COUNTDOWN

 

In organ transplantation, everything counts. Every organ, every second, every person, and every penny.

Some companies are approaching the organ preservation challenge largely from an engineering perspective. We have challenged ourselves to develop a system that also acknowledges real world resource constraints. In achieving this we see an opportunity to gain market share and increase the effective size of the organ preservation market.

 

1: TOO FEW ORGANS

Organ transplant therapy offers longer life expectancy, improved quality of life, and reduced healthcare costs. 

But the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases linked to demographic and lifestyle issues means that demand for viable organs far outstrips supply. Each year, thousands of people fail to receive transplants while they are still well enough.

 
ice+box.jpg

2: TOO LITTLE TIME

Static Cold Storage (aka an ice box) preservation systems still dominate the market. Unfortunately this technique cannot be relied upon to maintain organ viability for periods longer than a few hours. A high percentage of organs therefore reach their recipient in sub-optimal condition. This can have long term implications for clinical outcomes.

Healthcare providers struggle to transplant organs during normal working hours, especially in larger countries such as the USA. Many potentially life-giving organs are never even recovered.

 
OR+zoom.jpg

3: MONEY, SPACE & SKILLED STAFF

While devices already exist that can preserve certain organs for longer periods (24h+), the widespread deployment of these technologies across healthcare systems is unlikely. Why?

  1. Their complexity means that they are expensive to develop, manufacture and acquire

  2. Their large size means they take up valuable space in (already crowded) operating rooms

  3. They rely heavily on the support of scarce and overworked Transplant Teams.