Molecular Adsorbent Recirculation System
The basic principle of the Molecular Adsorbent Recirculation System (MARS), known as liver dialysis , was developed at the University of Rostock in the early 1990s . With the help of an external blood circuit, similar to kidney dialysis , the blood is cleaned outside the body in the event of acute liver failure . This detoxifies the blood and strengthens the liver's ability to heal itself. In contrast to dialysis, in which mainly water-bound toxins are filtered, with MARS protein-bound toxins are filtered.
A marketable product was later developed by Teraklin AG . MARS has been available in German clinics for affected patients since the late 1990s. In 1998, Teraklin won the nationwide StartUp competition organized by Stern magazine for the development of MARS . In 2001, the company was for the German Future Prize of the Federal President nominated. MARS is now being developed and sold by the Swedish company Gambro .
functionality
A special membrane (MARS membrane) separates the patient's blood from an albumin circuit. Put simply, this serves as a sponge, which absorbs toxic and harmful substances from the blood. In order to enable even dialysis, the albumin is purified with a normal dialysis filter as well as with an activated carbon filter and an ion exchanger and can thus be reused and pass through the MARS membrane again.
Individual evidence
- ^ F. Saliba: The Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS) in the intensive care unit: a rescue therapy for patients with hepatic failure. In: Crit Care. 10 (1), Feb 2006, p. 118. PMID 16542471
