Organ cooling method and organ cooling device

Abstract

Provided are an organ cooling method and an organ cooling device capable of cooling an organ in a dead body and suppressing putrefaction of the organ. An organ cooling method 1 cools an organ in a dead body H by using a blood circulation device 4 to circulate blood in the dead body H while the dead body H is immersed in an ice slurry S. The blood circulation device 4 has a tube 41 of which both ends are connected to a blood vessel of a dead body H, and a pump 42 disposed in the middle of the tube 41. The pump 42 is driven to circulate the blood in the dead body H by removing blood from the dead body H from one end side of the tube 41, and sending blood to the dead body H from the other end side.

Description

Organ cooling method and organ cooling device

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cooling an organ.

[0002] For example, the preservation method of Patent Document 1 can be used as a method for preserving organs extracted from the corpse of an organ donor for transplantation into an organ transplant candidate (recipient). In the preservation method of Patent Document 1, the organ is cooled and preserved in a preservation solution at 4°C to 20°C, and further preserved by perfusing the coolant through the organ.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-247505

[0004] While the preservation method of Patent Document 1 can preserve organs removed from a corpse, it cannot preserve organs before removal from the corpse. Organ removal from a corpse is performed by a physician (specialist) with specialized knowledge and skills. Therefore, if no physician is present when the death of an organ donor is confirmed, organ removal from the corpse cannot be performed until the physician arrives. Even if a specialist is present, if the environment for organ removal (operating room, assistant, etc.) is not in place, organ removal from the corpse cannot be performed until the environment is in place. Thus, depending on the location of the organ donor's death, the presence or absence of a specialist, and other factors, it may take a long time for the organ to be removed after the death of the organ donor is confirmed. This type of case is particularly likely to occur in the case of sudden death, accidental death, or other unexpected death.

[0005] If a long time passes between the confirmation of the death of an organ donor and the extraction of their organs, the heat emitted by the corpse during that time will cause the organs left inside the body to decay rapidly. As a result, by the time the organs are extracted, they may have deteriorated to the point where they are no longer suitable for transplantation, and they may no longer be available for transplantation.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an organ cooling method and an organ cooling device that can cool the organ inside the body of an organ donor from the time the death of the organ donor is confirmed until the organ is removed, thereby preventing the organ from decaying.

[0007] Such an object can be achieved by the present invention described below.

[0008] (1) A method for cooling organs in a corpse, comprising immersing the corpse in an ice slurry and circulating blood within the corpse using a blood circulation device, thereby cooling the organs within the corpse.

[0009] (2) The blood circulation device has a tube having both ends connected to the blood vessels of the corpse, and a pump arranged midway along the tube, and by driving the pump, blood is drawn from the corpse through one end of the tube and sent to the corpse through the other end, thereby circulating the blood within the corpse. This is the organ cooling method described in (1) above.

[0010] (3) The organ cooling method according to (2) above, wherein one end of the tube is connected to a vein and the other end is connected to an artery, and the pump is driven to remove blood from the vein and send it to the artery.

[0011] (4) The organ cooling method according to (2) above, wherein one end of the tube is connected to a vein and the other end is connected to an artery, and the pump is driven to remove blood from the artery and send it to the vein.

[0012] (5) The organ cooling method according to (3) or (4), wherein the vein is a vena cava, and the artery is an aorta.

[0013] (6) The organ cooling method according to (2) above, wherein both ends of the tube are connected to a vein.

[0014] (7) The organ cooling method according to (2) above, wherein both ends of the tube are connected to an artery.

[0015] (8) The organ cooling method according to (1), wherein the blood circulation device is a cardiac massager, and the cardiac massager is driven to move the heart of the corpse and circulate the blood within the corpse.

[0016] (9) The organ cooling method according to (1), wherein the melting point of the ice slurry is −25° C. or higher and 0° C. or lower.

[0017] (10) An organ cooling device comprising: a reservoir for storing ice slurry and immersing a corpse in the ice slurry; and a blood circulation device attached to the corpse and circulating blood within the corpse.

[0018] The organ cooling method of the present invention cools the organs inside a corpse by immersing the corpse in ice slurry and circulating blood inside the corpse using a blood circulation device. By forcibly circulating blood inside the corpse in this way, the organs inside the corpse can be cooled via the blood, and the organs can be efficiently cooled from both the surface and the interior of the body. This allows the organs to be cooled to the desired temperature in a shorter time, and the cooled state can be maintained stably. As a result, decay of the organs can be suppressed and the organs can be properly preserved until they are harvested.

