Liver Reperfusion Device by OrganOx

OrganOx, a company based out of Oxford, has produced a device capable of reperfusing the liver for up to twenty four hours.  The device attempts to maintain a normal environment for the liver by keeping the temperature at 37 degrees Celsius and by continuous reperfusion of oxygenated blood.  Attached to the device circuit, the liver continues its normal functions such as bile and protein production while consuming glucose.  The current method of liver preservation is putting the liver on ice to cool the organ and slow its  metabolic rate. This device will vastly increase the number of donor livers as the previous method leaves many livers unsuitable for transplant due to ischemia and reperfusion injuries. I chose the article because it could be a source of inspiration for our device design project where we are attempting to create a device to reperfuse both the heart and lungs and keep them suitable for transplant up to twenty four hours.






http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/257765.php
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324392804578362574039198146.html