Future Dialysis Machine: Sheep?!

I swear that IO9 online loves to find material that does more than get you thinking - no, it's more like something to deeply disturb. Example? Well lets just say that if you were disturbed by Dolly the clone, then your going to love the next generation of Dialysis Machines - transgenic sheep. Oh I know, it's got prank all over it, but IO9 goes to lengths to inform and disturb. Meet the transgenic dialysis machine - a live sheep. The idea is Revital Cohen's brain child for the final project at the Design Interactions Department which came to the attention of We Make Money not Art and ultimately IO9. (Why do I list everyone's path, well, each has their own unique take on this project, plus there is a wealth of back information) The idea was to breed transgenic sheep that would graze all day, cleansing their blood of toxins and adding minerals and glucose - and at night, the transgenic sheep's kidneys are connected via blood lines to the patient. During the night, waste products from the patient's blood are pumped out of the body, filtered through the sheep's kidney and the blood is returned, cleaned, to the patient. Another of "Life Support"'s projects aims to use greyhounds as artificial lungs for patients who require ventilators to breathe. The device works by strapping a bellows to a retired racing dog (one that would be euthanized anyway) and having it chase a bunny while on a treadmill. As the dog runs, it's increased lung movements pump the bellows, providing air for a human patient.


I can see science fiction written all over this stuff. Realistically people like PETA would have a fit and there are practical concerns that really are not addressed but whooohooooo Brave New World acommin!