Simple Automatic Perfusion System for salvage after cardiac arrest

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Extracorporeal support (ECPR) improves survival in resuscitation from cardiac arrest from 5% to 30%. Extracorporeal support facilitates the salvage of donor organs after cardiac death (DCD). The Institute of Medicine report states that innovative methods to salvage DCD organs are the highest priority in organ transplantation. However ECS is rarely used for these applications. The limiting factor is the need for a simple automatic perfusion system which is inherently safe, can be initiated by paramedical personnel, and provides full support without operator intervention. MC3 is uniquely positioned to develop such a device. The research team at the University of Michigan has demonstrated that ECPR is feasible and results in 30% healthy survival. The same team has shown that mechanical organ perfusion after death by cardiac arrest (DCD-ECS) restores liver and kidney function to transplantable status. Moreover, after transplantation these DCD-ECS organs are even more successful than organs from heart-beating brain dead donors. The goal of this research project is to design and produce a simple Automatic Perfusion System (APS) for extracorporeal support to facilitate ECPR and organ salvage from donors after cardiac arrest. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The goal of this research project is to design and produce a simple Automatic Perfusion System (APS) for extracorporeal support as an adjunct to CPR in cardiac arrest, and to facilitate organ salvage from donors after cardiac arrest. ECPR can increase healthy survival in arrest from 5% to 30%. Salvaging organs from cardiac arrest donors could increase the availability of organs tenfold.