Scientists have successfully managed to keep a human kidney fully functioning for nearly 24-hours by using a machine called a warm blood preservation machine. The breakthrough may help to preserve donated organs for longer periods of time as well as providing doctors with a method of testing organs to see if they are functioning correctly. The machine, which was developed by technology company TransMedics Inc., uses a heart-like pump to push blood through the organ. The kidney used in the experiment, which was also being fed with oxygen and other nutrients, successfully filtered blood and produced urine for nearly 24-hours. The researchers are now planning to test the machine on more human organs, more than 500 animal organs, including hearts, livers, and lungs have already been tested. TransMedics, who are currently running trials of the machine at nine US and British hospitals, hope to receive FDA approval by next year.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.ap.org on the 25th August 2001
