Toxins in the plasma flow through the fiber membrane, where they are metabolized by the liver cells. The cells also synthesize essential proteins, such as blood-clotting factors, which diffuse back into the plasma. The filtered plasma is then recombined with the cellular components of blood and returned to the patient.

A clinical trial in China found that patients treated with the ELAD fared significantly better than those who did not get the treatment. Another study began in the United States in October. Artificial Liver Shows Early Promise