Patent US2855324A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3881990A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of transporting and storing organs while retaining the organs in a viable condition
Assignee: Waters Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1973-09-26
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Granted: 1975-05-06
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Expires: 1993-09-26
Abstract
Abstract In maintaining organs in a viable condition during transport and subsequently in a hospital, the organ is placed in a cassette of a transport module, the cassette having an organ receiving chamber, a venous reservoir, an oxygenator, a pulsatile pump head and a heat exchanger. After transport the cassette is removed from the transport module and placed in an in-hospital support module. Each of the modules has a pulsatile pump chamber, a gas source for supplying oxygen, a cooling source to furnish a cooling fluid to the heat exchanger, and pressure, temperature and pump rate controls.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas A Burton
- 👤 Allen W Moberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:53
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01N; A01N1/00; A01N1/10; A01N1/14; A01N1/146; A01N1/148; A01N1/142; A01N1/143
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
IN THE METHOD OF PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING AN ORGAN IN A VIABLE STATE IN A CASSETTE THAT HAS A PERFUSATE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES AN ORGAN CHAMBER, A VENOUS RESERVIOR, AN OXYGENATOR, A HEAT EXCHANGER, AND AN ARTERIAL RESERVOIR, PLACING THE CASSETTE IN A MANUALLY PORTABLE TRANSPORT MODULE THAT HAS A COOLING FLUID SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING COOLING FLUID TO THE CASSETTE HEAT EXCHANGER AND AN OXYGEN SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING OXYGEN TO THE CASSETTE, TRANSPORTING THE COMBINATION OF THE CASSETTE AND TRANSPORT MODULE TO THE SITE OF A DONOR ORGAN, PLACING THE DONOR ORGAN IN THE ORGAN CHAMBER, AND CONNECTING THE ORGAN IN THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM TO PERFUSE THE ORGAN, TRANSPORTING THE COMBINATION OF THE CASSETTE AND TRANSPORT MODULE TO AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT SITE THAT IS REMOTE FROM SAID SITE OF THE DONOR ORGAN, REMOVING THE CASSETTE WITH THE ORGAN THEREIN FROM THE TRANSPORT MODULE AT THE TRANSPLANT SITE, AND WHILE THE ORGAN IS CONNECTED IN THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, MANUALLY TRANSFERRING THE CASSETTE FROM THE TRANSPORT MODULE TO AN INHOSPTIAL SUPPORT UNIT THAT HAS SOURCES FOR SUPPLYING COOLING FLUID AND OXYGEN TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND OXYGENATOR RESPECTIVELY.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
IN THE METHOD OF PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING AN ORGAN IN A VIABLE STATE IN A CASSETTE THAT HAS A PERFUSATE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES AN ORGAN CHAMBER, A VENOUS RESERVIOR, AN OXYGENATOR, A HEAT EXCHANGER, AND AN ARTERIAL RESERVOIR, PLACING THE CASSETTE IN A MANUALLY PORTABLE TRANSPORT MODULE THAT HAS A COOLING FLUID SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING COOLING FLUID TO THE CASSETTE HEAT EXCHANGER AND AN OXYGEN SOURCE FOR SUPPLYING OXYGEN TO THE CASSETTE, TRANSPORTING THE COMBINATION OF THE CASSETTE AND TRANSPORT MODULE TO THE SITE OF A DONOR ORGAN, PLACING THE DONOR ORGAN IN THE ORGAN CHAMBER, AND CONNECTING THE ORGAN IN THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM TO PERFUSE THE ORGAN, TRANSPORTING THE COMBINATION OF THE CASSETTE AND TRANSPORT MODULE TO AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT SITE THAT IS REMOTE FROM SAID SITE OF THE DONOR ORGAN, REMOVING THE CASSETTE WITH THE ORGAN THEREIN FROM THE TRANSPORT MODULE AT THE TRANSPLANT SITE, AND WHILE THE ORGAN IS CONNECTED IN THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, MANUALLY TRANSFERRING THE CASSETTE FROM THE TRANSPORT MODULE TO AN INHOSPTIAL SUPPORT UNIT THAT HAS SOURCES FOR SUPPLYING COOLING FLUID AND OXYGEN TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND OXYGENATOR RESPECTIVELY.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized in the step of pumping perfusate to the organ during the transport step from the donor site to the transplant site, discontinuing pumping perfusate during the transfer step and resume pumping perfusate to the organ in the cassette after the cassette has been transferred from the transport module to the in-hospital unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized in that during the step of transporting said combination from the donor site to the transplant site, the step of supplying a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen in contact with the oxygenator from a single source of a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the transport module.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
142 words
In the method of maintaining an organ in a viable state, placing an organ in a cassette at an organ donor site including connecting the organ in the cassette perfusate circulatory system that includes a venous reservoir, an oxygenator and an arterial reservoir, transporting the cassette with the organ therein in a manually transportable transport module that has sources for supplying oxygen and cooling fluid to the cassette from the donor site to a remote in-hospital transplant site and at the transplant site transferring the cassette from the transport module to an in-hospital support unit that has a source for supplying cooling fluid to the cassette and a source for supplying oxygen to the cassette including supplying cooling fluid and oxygen to the cassette from said unit sources, the last mentioned transferring step including retaining the organ connected in said circulatory system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
