LifePort Kidney Transporter

Compared to the standard method for preserving kidneys between donor and recipient surgeries—icebox storage—the LifePort Kidney Transporter improves kidney preservation, evaluation and transport prior to transplantation. Because they are accustomed to having blood flowing through them, the organs quickly start to deteriorate when that doesn’t happen. With LifePort’s special sealed and sterile cooler, a solution is gently pumped through the kidney at cold temperatures to minimize damage while the organ is being transported. The LifePort also records data on temperature, flow rate, vascular resistance and pressure every 10 seconds. Kidneys transported in the LifePort device have been shown to be 48 percent less likely to fail within the first year after the transplant than those preserved by the traditional icebox method.

Credit: IDEO Design Team and Organ Recovery Systems for Organ Recovery Systems

Contact: Katie Clark: kclark@ideo.com