[0019] The organ cooling device of the present invention comprises a reservoir for storing ice slurry and immersing a corpse in the ice slurry, and a blood circulation device attached to the corpse for circulating blood within the corpse. With this configuration, the blood circulation device forcibly circulates blood within the corpse, thereby cooling the organs within the corpse via the blood, and efficiently cooling the organs from both the surface and the interior of the body. This allows the organs to be cooled to a desired temperature in a shorter time, and the cooled state can be stably maintained. As a result, decay of the organs can be suppressed, and the organs can be properly preserved until they are harvested.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an organ cooling device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the organ cooling device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the organ cooling device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for connecting a blood circulation device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method for connecting a blood circulation device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a method for connecting a blood circulation device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method for connecting a blood circulation device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a method for connecting a blood circulation device. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an organ cooling device according to a second embodiment.

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An organ cooling method and an organ cooling device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0022] <First embodiment> The organ cooling device 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a storage tank 2 that stores ice slurry S and immerses a corpse H in this ice slurry S, an ice slurry generating device 3 that generates the ice slurry S, and a blood circulation device 4 that is attached to the corpse H and circulates blood within the corpse H.

[0023] The storage tank 2 has dimensions of, for example, approximately 2000 mm to 2500 mm in length, width, and height, 600 mm to 1000 mm, and 400 mm to 800 mm, and is capable of storing one stretched-out corpse H. However, the size of the storage tank 2 is not particularly limited.

[0024] The storage tank 2 is also provided with an inlet 21 into which the ice slurry S is introduced and an outlet 22 from which the ice slurry S is discharged. Although not shown, the storage tank 2 may be provided with a lid that can be used to seal the storage tank 2. This makes the storage tank 2 less susceptible to the effects of outside air temperature, allowing the corpse H to be cooled more quickly. This also makes it less likely for the ice slurry S to spill out of the storage tank 2, facilitating transportation of the organ cooling device 1. It is preferable that the storage tank 2 and the lid each have a high thermal insulation property, for example, by providing a thermal insulating material inside.

[0025] The ice slurry S stored in the storage tank 2 is sherbet-like ice with fine ice particles mixed in a liquid, and is also called slurry ice, ice slurry, or slurry ice. With this type of ice slurry S, the temperature of the ice slurry S is maintained near its melting point until the ice components melt due to the action of latent heat. Because the heat of fusion required to turn a solid (ice) into a liquid (water) is higher than the specific heat of the liquid, the organs of the corpse H can be kept cooled for a longer period of time.

[0026] The raw material for the ice slurry S is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, salt water (brine) is used. By using salt water as the raw material, the ice slurry S has excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, contamination of the corpse H by the ice slurry S can be effectively suppressed. In addition, the melting point of the ice slurry S can be easily adjusted by simply adjusting the salt concentration. Therefore, ice slurry S with a desired melting point can be easily produced. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the ice slurry S can be reduced. However, the raw material for the ice slurry S is not limited to salt water, and can be, for example, water, sugar water, an aqueous NaOH solution, Ca(OH) ２ An aqueous solution, ethylene glycol, etc. may be used. Of course, raw materials other than these may also be used.

[0027] The melting point of the ice slurry S (freezing point of saltwater) is not particularly limited, but is preferably -25°C or higher and 0°C or lower, more preferably -10°C or higher and 0°C or lower, and even more preferably -6°C or higher and -3°C or lower. By setting the melting point of the ice slurry S within this range, the organs within the corpse H can be cooled (supercooled) to a low temperature of 0°C or lower without freezing. This allows the organs within the corpse H to be preserved in a fresh state for a longer period of time. However, the organs of the corpse H may also be rapidly frozen using ice slurry S made from saturated saltwater and having a melting point of approximately -25°C. This method allows the maximum ice crystal formation temperature range to be passed within a short period of time, effectively preventing ice crystals from growing within the organ cells and destroying the cells.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , the ice slurry generating device 3 includes an ice generator 31 that generates ice slurry S from saltwater, a refrigerator 32 that circulates a refrigerant through the ice generator 31, and a pump 33 that circulates saltwater between the storage tank 2 and the ice generator 31. The saltwater supplied to the ice generator 31 by the pump is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator 32, and gradually turns into fine ice (ice crystals). This produces ice slurry S. The produced ice slurry S is discharged from the ice generator 31 and then injected into the storage tank 2 via the inlet 21 for use in cooling the corpse. The ice slurry S used for cooling the corpse is then discharged from the storage tank 2 via the outlet 22 and cooled again by the ice generator 31 to produce new ice slurry S. By circulating the ice slurry S between the ice generator 31 and the storage tank 2 in this manner, the ice content in the ice slurry S can be maintained at an appropriate level. Therefore, the corpse H can be kept cooled for a long period of time.