In the method of maintaining an organ in a viable state, placing an organ in a cassette at an organ donor site including connecting the organ in the cassette perfusate circulatory system that includes a venous reservoir, an oxygenator and an arterial reservoir, transporting the cassette with the organ therein in a manually transportable transport module that has sources for supplying oxygen and cooling fluid to the cassette from the donor site to a remote in-hospital transplant site and at the transplant site transferring the cassette from the transport module to an in-hospital support unit that has a source for supplying cooling fluid to the cassette and a source for supplying oxygen to the cassette including supplying cooling fluid and oxygen to the cassette from said unit sources, the last mentioned transferring step including retaining the organ connected in said circulatory system.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 4 further characterized in that the transporting step includes applying a pump pressure to the perfusate in the circulatory system from a source contained in the transport module and supplying oxygen and cooling fluid to the cassette from the transport unit, and that after the transferring step, applying a pump pressure to the perfusate in the circulatory system from a source in the in-hospital unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method of claim 1 further characterized in the steps of conducting oxygen from the transport module oxygen source to the oxygenator and cooling fluid from the transport module cooling fluid source to the heat exchanger while the organ is in the circulatory system and the cassette is in the transport module; discontinuing the conduction of oxygen and cooling fluid from the respective transport module source to the oxygenator and heat exchanger prior to the transfer step, and after the transfer step conducting oxygen and cooling fluid from the respective support unit source to the oxygenator and heat exchanger respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
162 words
In the method of maintaining an organ in a viable state in a cassette that has an organ perfusate circulatory system, including an organ chamber; at an organ donor site, placing the organ in the organ chamber including connecting the organ in the circulatory system, transporting the cassette with the organ connected in the circulatory system in a manually transportable transport unit from the donor site to a remote in-hospital transplant site, including circulating an oxygenated liquid through the circulatory system to the organ; and supplying oxygen from the transport module to the circulatory system to replenish the oxygen in the system; at the transplant site while the organ is still connected in the circulatory system, transferring the cassette from the transport unit to an in-hospital support unit; and while the cassette is in the support unit, circulating an oxygenated liquid through the circulatory system to the organ and supplying oxygen to the circulatory system to replenish the oxygen in the system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
162 words
In the method of maintaining an organ in a viable state in a cassette that has an organ perfusate circulatory system, including an organ chamber; at an organ donor site, placing the organ in the organ chamber including connecting the organ in the circulatory system, transporting the cassette with the organ connected in the circulatory system in a manually transportable transport unit from the donor site to a remote in-hospital transplant site, including circulating an oxygenated liquid through the circulatory system to the organ; and supplying oxygen from the transport module to the circulatory system to replenish the oxygen in the system; at the transplant site while the organ is still connected in the circulatory system, transferring the cassette from the transport unit to an in-hospital support unit; and while the cassette is in the support unit, circulating an oxygenated liquid through the circulatory system to the organ and supplying oxygen to the circulatory system to replenish the oxygen in the system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 7 further characterized in that the transporting step includes cooling the liquid in the circulatory system by using a source of cooling medium external to the cassette and in the transport unit, and that while the cassette is in the support unit, cooling the liquid in the circulatory system by using a source of cooling medium external to the cassette and in the support unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method of claim 7 further characterized in that the transporting step includes applying a pumping pressure to the circulatory system from a source external to the cassette and in the transport unit to force liquid to flow through the system to the organ; and after the transferring step, applying a pumping pressure from a source external to the cassette and in the support unit to force liquid to flow through the system to the organ.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the support unit is of a much larger size than the transport module.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3772153A
Cited
US3632473A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-05 | 1978-11-04 | 1979-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-05 | 1982-11-04 | 1983-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-05 | 1986-11-04 | 1987-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |