Apparatus and method for maintaining and/or restoring viability of organs

• US 20110300615A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lifeline Scientific, Inc. (Shanghai Genext Medical Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lifeline Scientific, Inc. (Shanghai Genext Medical Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Owen, Donald R., Kravitz, David C., Brassil, John, Brockbank, Kelvin G.M., Burroughs, Andrew, Isaacs, Dickon, Fraser, Richard, Harris, Stanley, Schein, Douglas, Steibel, Dennis J.
• Application Number:
  US13/137,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20110300615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/284.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0247 for perfusion, i.e. for circulating fluid through organs, blood vessels or other living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0273 Transport containers A01N1/0268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g., ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures. In perfusion, organ perfusion pressure is preferably controlled in response to a sensor disposed in an end of tubing placed in the organ, by a pneumatically pressurized medical fluid reservoir, providing perfusion pressure fine tuning, overpressurization prevention and emergency flow cut-off. In the hypothermic mode, the organ is perfused with a medical fluid, preferably a simple crystalloid solution containing antioxidants, intermittently or in slow continuous flow. The medical fluid may be fed into the organ from an intermediary tank having a low pressure head to avoid organ overpressurization. Preventing overpressurization prevents or reduces damage to vascular endothelial lining and to organ tissue in general. Viability of the organ may be automatically monitored, preferably by monitoring characteristics of the medical fluid perfusate. The perfusion process can be automatically controlled using a control program.

Claims

1. A organ transporting device, comprising:

an organ perfusion system; and

a data logger and/or transmitter.

2. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the data logger and/or transmitter is a global positioning system.

3. The organ transporting device according to claim 2, wherein the global positioning system allows tracking of the location of the organ transporting device.

4. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the data logger and/or transmitter allows monitoring of an organ in the organ transporting device at a location of the apparatus.

5. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the data logger and/or transmitter allows monitoring of an organ in the organ transporting device at a location other than a location of the apparatus.

6. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein conditions experienced by the system are detected and monitored.

7. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein conditions experienced by an organ are detected and or monitored.

8. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein conditions experienced by a perfusate are detected and monitored.

9. The organ transporting device according to claim 6, wherein the conditions are compared with pre-stored operating conditions.

10. The organ transporting device according to claim 9, wherein a signal is generated based on the comparison, the signal being indicative of viability of an organ.

11. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the data logger and/or transmitter logs and/or transmits data from at least one of a pressure sensor, a pH detector, an oxygen sensor, and a flow meter.

12. The organ transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the data logger and/or transmitter logs and/or transmits data from a pressure sensor, a pH detector, an oxygen sensor, and a flow meter.