This project addresses a critical health problem of global significance - the shortage of organs for transplantation. For the better part of four decades, human organ supply has not kept pace with demand.
Currently only a small fraction of organs are retrieved from donation after circulatory death (DCD) even though this is the most common type of death. It is quoted that more than 60% of the hearts and lungs must be discarded annually.
New technologies are desperately required to expand the much needed pool of transplant organs.
We have identified a technology solution to assess and validate a patient's tissue (organ) viability and integrity.
Our approach is disruptive and will:
(1) afford quality organ harvesting;
(2) expand the pool of 'much-needed' organs among donation from circulatory death;
(3) reduce organ discard;
(4) reduce financial impact upon healthcare systems;
(5) enhance outcomes for recipient patients; and
(6) facilitate research in an area that can save tens of thousands of lives annually.