Disclosed is a device for the perfusion of an organ, including: a container of fluid, containing an organ bathed in the perfusion fluid; a first path including an inlet, an outlet and a pump; and a second path including an inlet, an outlet and a pump. The “arterial” outlet of the first path has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the “portal” outlet of the second path. The device additionally includes, between the pump and the outlet of the first path and/or between the pump and the outlet of the second path, an oxygenation unit arranged to oxygenate the fluid emerging from the “arterial” outlet of the first path more than the fluid emerging from the “portal” outlet of the second path. The device can include a communication path between the first path and the second path in order to oxygenate the second path. Use in liver transplantation.

A system and method for maintaining the vitality of an organ through negative pressure ventilation and perfusion. The system includes fluidically coupled components: an organ enclosure, a diaphragm enclosure, an actuator/pump, a perfusion system, and a reservoir. The actuator can displace a precise amount of a working fluid that displaces that precise amount of a sterile support fluid. The sterile fluid travels between the diaphragm enclosure and the organ enclosure, thereby ventilating the organ within the organ chamber. The perfusion system circulates a perfusate through the organ.

Presented is an airway organ bioreactor apparatus, and methods of use thereof, as well as bioartificial airway organs produced using the methods, and methods of treating subjects using the bioartificial airway organs. The bioreactor comprises: an organ chamber: an ingres line connecting the organ chamber and a reservoir system and comprising an arterial line, a venous line and a tracheal line; an egress line connecting the chamber and the reservoir system, pumps in ingress and egress lines; a controller to control fluid exchange; a chamber pressure sensor connected to the organ chamber.

An apparatus for perfusing an organ includes: an organ chamber configured to provide physical protection to an organ; at least one fluid flow loop from an outlet connection of the organ chamber, through an oxygenator, through a pump, and to an inlet connection of the organ chamber; and a container enclosing the components of the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is portable.

In one representative embodiment, a method of perfusing organs in a patient's body is provided. The method comprises isolating the visceral arteries and the visceral veins from blood circulating through the patient's heart and perfusing the visceral arteries, the visceral veins, and the abdominal organs with a perfusion fluid that is fluidly separated from the blood circulating through the patient's heart. While the visceral arteries and the visceral veins are isolated, and the visceral arteries, the visceral veins, and the abdominal organs are being perfused, the patient's blood is allowed to continue to circulate through the heart.

Disclosed is a device for supporting and connecting an excised organ (such as a heart, a pair of lungs, a kidney, or a liver) during ex vivo perfusion. The device includes a resilient and flexible sheet having a first portion for contacting and supporting the organ thereon, and a second portion comprising an opening for forming a connection between the organ and a conduit to allow fluid communication between the conduit and the organ. The device also includes a magnetic material embedded in the second portion of the sheet for magnetically securing the connection between the conduit and the organ.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods to decellularize an isolated organ or portion thereof. Also disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treatment of disease utilizing a decellularized or recellularized organ. Also disclosed herein are methods of improving decellularization and/or recellularization of an isolated organ or portion thereof.

Disclosed herein are ex-vivo cardiac perfusion systems that can support the metabolic function of an ex-vivo heart and also have the capacity to test the functions of the heart. For example, an ex-vivo heart can be placed within and connected to a cardiac perfusion system, as disclosed herein, resuscitated and supported medically, and also tested to determine cardiac recovery. Further, these systems can also be used for research purposes to study the pressure, work, and mechanical function of many types of hearts (e.g., failed hearts that are explanted at the time of heart transplant). Some embodiments include a detachable sub-system that includes a heart chamber and components for operating in a Langendorff mode while transporting an ex-vivo heart, and the sub-system can be coupled to a differential perfusion system to form a larger, full service system for supporting, recovering, testing the heart.

The disclosure provides, in various embodiments, systems, devices and methods relating to ex-vivo organ care. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to maintaining an organ ex-vivo at near-physiologic conditions. The present application describes, for example, a method for using lactate measurement in the arterial and the venous blood lines of the Organ Care System Heart perfusion device to evaluate, for example, the: 1) overall perfusion status of an isolated heart; 2) metabolic status of an isolated heart; and 3) overall vascular patency of an isolated donor heart. This aspect of the present disclosure may use, for example, the property of myocardial cell’s unique ability to produce/generate lactate when they are starved for oxygen and metabolize/utilize lactate for energy production when they are well perfused with oxygen.

An organ perfusion system comprises: a perfusion fluid circuit (16) arranged to circulate perfusion fluid through the organ; a surrogate organ (126) arranged to be connected into the circuit in place of the organ so that the circuit can circulate fluid through the surrogate organ; and organ sensing means arranged to distinguish between the presence of the organ in the circuit and the presence of the surrogate organ in the circuit. The sensing means may comprise one or more pressure sensors (136, 137, 138), or a flow meter (125). Further aspects relate to adjusting the content of at least one component, such as oxygen or a nutrient, in the perfusion fluid. Bubble detection means (113), and means (74) to measure the amount of fluid secreted by or leaked from the organ, may also be provided.