This organ storage system can store a heart for additional 4 hours

End-stage heart failure patients require heart transplantation to survive such cases. About 20 people die every day because of the unavailability of organs for donation. The process of surgically removing the heart and contributing it to a patient who is diagnosed with heart failure. There can be multiple reasons that can lead to organ failures such as dilated cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart valves, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and congenital heart disease. Organ failure may also be caused due to birth defects or injuries.

Princy A. J | June 02, 2020

While heart transplantation remains the gold standard surgical treatment for end-stage cardiac failures, preservation of heart grafts is still based on cold ischaemic storage. For years, several experiments on donor selection, immunosuppression treatment, and recipient care did not progress beyond the cold ischaemic storage. The result was that the longer the duration of the cold ischaemic storage had adverse effects on the organ and the transplanted patients.

Transmedics introduced the Organ Care System which is a medical device to allow donor organs to be stored for a longer period of time before the transplant. This system works on the old-fashioned technique of preserving organs. The organs are frozen first and then transferred to an atmosphere where the blood of the donor is perfused through the organs while maintaining the temperature to that of the human body.

The OCS Heart as it's called by Transmedics is the only device that's approved by the FDA currently which can be stored used as well as freshly harvested donor hearts. It is warm perfusion that comes with a monitoring system that's specially designed to provide the donor heart a metabolically active state and a healthy human environment. It keeps a tight observation of the vital factors that affect the functioning of the heart. This information helps the physicians make a better medical judgment while considering a potentially suitable heart's condition and other possibilities. The OCS Heart is restricted to use in the United States only, by the federal law for investigational use as it is also an investigational device.

Many companies have stepped up and contributed to the advancement and development of organ care systems over the past few years. Paragonix Technologies Inc. and TransMedics Inc. are beginning with various strategies to strengthen their presence such as new product development, R&D activities and regional expansions. The growing burden of cardiac deaths worldwide, reducing post-transplantation complications and shortening the length of hospital stay is expected to drive the market organ care system for the heart.

According to a report, which was published by Research Dive, the market for organ care systems for the heart is growing at a very high rate. The global market for heart organ care system is estimated to garner a revenue of $37.2 million and grow at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2018 to 2026. The growth rate is accelerated mainly due to patients with cardiovascular diseases are on the rise all over the world. But the rate of medically validated donors is moderately much lower than that. Therefore, innovations and advancements have been made in the organ care system over the past few years to meet the demand of donor's hearts.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.