Can a new device help support better infection management in peritoneal dialysis patients?

03 February 2025

Kidney Research UK has made an investment in the UK-based biotechnology company, MicroBioSensor, to help bring a device designed to detect a type of infection known as peritonitis to patients.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a treatment for kidney failure that uses the lining of the abdomen to filter blood inside the body. PD is an important treatment choice for patients, and in most cases is complication-free. However, occasionally individuals will develop an infection of the abdominal lining, known as peritonitis, which if treated promptly with antibiotics will usually resolve quickly. Occasionally the infection can be serious, especially if treatment is delayed.

What is peritonitis?

Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum – this is a sheet of smooth tissue, called a membrane, that covers internal organs in the abdomen. Infection occurs when bacteria enter the abdomen from outside the body through the tubing (known as the dialysis catheter) that allows the dialysis to work. Although rates are currently very low (on average less than one infection every two years) and deaths are very rare, it remains a concern for patients. Sometimes successful treatment requires temporary removal of the dialysis catheter.

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The problem

Peritonitis is an infrequent but potentially serious complication of PD. Recurrent infections can damage the peritoneal membrane; in some cases, this means that PD is no longer possible. Patients are currently told to look out for signs and symptoms of peritonitis, including redness, pain or swelling around the catheter site and changes in the look (cloudiness) of the PD fluid. If these signs are noticed, the PD team must be contacted promptly to decide whether peritonitis is present, and if antibiotics are needed.

Identification and prompt management of infection are key to ensuring better patient outcomes, but current diagnosis methods take time which may delay starting treatment, especially when trying to detect infections early, and rely on the patient looking for signs and symptoms of infection. Delayed treatment can make recovery more problematic. However, owing to difficulties around diagnosis and the time taken to get results back from the lab, cases may also be misdiagnosed, and antibiotics are started unnecessarily.

Wife and husband in their seventies, pictured together in the garden

Anne and Chris Johns

Patient experience

Chris Johns began peritoneal dialysis whilst waiting for a kidney transplant. During this already difficult time, Chris unfortunately developed peritonitis caused by a rare bacterial infection which led to hospitalisation for 6 weeks.

Read Chris' story

The solution

To address the unmet need for prompt and precise peritonitis diagnosis, MicroBioSensor has developed and are trialing a device for use in a hospital.

This device rapidly checks the number of white blood cells in the PD fluid sample, which act as a marker of infection. A digital display then indicates when infection is likely. The sensor can be used whenever a patient is having PD, even if they don’t have any symptoms of infection. If there is a positive reading, the patient will then be treated promptly in the standard way.

MicroBiosensor are further developing their technology so that it can be used by patients in their homes. The investment from Kidney Research UK will allow MicroBiosensor to make a sensor that can be used at home, where it will help patients to identify infections earlier and seek medical care.

Hands wearing blue latex gloves holding a Quick Check device

Image of Quick Check device.

What does this mean for kidney patients?

MicroBiosensor hopes to give patients undergoing PD early reassurance that they do not have an infection. If they do have peritonitis, this device allows for infection to be detected sooner and treatment to be started promptly, without the wait for hospital test results. This device also presents the opportunity to remind patients that if they think their fluid is cloudy then they should report it immediately.

Dr Nishal Govindji-Bhatt, operations and product development director at MicroBioSensor said: “The support from Kidney Research UK has been a valuable contribution to Microbiosensor on our journey to developing a much-needed point-of-care device for supporting patients to manage their treatment more effectively at home.

"It endorses and validates the hard work and significant time invested in developing the QuickCheck technology—currently in early-stage use at a number of UK renal clinics. This progress brings us closer to our ultimate goal: making QuickCheck available in every patient’s home.”

Katherine Forbes, director of innovation and enterprise at Kidney Research UK commented: “Kidney Research UK are committed to supporting the acceleration of innovations through early-stage investments that will provide tangible benefits to patients’ lives and improve their health outcomes.

"We are proud to be supporting the development of MicroBioSensor’s devices to ensure patients undergoing PD, who are at risk of developing peritonitis, whether in hospital or at home, have the assurance of accurate and earlier detection of infection, which can then be treated quickly and effectively.”