Method for preserving mammalian organs

Abstract

The method of the invention for preserving mammalian organs comprises two steps, one being the step of dehydration in which an organ having a physiologically normal water content is deprived of water in an amount of at least about 25% by weight of the total weight of the organ before dehydration such that water is left intact in an amount of at least from about 10 to about 20% by weight of the total content of water before dehydration, the step of dehydration being followed by the step of immersing the dehydrated organ in an inert medium and maintaining it at a chill temperature.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for preserving mammalian organs which comprises two steps, one of dehydrating an organ to remove water but leave intact an amount of water that permits later resuscitation and the other of immersing the organ in an inert medium and maintaining it at a chill temperature or below.  
     
     
         2 . A method for preserving mammalian organs which comprises two steps, one being the step of dehydration in which an organ having a physiologically normal water content is deprived of water in an amount of at least about 25% by weight of the total weight of the organ before dehydration such that water is left intact in an amount of at least from about 10 to about 20% by weight of the total content of water before dehydration, the step of dehydration being followed by the step of immersing the dehydrated organ in an inert medium and maintaining it at a chill temperature.  
     
     
         3 . A method for preserving mammalian organs which comprises three steps, the first for removing blood from the heart by flushing with physiological saline until the blood in the heart is replaced by the physiological saline, the second for depriving the flushed heart of water in an amount of from about 25 to about 60% by weight of the total weight of the heart before dehydration, and the third for immersing the dehydrated heart in an inert medium and maintaining it in the state of apparent death at a chill temperature between about 2 and about 4° C.  
     
     
         4 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of dehydration includes bringing a dehydrator into contact with the organ.  
     
     
         5 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of dehydration includes withdrawing water from within the organ through channels in the vascular system in said organ.  
     
     
         6 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of dehydration includes feeding a gas into the vascular system in the organ.  
     
     
         7 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of dehydration includes feeding air into the vascular system in the organ.  
     
     
         8 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of dehydration includes feeding an O 2 -based gaseous mixture of O 2  and CO 2  into the vascular system in the organ.  
     
     
         9 . The method of preservation according to  claim 6 , wherein a gas is flushed into the aorta of the organ and the resulting flow of said gas is used to withdraw water from within blood vessels.  
     
     
         10 . The method of preservation according to any one of claims  1 - 3 , wherein trehalose is dissolved in said physiological saline.  
     
     
         11 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein a liquid perfluorocarbon is used as said inert medium.  
     
     
         12 . The method of preservation according to  claim 1 , wherein said organ is selected from the group consisting of the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and lungs.  
     
     
         13 . A preserved mammalian organ which is deprived of water in an amount of at least about 25% by weight of its physiologically normal, total weight while leaving water intact in an amount of at least from about 10 to about 20% by weight of the total water content in the organ which is then immersed in an inert medium and maintained at a chill temperature or below.  
     
     
         14 . The preserved organ according to  claim 13 , which is selected from the group consisting of the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and lungs.  
     
     
         15 . A method for organ transplantation, in which an organ preserved by the method according to  claim 1  or the preserved organ according to  claim 13  is resuscitated by irrigating the vascular system in either of said organs with body fluid or a substitute body fluid, each being near at body temperature, and the resuscitated organ or a tissue thereof is transplanted into the human body.