Reportedly, the research team at University of California, lead by US based Indian origin researcher Shuvo Roy, has tested successfully on a small number of animals, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Roy said the artificial kidney, which is the size of a coffee cup, could last for decades and does not require pumps or batteries to function.

The device has a filtration section to remove toxins from the blood and a compartment with renal cells to perform other functions of the kidney.

The researchers are awaiting approval to conduct larger scale animal and human trials over the next five years.