Home Dialysis Plus is now licensed to use HP’s inkjet technology to mix water and concentrated dialysate, a mixture of chemicals used to extract toxins and supply electrolytes to the bloodstream. The water and dialysate will be mixed in real-time, then pumped into the dialyser.

According to an HP statement, mixing the solution in real-time “helps filter toxins over a longer period”, and HP’s smart memory-chip technology “will ensure that the correct dialysate prescription is being delivered consistently so dialysis can take place while the patient is sleeping”.

Michael Baker, chief executive of Home Dialysis Plus, said in the statement that the machine would be a “true breakthrough”, and HP’s technology was “critical to creating a unique patient experience that will offer ease of use, improved patient outcomes and life expectancy”.

The deal between the two companies came out of HP’s intellectual-property licensing programme, and HD+ expects to get its machine onto the market by the end of 2010.

“HP has many technologies available for licensing that lend themselves well to the health and life-sciences industry, and we will continue to look for opportunities within a variety of markets so that consumers can further benefit from HP inventions,” said Kevin Light, HP’s vice president of intellectual property and licensing, in the statement.