Artificial Spleens Against Sepsis

Preparing for antibiotics' waning effectiveness from drug-resistant microbes, the military discovered a new way to treat dangerous infections. Every year, 18 million people worldwide develop sepsis, a life-threatening complication from infection, and 30% to 50% die. Soldiers especially are at risk. DARPA's Dialysis-Like Therapeutics (DLT) program recently developed a system to filter blood to remove the pathogens and toxins that cause sepsis. DLT works like a traditional dialysis machine and mimics the job of the spleen. It's effective and portable, allowing civilian and military health care providers to more quickly and thoroughly fight sepsis. 

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[Image courtesy of DARPA]