The University of Washington Medical Center performed the first successful transplant surgery in the U.S. which used a beating heart that arrived at the hospital in a small box.
GeekWire news partner KING5 details how Washington resident Ted Daniels became the first patient in the U.S. to participate in a new clinical trial that tests technology developed by TransMedics, a Massachusetts-based company behind OCS Heart.
The device uses a combination of tubing and oxygen to pump blood and electrolytes into hearts from recently deceased patients. Also known as “heart in a box” in medical terms, the innovative device helps the organ stay usable for longer periods of time, which could allow donors to receive the right transplant no matter where they are in the country.
The video below from the UW shows how the heart arrived and was transported to the operating room (warning, graphic content).
UW notes that Daniels, who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure a decade ago, is recovering well and is scheduled to be discharged on Friday.
TransMedics is already using OCS Heart in Europe and Australia. MIT Technology Review last month reported on the ethical debates related to the new technology, which is being tested with eight transplant programs around the country, including the UW’s.
See the video below for more information on the OCS Heart and other transplant technology from TransMedics.