[0029] However, the ice slurry generator 3 may be omitted. In this case, the ice slurry S may be periodically replaced or replenished as necessary.

[0030] The blood circulation device 4 has a configuration similar to that of an artificial heart-lung machine used during surgery. As shown in FIG. 1 , the device includes a tube 41, both ends of which are connected to the blood vessels of the corpse H via puncture needles or the like, and a pump 42 disposed midway along the tube 41. The tube 41 includes a blood removal tube 411 located upstream of the pump 42 for removing blood from the corpse H, and a blood transfer tube 412 located downstream of the pump 42 for transferring blood to the corpse H. The upstream end of the blood removal tube 411 is connected to the corpse H, and the downstream end is connected to the pump 42. The upstream end of the blood transfer tube 412 is connected to the pump 42, and the downstream end is connected to the corpse H. The pump 42 is, for example, a roller pump or a centrifugal pump. In this configuration, by driving the pump 42, blood is removed from the corpse H through the blood removal tube 411 and transferred to the corpse H through the blood transfer tube 412. This allows blood to circulate within the corpse H. According to this configuration, blood can be circulated within the corpse H more reliably with a simple configuration.

[0031] The organ cooling device 1 has been described above. In this organ cooling device 1, the organs of the corpse H are cooled by immersing the corpse H in ice slurry S stored in the reservoir 2 and circulating blood within the corpse H using the blood circulator 4. According to this method, the blood of the corpse H is forcibly circulated using the blood circulator 4, and the organs of the corpse H are cooled from within the body via the cold blood that exchanges heat with the ice slurry S via the body surface. Therefore, the organs of the corpse H can be cooled from both the body surface and the interior of the body. Therefore, the organs can be cooled to a desired temperature in a shorter time and the temperature of the organs can be maintained stably until the organs are removed. Furthermore, by forcibly circulating the blood of the corpse H using the blood circulator 4, blood coagulation within the corpse H can be suppressed. As a result, putrefaction of the organs can be suppressed and they can be appropriately preserved in a fresh state until they are removed from the corpse H.

[0032] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , at least a portion of the tube 41 of the blood circulation device 4 (at least a portion of the tube 41 excluding both ends connected to the corpse H) is immersed in the ice slurry S. With this configuration, the ice slurry S can efficiently cool the blood flowing through the tube 41, allowing blood at a lower temperature to be sent into the corpse H. Therefore, the organs in the corpse H can be more effectively cooled from within the body via the blood. Note that in this embodiment, the blood transfer tube 412, i.e., the portion of the tube 41 located downstream of the pump 42, is immersed in the ice slurry S, but this is not limiting. For example, the blood removal tube 411, i.e., the portion of the tube 41 located upstream of the pump 42, may be immersed in the ice slurry S, or both the blood removal tube 411 and the blood transfer tube 412 may be immersed in the ice slurry S.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2 , a reservoir 43 for temporarily storing blood removed from the corpse H may be connected to the blood removal tube 411, i.e., to a portion of the tube 41 upstream of the pump 42, and the reservoir 43 may be immersed in the ice slurry S. This configuration allows the blood stored in the reservoir 43 to be cooled, increasing the time available for cooling the blood and allowing the blood to be cooled to a lower temperature. This allows for more effective cooling of the organs within the corpse H via the blood. The reservoir 43 may also be located in the blood transfer tube 412, i.e., to a portion of the tube 41 downstream of the pump 42. The reservoir 43 may also have a filtering function that removes thrombi, clots, tissue fragments, air bubbles, and the like from the blood, in addition to temporarily storing the blood. This allows for smoother blood flow within the corpse H, allowing for more effective cooling of the organs within the corpse H via the blood.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3 , a gas exchange unit 44 (artificial lung) for blood gas exchange may be connected to the blood feed tube 412, i.e., the tube 41 downstream of the pump 42. During surgery on a living body, an artificial lung is used to perform gas exchange by removing carbon dioxide from the blood and supplying oxygen to the blood. However, the type of gas exchanged in the organ cooling device 1 is not particularly limited. For example, carbon dioxide may be removed from the blood and a gas with a higher thermal conductivity than carbon dioxide may be supplied to the blood. This improves the cooling efficiency of the blood, allowing blood at a lower temperature to be delivered to the corpse H. This allows for more effective cooling of the organs in the corpse H via the blood. Gases with a higher thermal conductivity than carbon dioxide (0.0145 W / m·K) are not particularly limited, but nitrogen (0.024 W / m·K) and oxygen (0.0245 W / m·K) are particularly preferred. Nitrogen and oxygen are naturally contained in blood as blood gases, and therefore have excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, deterioration of blood and deterioration of organs caused by blood deterioration can be effectively suppressed.

