Temperature sensing in organ preservation apparatus

Inventors

Kravitz, David • Steinman, Christopher P. • Pettinato, David • Buck, Richard K. • Stark, John • Allen, Robert J.

Assignees

Lifeline Scientific Inc

Abstract

A temperature sensor for monitoring an organ or tissue is configured to measure a temperature inside of a container configured to contain the organ or tissue. The temperature sensor is disposed exterior to the organ container and the temperature sensor is a non-contact temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may be part of an apparatus for perfusing, transporting, and/or storing an organ or tissue. A coolant container may have an aperture through which the temperature sensor measures a temperature of at least one of the organ or tissue or a perfusate fluid surrounding the organ or tissue. The temperature sensor is preferably an infrared temperature sensor. Multiple temperature sensors may be provided that measure the temperature organ or tissue or perfusate fluid surrounding the organ or tissue, for example in case one of the temperature sensors fails.

Core Innovation

An apparatus for perfusing, transporting, and/or storing a liver includes an organ container configured to hold a liver and a coolant container disposed around the organ container. The coolant container contains a coolant in a sealed state such that the coolant does not contact the liver. The apparatus includes a bubble trap configured to remove a gas from a perfusate and a perfusate flow path configured to deliver the perfusate from the organ container to the bubble trap.

The apparatus further includes a bypass flow path configured to deliver a de-gassed perfusate from the bubble trap to the organ container. A portal flow path is configured to connect to a portal vein of the liver and deliver the de-gassed perfusate from the bubble trap to the liver. A hepatic flow path is configured to connect to a hepatic artery of the liver and deliver the de-gassed perfusate from the bubble trap to the liver, providing perfusate delivery to the liver through both portal and hepatic connections.

Temperature sensing is performed using non-contact temperature sensors disposed on an exterior surface of the coolant container. A first non-contact temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the perfusate within the organ container, and a second non-contact temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the liver when disposed in the organ container, or alternatively a non-contact temperature sensor measures a temperature of a space inside of the organ container. At least one of the portal flow path and the hepatic flow path includes a non-contact ultrasonic flow sensor configured to measure a flow of the perfusate therein.

Claims Coverage

The document provides two independent claims. Across them, the inventive features focus on a sealed coolant container that prevents coolant contact with the liver, a perfusate system using a bubble trap with bypass, portal, and hepatic flow paths, and non-contact temperature sensing combined with non-contact ultrasonic flow sensing.

Both independent claims converge on a liver perfusion apparatus with a sealed coolant container isolating the liver, a perfusate system that removes gas via a bubble trap and routes de-gassed perfusate through portal and hepatic flow paths, and non-contact sensing using exterior coolant-surface sensors and a non-contact ultrasonic flow sensor in at least one of the portal or hepatic flow paths.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found