| abstract |
An organ perfusion apparatus and method for monitoring, maintaining, and / or recovering the viability of an organ and storing the organ for storage and / or transport. Other devices include an organ carrier, an organ cassette, and an organ diagnostic device. The method of the present invention preferably perfuses the organ at a temperature of hypothermia and / or normal body temperature after flushing the hypothermia organ for organ transport and / or storage. The method of the invention may be performed before or after exposure of the organ to steady state or hypothermic perfusion. Organ viability is measured by perfusing the organ with a drug solution, for example, a bicarbonate drug solution based on oxygenated crosslinked hemoglobin at normal body temperature to restore high-energy nucleotide (eg, ATP) levels. Recover. Upon perfusion, the organ perfusion pressure is preferably controlled by a pressurized medicament reservoir in response to a sensor located at the end of a conduit located within the organ, which finely regulates the perfusion pressure and results in overpressure And the flow can be shut off urgently. In the hypothermic mode, the organ is preferably perfused intermittently or as a continuous, slow flow with an antioxidant solution containing a simple crystalline solution. The chemical is supplied to the organ from a relay tank having a low pressure head to avoid over-pressurization of the organ. Avoiding over-pressurization prevents or reduces damage to the endothelial capillary layer and overall organ tissue. Organ viability is preferably monitored automatically by monitoring the perfusate properties of the drug solution. |