[0035] Here, the connection points of the tube 41 to the corpse H will be described. The connection points of the tube 41 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the blood removal tube 411 (one end of the tube 41) is connected to the vein H1, and the blood transfer tube 412 (the other end of the tube 41) is connected to the artery H2. That is, blood is removed from the vein H1 and transferred to the artery H2. This method allows blood to circulate from the artery H2 to the vein H1, just as in a living body. This reduces the burden on the corpse H. In particular, in this embodiment, the blood removal tube 411 is connected to the vena cava, and the blood transfer tube 412 is connected to the aorta. Connecting the tube 41 to large blood vessels in this manner allows for efficient blood removal and transfer. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the blood removal tube 411 is connected to the vena cava near the heart H3 (right atrium), and the blood transfer tube 412 is connected to the aorta near the heart H3 (left ventricle). This method allows blood to be supplied to more blood vessels, allowing for efficient cooling of the corpse H overall.

[0036] However, there are no particular limitations on the connection points of the tube 41. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the blood removal tube 411 may be connected to the artery H2, and the blood transfer tube 412 may be connected to the vein H1. In this case, blood is removed from the artery H2 and transferred to the vein H1. Therefore, blood circulates from the vein H1 to the artery H2, in the opposite direction to that in a living body. This method also makes it possible to circulate blood within the corpse H. Furthermore, in this case, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable to connect the blood removal tube 411 to the aorta, particularly near the heart H3, and connect the blood transfer tube 412 to the vena cava, particularly near the heart H3.

[0037] 6, both ends of the tube 41, i.e., the blood removal tube 411 and the blood transfer tube 412, may be connected to the vein H1. In other words, blood may be removed from the vein H1 and transferred to the vein H1. In particular, in the illustrated configuration, both ends of the tube 41 are connected to the vena cava near the heart H3, and the ends of the tube 41 are close to each other. In this case, the direction of blood flow is determined so that blood flows from the right atrium into the heart H3 and is pumped from the left ventricle to the entire body, just like in a living body. This method also allows blood to circulate within the corpse H. In particular, this method allows blood to circulate through the heart H3 and the lungs, thereby more effectively cooling the heart H3 and the lungs than in this embodiment.

[0038] 7, both ends of the tube 41, i.e., the blood removal tube 411 and the blood transfer tube 412, may be connected to the artery H2. In other words, blood may be removed from the artery H2 and transferred to the artery H2. In particular, in the illustrated configuration, both ends of the tube 41 are connected to the aorta near the heart H3, and the ends of the tube 41 are close to each other. In this case, the direction of blood flow is determined so that blood flows from the right atrium into the heart H3 and is pumped from the left ventricle to the entire body, just like in a living body. This method also allows blood to circulate within the corpse H. In particular, this method allows blood to circulate through the heart H3 and the lungs, thereby cooling the heart H3 and the lungs more effectively than in this embodiment.

[0039] Note that, if it is desired to preferentially cool a specific organ, such as the heart H3 or the lungs, over other organs, blood may be preferentially circulated to that organ. For example, if the specific organs are the heart H3 and the lungs, as shown in FIG. 8 , the blood removal tube 411 may be connected to the aorta near the heart H3, and the blood transfer tube 412 may be connected to the vena cava near the heart H3. This allows blood to flow in the following order: pump 42 → vena cava → right atrium → right ventricle → pulmonary artery → lungs → pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta → pump 42. This allows blood to circulate between the heart H3 and the lungs, making it easier to supply cooler blood to the heart H3 and the lungs. This allows preferential cooling of the heart H3 and the lungs.

