Technology against organ shortage – Support for the transplant
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Image: A person in a white t-shirt is holding an anatomical model of the kidney in front of their abdomen; Copyright: PantherMedia/benschonewille

Topic of the Month January 2022

Technology against organ shortage – Support for the successful transplant

The waiting time for a donor organ is long nowadays since the need for organs vastly exceeds their availability. But we have possibilities to improve the situation and help as many people as possible to survive despite organ failure: Some organ functions can already be substituted by technology. But medicine is also researching ways to make more organs available for transplant. Read more about some of the ideas behind this in our Topic of the Month.

Donor organs: Solving the shortage with technology
Image: Man with a bare upper-body is showing an implanted cardiac support system; Copyright: PantherMedia/NikD51
Patients waiting for a donor organ must have a lot of patience and a bit of luck. Aging and a rise in chronic disease prevalence means the need for donor organs is much greater than the number that is available. To help those who need organ transplants, scientists must create new technologies.
Read the article about technical solutions for organ shortage here

Machine Perfusion: Increasing the Safety of Marginal Organ Transplants
Image: A normothermic perfusion machine; Copyright: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

The shortage of donor organs is a major global issue. An aging population, a reluctance towards organ donation, and logistical challenges related to organ shipping play an important role in this setting. Machine perfusion can be a way to expand and preserve the donor pool for eligible transplant recipients.
Read the interview with Dr. Nathanael Raschzok here

COPD: How long before the implantable lung is here?
Image: Image showing part of an ECMO machine – a square part through which blood is channeled; Copyright: PantherMedia/Richmanphoto
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often a last resort treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure. The method uses an external pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream. However, the use of ECMO for long-term support is not possible for patients with chronic respiratory failure.
Read the interview with Prof. Rolf Rossaint here

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