems for households or communities without access to clean water. The filters can help remove impurities, contaminants, and pathogens, improving water quality and promoting public health.

2. **Medical Devices**: Hemodialyser filters may find applications in the development of medical devices for blood purification, drug delivery systems, or tissue engineering. These filters can be integrated into innovative solutions for treating kidney disease, managing drug dosages, or regenerating damaged tissues.

3. **Biomedical Research Tools**: Researchers can utilize hemodialyser filters as components in laboratory equipment or experimental setups for studying fluid dynamics, membrane transport phenomena, or cell culture systems. These filters offer a versatile platform for conducting research in various fields of biomedical science and engineering.

4. **Environmental Remediation Technologies**: Hemodialyser filters can be adapted for environmental remediation purposes, such as wastewater treatment, air purification, or soil remediation. The filters can help remove pollutants, toxins, and contaminants from different environmental matrices, contributing to sustainability and ecosystem health.

5. **Educational Demonstrations**: Hemodialyser filters can serve as educational tools for teaching concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Schools, colleges, and educational institutions can use these filters to demonstrate principles of filtration, osmosis, diffusion, and material science in hands-on learning experiences.

Exploring diverse applications for repurposing hemodialyser filters can unlock new opportunities for innovation, sustainability, and social impact across various industries and fields of study. Collaboration among researchers, engineers, educators, and community stakeholders can drive the development of practical solutions that address pressing challenges and improve quality of life.


[2/19, 8:18 AM] Rakesh Biswas: I guess this LLM hasn't gotten the toothbrush idea yet although we may have just given it that! 😅

[2/19, 12:40 AM] Avinash BMJ Elective: If not marketable but DIY then also better


[2/19, 12:41 AM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Biohackers have started doing proper clinical trials of DIY things in covid


[2/18, 11:01 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: cool idea

[2/18, 11:02 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: why do we need a fluidic header though

[2/18, 11:02 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: is it better than normal bristles

[2/18, 11:03 PM] Sumit Global CBBLE: (because i have no idea)


[2/19, 8:17 AM] Rakesh Biswas: This is a question that can be better answered once we have the proposed prototype ready! 

The current step is to overcome the challenge of understanding how to get to the apparently simple technology that lies in the dialyzer head and design the tooth brush head unless we want to make it a totally jugadoo project where we simply break the dialyser header and retain it's corresponding bristles along with the part connected to the top blood delivery system system without trying to understand how that works! It would produce just one toothbrush for one hemodialyser but only then would it become a true jugadoo project where we may be able to get discarded hemodialysers at throwaway prices! 

Prof @⁨Sundar Swaminathan⁩ is here who's currently chairing the Nephrology department in IISc Bangalore along with his adjunct chair in Mayo Clinic, Arizona and I guess many of you may have also seen the flyer where he's set to deliver an oration in PGI Chandigarh on his experiences in Nephrology over few decades. He may have some technical inputs on the hemodialyser design that can be dissected toward this project.




[2/19, 9:02 AM] Rakesh Biswas: Feedback from a Prof of transfusion medicine from US and currently teaching in AIIMS : 

[2/18, 11:23 PM]: The Dental cleaning, dishwasher and car wash all supplement the water jets with scrubbing actions to dislodge material which is stuck too tight.. Water jet is one of the great tools.. but the bundled multiple nearly parallel jets is a novelty point,, which neither of the above 3 has.. why not divide them into two nonparallel or rather convergent subsets with alternating flow so that the mechanical dislodging can be done without having to move the ensemble too fast

[2/18, 11:29 PM]: Alternating convergent jets can give side by side nudge and dislodge things possibly better than a scrubber


[2/19, 10:19 AM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Good inputs.

Will take a dialyser filter and check how we can repurpose it.


In a day or 2


[2/20, 4:18 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Can you share the packaging pic of this dialyser


[2/20, 4:20 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Had a discussion with @⁨Dr Bansal⁩ who is a patent specialist and he wanted to understand the mechanism of the proposed tooth brush. 

We also have @⁨Satheesh Cfhe IIT⁩ who had visited us during his IIT Hyderabad clinical immersion program and he would also like to share his inputs toward further design of this product which is currently stuck at how we may replace the dialyzer header and convert it into a tooth brush header

2/20, 4:19 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Seems enough force for toothbrush..


[2/20, 4:20 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Also the tap water seems to be at low pressure. So more also possible.


[2/20, 4:21 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Yes considering that we are thinking of using a toy water gun canister for every individual tooth brush!


[2/20, 4:24 PM] Rakesh Biswas: The hemodialyser header repurposing for the toothbrush challenge


[2/20, 4:26 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: may 3d print toothbrush head with a handle (like replaceable once available in market), 

With a whole in head and handle.

then 20-30 bristles to be pushed into holes poked into head and packed with something like glue gun.


This way we may get a prototype.


