Portable organ and tissue preservation apparatus, kit and methods

• US 20100062519A1
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Howell E. Warner, Marshall Wenrich, Marvin J. Slepian, Shell Lambert, Stacie L. Hyatt, Thomas D. Franklin Jr
• Original Assignee: Howell E. Warner, Marshall Wenrich, Marvin J. Slepian, Shell Lambert, Stacie L. Hyatt, Thomas D. Franklin Jr
• Inventors: Lambert, Shell, Franklin, Thomas D. JR., Warner, Howell E., Hyatt, Stacie L., Slepian, Marvin J., Wenrich, Marshall
• Application Number:
  US12/590,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20100062519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/284.100
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0252 Temperature controlling refrigerating apparatus, i.e. devices used to actively control the temperature of a designated internal volume, e.g. refrigerators, freeze-drying apparatus or liquid nitrogen baths

Abstract

An organ and tissue preservation and transport apparatus comprising a chamber, a temperature control mechanism and a system monitor. A medium bathes an organ within the chamber. The temperature control mechanism adjusts the temperature of the medium. The system monitors receiving and records the temperature of the chamber.

Claims

1. An organ, tissue, and limb preservation and transport apparatus comprising:

a chamber defining an interior space sized and shaped to receive an organ;

means for controlling the temperature of the chamber; and

means for isolating the chamber from an external environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the chamber is composed of a sterilizable material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the chamber is composed of a flexible material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for maintaining the organ in a substantially shock resistant state within the chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a medium disposed within the chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising means for agitating the medium within the chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the medium contains at least one free radical scavenger.

8. An organ and tissue preservation and transport apparatus, comprising:

a first chamber defining an interior space sized and shaped for receiving an organ, the chamber formed at least in part from a first material having at least one heat transfer characteristic;

a second chamber defining an interior space that substantially surrounds an outer surface of the first chamber, the second chamber formed at least in part from a second material having at least one heat transfer characteristic; and

a third chamber defining an interior space that substantially surrounds an outer surface of the second chamber, the third chamber formed at least in part from a third material having at least one heat transfer characteristic;

wherein the at least one heat transfer characteristic of the first material and the at least one heat transfer characteristic of the second material are substantially different.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second material is formed at least in part from a sterilizable insulating material.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first material is formed at least in part from a bio-compatible material.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a fourth chamber defining an interior space that substantially surrounds an outer surface of the third chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inner surface of the fourth chamber is formed at least in part from a fourth material having at least one heat transfer characteristic substantially different from the at least one heat transfer characteristic of the second material.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first chamber contains a first medium.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second chamber contains a second medium.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first medium is substantially different from the second medium.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first medium is substantially the same as the second medium.

17. An organ and tissue preservation and transport apparatus, comprising:

a portable casing having a hollow interior;

a chamber positioned in the hollow interior of the portable casing, the chamber defining an interior space sized and shaped to receive an organ;

a medium disposed within the chamber;

a first sensor disposed in the chamber capable of providing at least one quantitative measurement;

a second sensor positionable about the organ received in the chamber and capable of providing at least one quantitative measurement;

a temperature control mechanism for controlling the temperature of the interior space of the chamber; and

a system monitor for registering the at least one quantitative measurement of the first sensor and the at least one quantitative measurement of the second sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the temperature control mechanism is a heat pump.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the temperature control mechanism is a second chamber having at least one opening for circulating a heat-conducting medium through the interior space of the front chamber.