Method for perfusing an organ for isolating cells from the organ
Inventors
Taylor, Michael John • Brassil, John
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-8389280-B2
Publication Date
2013-03-05
Expiration Date
Abstract
An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures. The methods further include perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures with a second perfusate containing a substance for reacting with the organ. Condition of the organ may be automatically monitored, and the perfusion process can be automatically controlled using a control program.
Core Innovation
An organ perfusion apparatus and organ perfusion method are provided for hypothermic and normothermic organ perfusion. The apparatus includes microprocessor control, sensors, and safety mechanisms configured to prevent overpressurization and to maintain organ viability during perfusion.
In normothermic perfusion, the apparatus is configured to use an oxygenated medical fluid, including an oxygen carrier. In hypothermic perfusion, the system is configured to use a non-oxygenated medical fluid including antioxidants.
The documentation describes perfusing an organ through at least one blood vessel while producing viability indications based on perfusate inflow/outflow chemistry. It further describes an organ diagnostic apparatus that produces an organ viability index from venous outflow analysis and related perfusate chemistry such as pO2/pCO2, pH, LDH, lactate, and glucose.
The documentation further describes a sequential perfusion approach in which a second perfusate containing an enzyme is introduced in a distention mode to create controlled pancreas swelling to facilitate islet separation for transplantation. Apparatus embodiments include an organ cassette and an organ transporter, together with modular pump/oxygenation/debubbling units and networked automated logging/remote monitoring.
Claims Coverage
The partial claims content includes two independent claims. Across these claims, the inventive coverage centers on perfusing an organ, including a pancreas, by delivering an enzyme-containing medical fluid and, for the pancreas, connecting both pancreatic blood vessels and non-blood vessel ducts to the perfusion device to facilitate islet separation.
Enzyme-containing perfusion through blood vessel and non-blood vessel duct
Associating an organ with an organ perfusion apparatus such that the organ is in fluid communication with the organ perfusion apparatus; perfusing the organ with a first medical fluid through at least one blood vessel of the organ; adding an enzyme to the first medical fluid; and perfusing the organ with the first medical fluid and the enzyme through the at least one blood vessel of the organ and at least one non-blood vessel duct of the organ.
Pancreas perfusion with first medical fluid and enzyme facilitating islet separation
Attaching at least one blood vessel of the pancreas to a perfusion device such that it is in fluid communication with the device; attaching at least one non-blood vessel duct of the pancreas to the perfusion device such that it is in fluid communication with the device; perfusing the pancreas with a first medical fluid through the at least one blood vessel; and perfusing the pancreas with a second medical fluid comprising an enzyme capable of facilitating the separation of the islets of the pancreas.
Overall, the independent claims cover enzyme-enabled organ perfusion using both blood vessels and non-blood vessel ducts, with a pancreas-specific version where a second enzyme-containing medical fluid is used for facilitating pancreatic islet separation.
Stated Advantages
Maintaining organ viability during perfusion.
Preventing overpressurization via safety mechanisms.
Facilitating the separation of the islets of the pancreas.
Documented Applications
Islet separation from a pancreas for islets transplantation, using enzyme-containing perfusion including a distention mode to create controlled pancreas swelling.
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