The design of the container that can store donor hearts for up to 12 hours, NN ak. EN Meshalkin. This was reported to socialbites.ca by the press service of the NMIC.
About 70% of potential donor organs are not considered for transplantation due to the impossibility of timely delivery of the organ to the recipient, since the time it takes to safely maintain an inedible heart in an ice pack with solution does not exceed four hours. If the heart is out of the body longer, the risk of post-transplant dysfunction increases significantly and the probability of death doubles one year after transplant.
Researchers have found a new way to remove and preserve the “working” heart-lung complex. A special autonomous incubator in which the complex will be transported should ensure the continuation of the electrical activity of the heart and artificial ventilation of the lungs, maintain hemostasis and the functional state of the heart for up to 12 hours. Now scientists need to find a way to get the necessary velocity, conditioning and warming of the cardiac fluids inside the shipping container.
Development will be carried out in partnership with the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. SA Khristianovich and the Institute of High Current Electronics in Tomsk. The researchers hope that the implementation of the project will create conditions for a large increase in the number of heart transplants in the future.