Apparatus for tissue transport and preservation
Inventors
Judson, Jared Alden • Anderson, Lisa Maria • Edelman, William
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12610943-B2
Publication Date
2026-04-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods of the invention generally relate to prolonging viability of bodily tissue, especially lung tissue, through the use of an expandable accumulator to maintain a constant pressure within the lumen of the organ even during external pressure fluctuations due to, for example, flight. Systems and methods may include prolonging donor organ viability in storage through the use of an organ container that mimics the geometry and orientation of the organ in vivo.
Core Innovation
The systems describe lung-preservation configurations that couple lung airways to an expandable accumulator to accommodate gas-volume changes during transport. This accumulator maintains a near-constant pressure differential to limit overinflation and tissue damage across transit pressures. Described accumulator implementations include bellows, rolling-diaphragm, and balloon designs with spring- or weight-based resistance.
The methods provide storage for an organ positioned within a bag on a basket inside a transport container. A cooling material supported on a suspended shelf maintains container temperature without direct organ contact. A temperature probe monitors the container environment and communicates with an exterior display via wired or wireless connections. Specified arrangements include multi-walled shelves, support trays, and three concentric sterile bags.
Claims Coverage
The claims define four inventive features across four independent claims directed to organ storage and temperature monitoring within a transport container.
Temperature-controlled organ storage with shelf walls
Claim 1 recites maintaining a desired temperature in a transport container holding an organ within a bag on a basket using cooling material on a suspended shelf above and out of direct contact with the organ. The shelf includes vertically extending walls on at least two sides between its support surface and the container lid, and a temperature probe communicates data to an exterior display.
Temperature monitoring through a flexible cable
Claim 18 recites an organ in a bag on a basket within a transport container, cooled without direct contact by cooling material on an overlying suspended shelf. A temperature probe monitors the container and connects to an exterior display via a flexible cable.
Wireless temperature monitoring
Claim 19 recites maintaining temperature for an organ held in a bag on a basket within a transport container using cooling material on an overlying suspended shelf out of direct contact. A temperature probe monitors the container and communicates wirelessly with an exterior display.
Organ storage in three concentric bags
Claim 20 recites organ storage wherein the bag comprises three concentric bags disposed on a basket within a transport container. Temperature is maintained using cooling material on an overlying suspended shelf out of direct contact, and a temperature probe provides data to an exterior display.
The four independent claims share organ placement on a basket in a transport container, isolated cooling material on an overlying suspended shelf, and exterior temperature display, distinguished by shelf-wall structures, flexible cable connections, wireless connections, and three concentric bags.
Stated Advantages
The expandable accumulator accommodates gas-volume changes during transport and helps maintain a near-constant pressure differential to limit overinflation and tissue damage.
Modeling indicates that accumulator designs reduce changes in lung pressure and volume across transit pressures compared with no accumulator.
Documented Applications
Storage and transport of an organ, including a donor lung, within a temperature-controlled transport container.
Lung preservation using systems that couple lung airways to an expandable accumulator.
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