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Doctor’s invention helped patients on home dialysis


June 5, 2017


In the 1980’s Dr. Denis Pagé, a kidney specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, worked with a health-care company to develop the Quantum Baxter Home Dialysis System for peritoneal dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen to filter waste and extra fluid from the body of patients who have kidney failure. Patients had to manually drain and replace the dialysis solution in their abdomen every few hours. Dr. Pagé came up with the idea for a machine that automatically drained and refilled the solution as the patient slept. This saved patients from having to wake up during the night for half an hour to change the fluid manually. The company Baxter went on to develop the concept and market the device. While the Quantum is no longer in use, it led to further innovations like the nighttime cycler machine for peritoneal dialysis which is used by many patients today.

This is part of a series of stories on life-changing innovations at The Ottawa Hospital, as part of Canada150.

The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion


The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

Media Contact


Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca