Project Description:

There are currently almost 100,000 patients waiting for an abdominal organ transplant in the U.S. These donated organs often go to waste if the tissue is damaged in the retrieval process. To help increase the availability of these donor organs, a procedure called Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion, or A-NRP, has been developed and is becoming increasingly adopted by abdominal transplant surgeons. This procedure works by supplying the donor’s kidney, pancreas, and liver with warm blood via the abdominal aorta artery after they have passed away to preserve their viability long enough to be given to the recipient. However, there is no specialized device for surgeons to perform this procedure, preventing its widespread adoption. Our team has created an all-in-one device to support A-NRP, which works by isolating the region of the abdominal aorta that supplies the kidney, pancreas, and liver with two balloons, and supplying warm blood to the region in the middle with a central cannula. Our device has demonstrated the ability to provide a flow rate of 2-3L/min, which is the current standard of sufficient flow. Furthermore, when tested at this flow rate, our device has shown absolutely 0 blood leakage past the distal occlusion balloon. With our device, we hope to save the lives of 32,000 additional patients who are in desperate need of an organ transplant.