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Research Organ Preservation and Resuscitation Facility

Research Organ Preservation and Resuscitation Facility

Ex-situ perfusion technology to study organ function Facility
Ex-situ perfusion technology to study organ function
Initiated by the clinical need for improved organ preservation the UMCG develops novel machine perfusion technologies. Some already made its way into the operating theatres around the world. Next generation perfusion machines, viability measurements and sensors are being developed that can be used for organ transplantation and beyond.

The research Organ Preservation and Resuscitation (r-OPR) offers a platform for researchers to further improve organ quality in order to increase transplantation outcome. We offer ex-situ perfusion technology for organ derived from small animals (mice and rats) but also large animals (pigs and sheep).

Organ Machine Perfusion: the key to evaluate and recondition organs for transplant

The UMCG is the most prominent transplant center in the Netherlands and is the only center licensed to perform all forms of solid organ transplantation. The Achilles heel of transplantation is the lack of suitable donor organs. This world-wide problem forces transplant doctors to accept organs that are of suboptimal quality. Initiated 20 years ago, researchers, engineers and transplant clinicians work together to develop techniques to improve organ quality.

Organ preservation: Bridging between donor and recipient

Improving preservation technology is the first step to provide more good quality organs. In the r-OPR novel preservation solutions can be investigated. This includes pharmacological interventions.

Viability testing: Test-drive

Unfortunately there are currently limited possibilities to judge the quality of a transplant organ prior to the actual implantation and reperfusion. This means that in some cases organ function of a transplant is disappointingly inferior but also that out of risk-avoidance organs are discarded for transplantation. The possibility to test-drive organs prior to transplantation does not only enlarge the pool of suitable organs but also reduces the number of sub-optimal transplantation. In the r-OPR viability testing is possible using tailor-made set-ups but also using clinical devices.

Organ Rescucitation: repair of pre-injured organs in a secure environment

Given the scarcity of organs we aim to repair or recondition organs that suffered from injury during organ retrieval and preservation. Although the technology is still in its infancy the potential reaches far beyond current practice.

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The use of normothermic kidney perfusion is an important step towards pre-transplant organ quality assessment and conditioning. The model can however also be used to investigate pharmacological treatments on healthy and controlled injury kidneys.

Research is critical to increase the number of transplantable organs and the quality of the organs

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Acces to r-OPR

The r-OPR can be booked by sending an email to the facility manager for an intake. Depending on the research question you will be advised by one of the perfusion specialists which set-up to use and if needed adaptations can be made.

Send an email to book the facility, contact information can be found down below.

  • Before you can use the devices you will have to follow an introduction training. While the “clinical devices” are rather self-explanatory, the experimental set-ups require more instructions and technical support.

    • A detailed protocol will have to be provided to the facility manager including a time schedule.
    • After approval you are welcome to execute your experiment.
    • Since the r-OPR is situated in the Surgical Research Laboratory you will also be held to ISO standards and the rules and regulations of the Surgical Lab.

Experimental Kidney Perfusion Setups

  • What it is for:
    Perfusion of rat kidneys in an experimental non-sterile manner.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, membrane oxygenator, roller pump, infusion line), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control unit for pump, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, a heat exchanger, and a portable heater.

  • What it is for:
    Perfusion of porcine kidneys in an experimental non-sterile manner.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, oxygenator, pump, infusion line), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control unit for pump, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, a heat exchanger, and a portable heater.

    Several models are available with different specs depending on the research question.

Experimental Liver Perfusion Setups

  • What it is for:
    Dual (portal and arterial) perfusion of rat livers in an experimental non-sterile manner.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, membrane oxygenators, roller pumps, infusion line), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control unit for pump, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, a heat exchanger, and a portable heater.

  • What it is for:
    Perfusion of porcine livers in a clinical sterile manner.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, hollow fiber oxygenators, arterial filter, pumps, infusion line), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control units for pumps, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, sample line, and a heat exchanger.

Experimental Lung Perfusion Setups

  • What it is for:
    Perfusion of rat lungs in an experimental non-sterile manner.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, membrane oxygenators, roller pumps, infusion line), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control unit for pump, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, ventilator, a heat exchanger, and a portable heater.

  • What it is for:
    Perfusion of sheep lungs in a clinical protocol.

    Specifications:
    Consists of the organ chamber, perfusion circuit (tubing, oxygenators, arterial filter, leukocyte filter, pump, infusion line, venous reservoir), sensors (pressure, flow, and temperature), control unit for pump, pressure and flow, continuous infusion pump, sample line, and a heat exchanger.