Livers kept viable for 3 days thanks to new machine; only viable for 12 hours on ice

Post Reply
User avatar
funkervogt
Posts: 1165
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 3:03 pm

Livers kept viable for 3 days thanks to new machine; only viable for 12 hours on ice

Post by funkervogt »

In a world-first, this pioneering perfusion machine has now facilitated the implant of a human organ after three days in storage, with the recipient in a healthy state one year after the procedure.

The perfusion machine was developed as an alternative solution to current clinical practice for liver transplants, which stores the organ on ice for no more than around 12 hours. This is a relatively short window, and the hope is that with technology that can store them for days at a time instead, more organs can be matched with more transplant recipients for greater patient outcomes.

The scientists spent years developing their technology, looking to set it apart from other perfusion machines that preserve organs for transplantation, by making it more closely replicate the function of the human body. That means not just feeding the organ oxygen and nutrients, but incorporating automated control of glucose and red blood cell levels, along with waste-product removal systems. The machine moves the liver to the rhythm of human breathing, and hormone infusions recreate functions of the intestine and pancreas.
https://newatlas.com/medical/world-firs ... r-machine/
Post Reply