TransMedics Offers New Organ Care Technology

US medical device company TransMedics has unveiled a new technology that can help human heart transplants. The Organ Care System (OCS) keeps organs in a functioning state during transport from organ donor to recipient. It was designed to improve organ availability for the rising number of patients suffering from organ failure.

According to Business Review Australia, OCS has been used in 15 heart operations in Australia and the United Kingdom. “OCS, a AUD$250,000 device, essentially consists of a sterile chamber containing oxygen, blood and nutrient supply to the heart which keeps the heart pumping outside of the human body until it is ready for transplant,” the publication wrote.

Dr. Stephen Large, a surgeon at Papworth Hospital in the UK, said the machine allows resuscitation of the heart thus restoring its energy. Dr. Large has used OCS in eight heart transplant operations.

Photo by: U.S. Pacific Fleet