Abstract: An apparatus for at least one of storage, treatment, assessment and transport of an organ or tissue includes a coolant container configured to cool the organ or tissue, a perfusion circuit configured to perfuse the organ or tissue, and a sample compartment for holding a biological sample. Preferred apparatus has a first internal compartment under a first cover (lid) of the apparatus that includes the coolant container and the sample compartment. The apparatus can include a second internal compartment under a second cover (lid) of the apparatus, the second internal compartment including at least part of the perfusion circuit and a sample compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus for perfusing an organ or tissue includes a perfusion circuit configured to perfuse the organ or tissue; at least one shock and/or tilt detector such as an accelerometer; and a controller. The controller may be configured to control perfusion based upon a signal received from the accelerometer, which may include stopping and/or starting the perfusion based upon the signal. The controller may also or alternatively sense and/or record shocks experienced by the apparatus.

Abstract: Methods of isolating cellular products, such as pancreatic islets, may be used in diabetes research and therapeutic transplantation. The methods may involve providing a tissue having desired cells that are less prone to destructive freezing and undesired cells that are more prone to destructive freezing, or pre-treating a tissue to have such characteristics. The methods may involve freezing the tissue, disrupting the tissue, warming the tissue, and separating the desired cells from undesired cellular material to obtain the cellular product. The methods may thereby provide an enzyme-free or reduced-enzyme method of isolating a cellular product that is more consistent, reliable and less toxic than conventional methods. The methods may also yield an optimum quantity of cellular product that retain sufficient functional integrity to be useful as a transplantation resource.

Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. Viability of the organ may be automatically monitored, preferably by monitoring characteristics of the medical fluid perfusate. The perfusion process can be automatically controlled using a control program.

Abstract: A bag includes an organ transporter compartment to contain an organ transporter disposed in the transporter compartment. The bag may include openings to access portions of the organ transporter, such as a battery or power cable, when the organ transporter is disposed in the bag. The bag may also include a frame and handles. The handles may include structure adapted to mate with handles on the organ transporter. The bag may also include a single cover that provides access to multiple compartments with their own internal covers. Also, the bag may include windows to view documents stored in the bag and/or to view and/or display control panels on the organ transporter.

Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. In perfusion, organ perfusion pressure is preferably controlled in response to a sensor disposed in an end of tubing placed in the organ, by a pneumatically pressurized medical fluid reservoir, providing perfusion pressure fine tuning, overpressurization prevention and emergency flow cut-off. In the hypothermic mode, the organ is perfused with a medical fluid, preferably a simple crystalloid solution containing antioxidants, intermittently or in slow continuous flow. The medical fluid may be fed into the organ from an intermediary tank having a low pressure head to avoid organ overpressurization. Viability of the organ may be automatically monitored, preferably by monitoring characteristics of the medical fluid perfusate.

Abstract: Method for preserving tissue including immersing the tissue in a solution having a cryoprotectant concentration of at least 75% by weight, a cooling step where the tissue is cooled to a temperature between the glass transition temperature of the solution having a cryoprotectant concentration of at least 75% by weight and ?20° C., a storage step where the tissue is stored at a temperature between the glass transition temperature of the solution and ?20° C., a rewarming step, where the tissue is warmed, and a washing step.

Abstract: Methods of monitoring, maintaining, and/or restoring viability of at least one organ in at least one device selected from an organ transporter, perfusion apparatus, cassette, and organ diagnostic apparatus, the methods including monitoring data comprising information relating to events occurring while at least one organ is present in at least one of an organ transporter, perfusion apparatus, cassette, and/or organ diagnostic apparatus to form a data record; and connecting the at least one of the organ transporter, perfusion apparatus, cassette, and/or organ diagnostic apparatus to a network through wiring or wirelessly, and uploading the data record to a database.

Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g., ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures.

Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g., ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures.

Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g., ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures. In the hypothermic mode, the organ is perfused with a medical fluid, preferably a simple crystalloid solution containing antioxidants, intermittently or in slow continuous flow. Viability of the organ may be automatically monitored, preferably by monitoring characteristics of the medical fluid perfusate. The perfusion process can be automatically controlled using a control program.

Abstract: Methods of isolating cellular products, such as pancreatic islets, may be used in diabetes research and therapeutic transplantation. The methods may involve providing a tissue having desired cells that are less prone to destructive freezing and undesired cells that are more prone to destructive freezing, or pre-treating a tissue to have such characteristics. The methods may involve freezing the tissue, disrupting the tissue, warming the tissue, and separating the desired cells from undesired cellular material to obtain the cellular product. The methods may thereby provide an enzyme-free or reduced-enzyme method of isolating a cellular product that is more consistent, reliable and less toxic than conventional methods. The methods may also yield an optimum quantity of cellular product that retain sufficient functional integrity to be useful as a transplantation resource.