Alternatively may use a metal tube, poke some holes, push bristles in many holes packed with glue gun and connect a water tube for flow but this prototype idea is more primitive than 3d printed head+handle


[2/20, 4:26 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Imagine the toothbrush header here in a much more miniature toothbrush size. We need to crack this design where the water/plasma/RBC is actually flowing inside the lumen of each of these bristles although to the naked eye that is never visible


[2/20, 4:27 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: That looks like it can be tried to be repurposed into tissue engineering scaffolds..

I mean,hollow and porous


[2/20, 4:29 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Microfluidics refers to a system that manipulates a small amount of fluids (10−9 to 10−18 liters) using small channels with sizes ten to hundreds micrometres. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves molecular analysis, molecular biology, and microelectronics.[1] It has practical applications in the design of systems that process low volumes of fluids to achieve multiplexing, automation, and high-throughput screening. Microfluidics emerged in the beginning of the 1980s and is used in the development of inkjet printheads, DNA chips, lab-on-a-chip technology, micro-propulsion, and micro-thermal technologies.





[2/20, 4:30 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Take a look a the close up of the head and think of it as the tooth brush head. How would we ensure that what currently happens in that brown chamber directing all the fluid into the individual microfluidic lumens would also happen inside a similar toothbrush head that we may design? It's more of a physics problem? @⁨Satheesh Cfhe IIT⁩ any IIT physics or fluidics engineering guys who can help with this design?


[2/20, 4:30 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Few applications which maybe explored in IVF as well


[2/20, 4:31 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: I think it depends on alignment/adjustment of the narrow tubes.

If any pressed/clogged/folded then it may be jammed but may not be noticeable unless many tubes having such issue.


[2/20, 4:31 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Yes most dental scaling/cleaning machines work with the same principle and this would be the major competitor for our fluidic toothbrush


[2/20, 4:32 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Exactly. We need to find some literature on how the hemodialyser fibers are aligned at the header


[2/20, 4:33 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: First we may have to design /understand the fluid channel in this dialyser head,and then maybe run some simulations..and experiment on prototype(dye tracing and velocimetry maybe)


[2/20, 4:33 PM] Rakesh Biswas: They are currently instrumental in the development of next generation artificial wearable kidneys


[2/20, 4:34 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Yepp..in cell culture bioreactors too

[2/20, 4:35 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: @⁨Avinash BMJ Elective⁩ let's review any literature on patent on this dialyser head..

That may explain us more about the fluid channel in this head

[2/20, 4:35 PM] Rakesh Biswas: It's this one :





[2/20, 4:43 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: I am failing to understand two aspects

1) are we hopeful about any specific usability (usability/cost improvement) or we are exploring that.

2) if we are not filtering anything (nano pores in tubes along its surface are) and only pushing water through 200 μm wide tube's lumen then why we may need to consider microfluidics aspects? (For our understanding or anything related to usability?)

[2/20, 4:46 PM] Rakesh Biswas: 1) We are trying to overcome the header design that once cracked will lead us to the usability 

2) Yes it's fluidic design. Not microfluidics, which doesn't need to be pursued


[2/20, 4:46 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: 1.Exploring that(apart from toothbrush-which is cost effective but have to solve the issue of header)

2 .Dialyser head is already microfluidic,as we don't know how it makes a better toothbrush,I'm trying to explore other stuffs where it can be repurposed

[2/20, 4:48 PM] Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015: Is the head fluidic or microfluidic?

[2/20, 4:48 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Thanks for inputs, @⁨Rakesh Biswas⁩ sir and @⁨Metapsychist Number 1 Kims 2015⁩ 

Helped me to get on same page.
[2/20, 4:49 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: Along the length it's fluidic (200um lumen approx)

Along the wall (surface area) it's microfluidic as there are pores- doing fliteration.

[2/20, 5:04 PM] Avinash BMJ Elective: In glue gun put some fibers,  and make a plug with it and push it in a straw and see flow.

[2/20, 5:12 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Would you like to try it by breaking one of the disposed and thrown away dialysers (after you disinfect it as mentioned in the last review of literature link in the project page) from any of the dialysis centers near your locality? 

The other option is to buy this one at 720/-


[2/20, 5:37 PM] Satheesh Cfhe IIT: Hi iam satheesh fellow ICMR, Fellow centre for health care entrepreneurship IIT Hyderabad, iam also an entrepreneur based out of Hyderabad



Think of the hemodialyser as the giant tooth brush


[2/21, 10:07 PM] Prof Oral Medicine: Doesnt appeal to me😳


[2/21, 10:08 PM] Rakesh Biswas: The novelty is there's water flowing through the lumen of each bristle


[2/21, 10:08 PM] Prof Oral Medicine: Aah


[2/21, 10:09 PM] Prof Oral Medicine: If water flows continously… the paste will get washed off too soon?


[2/21, 10:15 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Good point!


[2/21, 10:15 PM] Rakesh Biswas: This tooth brush was more to mimic scaling!


2/21, 10:21 PM] Rakesh Biswas: Also the water will come intermittently from a canister with each tooth brush similar to a toy water gun


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)