EXTENDED ORGAN PRESERVATION

摘要

The present invention provides cold storage and intermittent perfusion methods and equipment which are together capable of extending the viable life of an explanted mammalian heart for up to at least approximately 49 hours. The system that implements the intermittent perfusion method includes a perfusion chest of approximately the same size as the standard ice chests that are currently being used to store and transport human organs. The perfusion chest of the present invention, however, contains all of the mechanical and electrical components needed to automatically perfuse the heart in accordance with the warm intermittent perfusion protocol and the subsequent cold perfusion step.