Summary:
A team of biomedical engineers from the United Kingdoms have developed a machine, the OrganOx metra, that preserves livers once outside of the body. This machine effectively keeps the liver working as if it were still inside a human body and preserves the liver much more efficiently than the time honored method of throwing it into a pile of ice. Using ice is much more inefficient and the United States and Europe throw away 2,000 freeze-burned livers a year, which is a real shame to the 1,500 Americans that die while waiting for a liver transplant. The OrganOx metra keeps tabs on and records real-time information on pressures, flows, temperature, blood gases, pH levels and bile production. Surgeons no longer have to rush to find a suitable match and instead can take more time to find the best match making time less important.
Relevance:
In class we had a lab and lab practical where we dissected a rat and observed its digestive system which included the liver as its main fat breaking organ. We discussed how the liver produced bile in class and how the bile in turn broke down the fats. The textbook had some pages that we took outlines on about the liver and how its bile was stored in the gall bladder and then secreted into the duodenum to break down fats.
Information
Date Published: April 10, 2013 at 9:23 A.M.
Posted By: Jason Bittel
Is there a machine like this one that can allow a human heart to function properly without being inside a human?
ReplyDeleteWhat other human organs have machines that allow them to function outside of the human body?
ReplyDelete