Development and Characterization of a Nonelectronic Versatile Oxygenating Perfusion System for Tissue Preservation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Organ Preservation Technology
• Medical Device Innovation

Background:

• Static cold storage is the current standard for organ preservation but has limitations.
• Existing machine perfusion devices are often complex, organ-specific, and require electricity.
• There is a need for simpler, versatile organ preservation solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, portable, and non-electronic device for oxygenated machine perfusion.
• To evaluate the device's capability to perfuse various organs effectively.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of achieving machine perfusion without electronic components.

Main Methods:

• Developed an innovative pneumatic circuit using a compressed oxygen source.
• Utilized cyclically inflating and deflating silicone tubes as an oxygenator and pump.
• Tested various silicone tube configurations and lengths at different oxygen pressures.
• Simulated kidney vascular resistance to assess perfusion parameters.

Main Results:

• Parallel silicone tube configurations significantly increased perfusion pressure, flow rates, and oxygenation compared to single tubes.
• The device achieved perfusion pressures (8.4-131.6 mmHg) and flow rates (2.0-40.2 mL/min) comparable to kidney preservation studies.
• Effective oxygenation rates (up to 388 μmol/min) were achieved using minimal oxygen (4.4 L/min).

Conclusions:

• Oxygenated machine perfusion is achievable using a non-electronic, pneumatic device.
• The novel device offers a portable and potentially versatile solution for organ preservation.
• This technology could advance organ transplantation by improving preservation methods.