[0040] The above has described the organ cooling device 1. As described above, the organ cooling method using this organ cooling device 1 cools the organs in the corpse H by immersing the corpse H in ice slurry S and circulating blood within the corpse H using the blood circulator 4. According to this method, the blood of the corpse H is forcibly circulated using the blood circulator 4, and the organs in the corpse H can be cooled from inside the body via the blood cooled by heat exchange with the ice slurry S. This makes it possible to cool the organs in the corpse H from both the surface and the inside of the body. This makes it possible to cool the organs to a desired temperature in a shorter time and maintain a stable temperature until the organs are removed.

[0041] As described above, the blood circulation device 4 has a tube 41, both ends of which are connected to the blood vessels of the corpse H, and a pump 42 disposed midway along the tube 41. By driving the pump 42, blood is drawn from the corpse H at one end of the tube 41 and sent to the corpse H at the other end, thereby circulating blood within the corpse H. This method allows blood to be circulated within the corpse H more reliably with a simple configuration.

[0042] As described above, in the organ cooling method, one end of the tube 41 is connected to the vein H1 and the other end is connected to the artery H2. Then, by driving the pump 42, blood is removed from the vein H1 and sent to the artery H2. This method makes it easy to circulate blood within the corpse H. Furthermore, because blood circulates from the artery H2 to the vein H1, just like in a living body, the burden on the corpse H can be reduced. In particular, by connecting one end of the tube 41 to the vena cava and the other end to the aorta, blood removal and sending can be performed efficiently.

[0043] As described above, in the organ cooling method, one end of the tube 41 is connected to the vein H1 and the other end is connected to the artery H2. Then, by driving the pump 42, blood is drawn from the artery H2 and sent to the vein H1. This method makes it easy to circulate blood within the corpse H.

[0044] As described above, in the organ cooling method, both ends of the tube 41 may be connected to the vein H1. By using this method, blood can be circulated within the corpse H in a simple manner.

[0045] As described above, in the organ cooling method, both ends of the tube 41 may be connected to the artery H2. By using this method, blood can be circulated within the corpse H in a simple manner.

[0046] As mentioned above, the melting point of the ice slurry S is not less than −25° C. and not more than 0° C. This allows the organs of the corpse H to be cooled in a shorter time.

[0047] As described above, the organ cooling device 1 includes the reservoir 2 for storing the ice slurry S and immersing the corpse H in the ice slurry S, and the blood circulator 4 attached to the corpse H for circulating the blood within the corpse H. With this configuration, the blood of the corpse H is forcibly circulated using the blood circulator 4, and the organs within the corpse H can be cooled from the inside of the body via the blood cooled by the ice slurry S. This makes it possible to cool the organs within the corpse H from both the surface and the inside of the body. This allows the organs to be cooled to a desired temperature in a shorter time, and the temperature of the organs can be maintained stably until they are removed.

[0048] Second Embodiment The organ cooling device 1 according to this embodiment is the same as the organ cooling device 1 according to the first embodiment, except for the configuration of the blood circulator 4. In the following description, differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and similar points will not be described again. In each drawing of this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, the blood circulation device 4 of this embodiment is an automatic cardiac massage machine 5 that automatically performs cardiac massage (chest compression) on a corpse H. By using the automatic cardiac massage machine 5 as the blood circulation device 4 in this way, blood can be circulated easily and reliably within the corpse H. The automatic cardiac massage machine 5 has an arch portion 51, a pair of vertical rods 52, and a back plate 53. Of these, the back plate 53 is a plate that supports the lower side of the chest of the corpse H. A pair of vertical rods 52 are detachably connected to both left and right ends of the back plate 53, respectively.

[0050] The arch portion 51 forms an arch shape between itself and the backboard 53 so as to surround the chest of the corpse H, and is positioned across the upper side of the chest of the corpse H. The arch portion 51 is connected to the vertical rod 52 at connection portions 511 located at both left and right ends. The connection portions 511 are ratchets that allow the arch portion 51 to be raised and lowered relative to the vertical rod 52. The center of the arch portion 51 is provided with an impact hammer 54 that protrudes downward, and an elevating mechanism 55 that moves the impact hammer 54 up and down. The impact hammer 54 is the part that is placed against the chest of the corpse H during cardiac massage (chest compression).

