The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1994
Gregory M Fahy, Gaithersburg, MD (US);
Bijan Khirabadi, Rockville, MD (US);
Yasumitsu Okouchi, Hazelwood, MO (US);
Thomas Maciag, Rockville, MD (US);
The American National Red Cross, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to the field of organ and tissue perfusion. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for preparing organs, such as the kidney and liver, for cryopreservation through the introduction of vitrifiable concentrations of cryoprotectant into them. To prepare the organ for cryopreservation, the donor human or animal, is treated in the usual manner and may also be treated with iloprost, or other vasodilators, and/or transforming growth factor .beta.1. Alternatively, or additionally, the organ which is to be cryopreserved can be administered iloprost, or other vasodilators, and/or transforming growth factor .beta.1 directly into its artery. The invention also relates to preparing organs for transplantation by a method for the removal of the cryoprotectant therefrom using low (such as raffinose, sucrose, mannitol, etc.), medium (such as agents with intermediate molecular weights of around 600-2,000) and high (such as hydroxyethyl starch) molecular weight agents osmotic buffering agents. The invention is also directed to new post-transplantation treatments such as the use of transforming growth factor .beta.1, N-acetylcysteine and aurothioglucose. Further, the invention relates to a method of vitrification of organs comprising a multi-step method of introducing increasing concentrations of cryoprotectant with osmotic equilibration of the organ and decreases in temperature prior to perfusion with vitrifiable concentrations of cryoprotectant at about -5.degree. C. to -35.degree. C.