Write a short note on artificial kidneys.

Kidneys play an important role not only by filtering the blood and getting rid of waste products, but also by balancing the salt levels in the body, controlling blood pressure and stimulating the production of red blood cells. A person can lead a normal life with one kidney but when both of them stop functioning, it can prove fatal if no treatment is provided. An artificial kidney or a dialyser is a machine used to filter the blood of a patient whose kidneys are damaged. This process is called dialysis. In this process the blood is directed from veins into the dialyser through a tube connected to veins. The dialyser filters the blood and filtered blood is again directed inside the body.