[0051] Such an automatic cardiac massager 5 is used, for example, as follows: First, the corpse H is placed on the backboard 53. Next, the vertical rod 52 with the arch portion 51 attached is connected to the backboard 53. Next, the arch portion 51 is pressed down toward the chest of the corpse H, and the impact hammer 54 is brought into contact with the chest of the corpse H. Then, the lifting mechanism 55 vibrates the impact hammer 54 up and down to compress the sternum, thereby repeatedly applying impacts to the heart of the corpse H at regular intervals. This performs a mechanical cardiac massage. As a result, blood is pumped out of the heart H3 and circulates within the corpse H.

[0052] Although the automatic cardiac massage device 5 has been described above, the configuration of the automatic cardiac massage device 5 is not particularly limited.

[0053] The second embodiment as described above can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0054] While the organ cooling method and organ cooling device of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration or process having a similar function. Furthermore, any other configuration or process may be added to the present invention.

[0055] For example, the blood circulation device 4 is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments as long as it can forcibly circulate the blood of the corpse H, and may be configured to, for example, administer an electric shock to the heart of the corpse H to perform electric cardiac massage.

[0056] The organ cooling method of the present invention cools organs within a corpse by immersing the corpse in an ice slurry and circulating blood within the corpse using a blood circulation device. According to this invention, the blood of the corpse is forcibly circulated using the blood circulation device, and the organs within the corpse can be cooled from within the body via the blood cooled by heat exchange with the ice slurry. Therefore, the organs within the corpse can be cooled from both the surface and the interior of the body. As a result, the organs can be cooled to a desired temperature in a shorter time, and the organ temperature can be maintained stably until the organ is removed. Therefore, the organ cooling method of the present invention has industrial applicability.

[0057] The organ cooling device of the present invention comprises a reservoir for storing ice slurry and immersing a corpse in the ice slurry, and a blood circulation device attached to the corpse for circulating blood within the corpse. With this configuration, the blood of the corpse is forcibly circulated using the blood circulation device, and organs within the corpse can be cooled from the inside via the blood cooled by the ice slurry. Therefore, organs within the corpse can be cooled from both the surface and the inside of the corpse. As a result, the organs can be cooled to a desired temperature in a shorter time, and the temperature of the organs can be maintained stably until they are removed. Therefore, the organ cooling device of the present invention has industrial applicability.

[0058] 1...organ cooling device, 2...reservoir, 21...inlet section, 22...outlet section, 3...ice slurry generating device, 31...ice generator, 32...refrigerator, 33...pump, 4...blood circulation device, 41...tube, 411...blood removal tube, 412...blood transfer tube, 42...pump, 43...reservoir, 44...gas exchange section, 5...automatic cardiac massager, 51...arch section, 52...vertical rod, 53...backboard, 54...impact hammer, 55...lifting mechanism, 511...connection section, H...corpse, H1...vein, H2...artery, H3...heart, S...ice slurry

Claims

1. A method for cooling organs in a corpse, comprising immersing the corpse in an ice slurry and circulating blood within the corpse using a blood circulation device to cool the organs within the corpse.

2. The organ cooling method according to claim 1, wherein the blood circulation device comprises a tube having both ends connected to the blood vessels of the corpse and a pump arranged midway along the tube, and by driving the pump, blood is drawn from the corpse through one end of the tube and sent to the corpse through the other end, thereby circulating the blood within the corpse.

3. The organ cooling method according to claim 2, wherein one end of the tube is connected to a vein and the other end is connected to an artery, and blood is drawn from the vein and sent to the artery by driving the pump.

4. The organ cooling method according to claim 2, wherein one end of the tube is connected to a vein and the other end is connected to an artery, and blood is drawn from the artery and sent to the vein by driving the pump.

5. The organ cooling method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the vein is a vena cava, and the artery is an aorta.

6. The organ cooling method according to claim 2, wherein both ends of the tube are connected to a vein.

7. The method for cooling an organ according to claim 2, wherein both ends of the tube are connected to an artery.

8. The organ cooling method according to claim 1, wherein the blood circulation device is a cardiac massager, and driving the cardiac massager moves the heart of the corpse, thereby circulating the blood within the corpse.

9. The organ cooling method according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the ice slurry is -25°C or higher and 0°C or lower.

10. An organ cooling device comprising: a reservoir for storing ice slurry and immersing a corpse in said ice slurry; and a blood circulation device attached to said corpse for circulating blood within said corpse.

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