Normothermic Tissue Perfusion Pump for Objective Viability Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tissue preservation and assessment in transplantation face challenges such as cold storage-induced injury, inefficient tissue screening, and high discard rates due to biased screening systems, leading to suboptimal utilization of donated tissues.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for tissue perfusion using a pump system with a pumping cassette, controller, and flow sensors to maintain and rehabilitate tissues by simulating body circulation, monitoring health, and providing real-time assessment through sensors for glucose, pH, and other vital parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If cold storage is used for tissue preservation during transport, then tissue can be stored and transported logistically, but tissue injury occurs and metabolic activity stops making health assessment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from cold storage (below 10°C) to normothermic conditions (37°C), transforming the preservation environment from static and injurious to dynamic and metabolically active, thereby resolving the contradiction between preservation duration and tissue injury
Solution Approach 2:
The tissue serves itself by maintaining its own metabolic functions through normothermic perfusion, producing endogenous waste products and consuming nutrients autonomously, which enables real-time health assessment without external intervention
2Reliability
If biased screening systems are used for tissue selection, then risk-averse doctors can make conservative decisions, but discard rates increase and viable tissues are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces real-time feedback through continuous monitoring of metabolic parameters (glucose consumption, lactate production, pH levels), providing objective data that overrides subjective bias and enables accurate differentiation between viable and non-viable tissues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/screening-based selection system with a biochemical assessment system that directly measures tissue metabolism, substituting subjective decision-making with objective physiological measurement
3Adaptability or versatility
If incremental portions of supportive tissue are cut or altered during connection and reconnection, then support means can be reconfigured for transplantation, but available supportive tissue is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary reconfiguration of supportive tissues during the ex vivo perfusion phase before transplantation, allowing all necessary surgical modifications to be completed while the tissue is accessible and metabolically active, thereby eliminating the need for incremental cutting during subsequent connection procedures
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
The system minimizes hemolysis, maintains tissue vitality, enables quantitative health assessment, and optimizes tissue performance through nutrient supply and metabolic activity, reducing discard rates and improving transplantation success.
Implementation Method 1
pump system with a pumping cassette, controller, and flow sensors to maintain and rehabilitate tissues by simulating body circulation
Implementation Method 2
monitoring health, and providing real-time assessment through sensors for glucose, pH, and other vital parameters
Data Source
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AI summary
A pump system for minimizing cell damage to tissue awaiting transplantation. The pump system comprises: at least one pumping cassette configured to pump perfusate, the at least one pumping cassette including two pumping chambers, the two pumping chambers each including a fluid side and a pneumatic side; at least one controller configured to control the least one pumping cassette; and at least one flow sensor configured to measure the flow rate and pressure of the perfusate. The at least one controller, controls operation of the at least one pumping cassette by adjusting the flow rate and the pressure based at least on a thermal profile of the perfusate or a measured resistance of the tissue.