The transport of donated organs for transplant is typically managed by placing the organ in a sealed plastic sleeve on ice in an icebox. Under these conditions, organs begin to deteriorate because they are starved of oxygen and nutrients (ischemia). Hearts for example deteriorate rapidly after 4 hours to a point where they are no longer viable for transplant use. Other organs are more robust but all deteriorate in the absence of oxygen and nutrients. As a result, only the healthiest donor organs are accepted for transplant hoping that most will survive the trauma of transport and transplant. Organ retrieval and transplant units have developed sophisticated logistics to minimise transport time so that the organ is in a condition fit for transplant when it is received by the transplant surgeon.
A range of technologies have been developed internationally to limit ischemia and therefore extend the time during which an organ can remain viable for transplant. This would for example, enable organs to be transported across continents rather than with a localised radius limited by transport distance and/or time. Some technologies try and mimic internal body processes by attaching the organ to a blood pump device on the basis that the blood is the most efficient mechanism to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the organ and that the organ is uniquely adapted to optimising oxygen and nutrients from blood (normothermic technologies). Other technologies are premised on the basis that organs can be survive for long periods in a resting state (ie without beating) provided they are cooled to reduce metabolism and have enough oxygen and nutrients to remain health in this condition (hypothermic technologies). A subset of technologies immerse the organ in an oxygen and nutrient rich solution (immersion technologies). Another set of technologies actively pump this type of solution through the organs vasculature to optimise the organ’s absorption of oxygen and nutrients (cold perfusion technologies).
Organ Transport t/a Vital Organ Technologies (VOT) is a patented cold perfusion technology. Unlike normothermic technologies, it is designed to compete with the humble ice-box so that is portable, light weight, simple to operate, and low cost (like some hypothermic technologies) which allows it to be transported in a commercial airline seat, but also enables an extended period (12hrs+) of organ viability during which the organ recovers its condition and maintains a metabolic and functional condition suitable for transplant. These features underpin its patented and market-leading innovations.
The VOT technology leverages 10+ years of R&D and support from eminent transplant surgeons and researchers from the Alfred Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Monash University, and the Victorian Government, and more recently the Baker Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia Health & Medical Research Institute.
The VOT technology appeals to transplant specialists who want a portable and reliable device that can maintain organs in this condition over extended periods and relieve the time pressure for transplant recipients and transplant units who are both always on call, and give donor families the confidence that donated organs have a high chance that they will be used to save the lives of others. Hospital administrators want a low cost device like the icebox that delivers the above benefits – transplant units and organ transplants are inevitably very high cost procedures. The community wants transplant waiting lists reduced so that patients who need hearts or patients on long-term dialysis who need kidneys can get a transplant when they need it from wherever suitable donor organs become available.
Triple Innovation has been assisting VOT with R&D, grants and preparing for capital raising as well as organisational support to a committed and resilient management team and a committed design partner (Design + Industry) – the core ingredients for success.