Portable Normothermic Limb Perfusion Machine for Tissue Viability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preserving detached biological tissues, such as limbs or organs, are limited by cold storage, which cannot prevent tissue damage from ischemia and reperfusion injury, leading to short storage times and reduced success rates for transplantation or replantation.
Innovation Solution
A portable, ex vivo, normothermic perfusion machine that continuously perfuses detached biological tissues with a physiologic perfusate, maintaining a normothermic environment and monitoring metabolic and physiologic parameters to adjust perfusion conditions and extend tissue viability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If cold storage is used to preserve detached biological tissues, then storage time is extended slightly, but tissue damage from ischemia and reperfusion injury occurs and storage time remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of preservation temperature from cold storage (low temperature) to normothermic conditions (physiologic temperature around 37°C). This parameter change allows the tissue to maintain metabolic function and prevents ischemic damage while extending storage time from hours to days, directly resolving the contradiction between storage duration and tissue damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous perfusion of the detached biological tissue with oxygenated perfusate, maintaining uninterrupted metabolic activity. This continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients prevents ischemic injury and extends viable storage time, addressing both the duration extension and damage prevention goals
2Duration of action of stationary object
If normothermic perfusion is implemented to maintain physiologic metabolism, then tissue viability is extended, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The perfusion system is designed with multi-functionality, integrating temperature control, oxygenation, perfusate delivery, and monitoring capabilities into a single unified platform. This universal design achieves extended tissue viability while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate independent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control mechanisms that automatically monitor tissue parameters and adjust perfusion conditions in real-time without requiring constant manual intervention. This self-regulating capability extends tissue viability while reducing the operational complexity burden
3Ease of operation
If portable design is implemented for mobility, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple essential functions (perfusion pump, oxygenation system, temperature control, monitoring sensors, and power supply) into a single integrated portable unit. This merging of functions improves ease of operation and mobility while managing complexity through unified system architecture rather than separate components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution extends the storage life of detached biological tissues by maintaining physiologic metabolism, reducing tissue damage, and allowing for longer preservation times, thereby improving the success rates of transplantation and replantation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a perfusion core adapted to maintain the normothermic environment for the detached biological tissue by pumping a perfusate through the detached biological tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A portable, ex vivo perfusion system for preserving detached biological tissue includes a receptacle for housing the tissue in a normothermic environment, a perfusion core to pump perfusate through the tissue via at least one conduit, at least one detection device to measure parameters during perfusion, and at least one parameter control device to maintain the parameter in a predetermined threshold. The system also include a controller with instructions to receive the measured parameters, compare the parameters to predetermined thresholds, and when the parameters are outside the thresholds change an output of the at least one parameter control device to get the parameters within the threshold and alert a user that parameters were outside the thresholds.