Review of Artificial Intelligence-Based Signal Processing in Dialysis: Challenges for Machine-Embedded and Complementary Applications

Adv Kidney Dis Health. 2023 Jan;30(1):40-46. doi: 10.1053/j.akdh.2022.11.002.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence technology is trending in nearly every medical area. It offers the possibility for improving analytics, therapy outcome, and user experience during therapy. In dialysis, the application of artificial intelligence as a therapy-individualization tool is led more by start-ups than consolidated players, and innovation in dialysis seems comparably stagnant. Factors such as technical requirements or regulatory processes are important and necessary but can slow down the implementation of artificial intelligence due to missing data infrastructure and undefined approval processes. Current research focuses mainly on analyzing health records or wearable technology to add to existing health data. It barely uses signal data from treatment devices to apply artificial intelligence models. This article, therefore, discusses requirements for signal processing through artificial intelligence in health care and compares these with the status quo in dialysis therapy. It offers solutions for given barriers to speed up innovation with sensor data, opening access to existing and untapped sources, and shows the unique advantage of signal processing in dialysis compared to other health care domains. This research shows that even though the combination of different data is vital for improving patients' therapy, adding signal-based treatment data from dialysis devices to the picture can benefit the understanding of treatment dynamics, improving and individualizing therapy.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Dialysis; Machine data; Requirements; Signal processing.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Artificial Intelligence*
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Humans
  • Renal Dialysis
  • Technology
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*