Apparatus and method for maintaining and/or restoring viability of organs

Abstract

Methods of monitoring, maintaining, and/or restoring viability of at least one organ in a perfusion apparatus are disclosed. The methods include monitoring data comprising information relating to events occurring while at least one organ is present in a perfusion apparatus to form a data record. And they further include connecting the perfusion apparatus to a network through wiring or wirelessly, and continuously uploading the data record to a database at a location away from the perfusion apparatus in such a manner that a database computer that obtains the data record from the database can at least one of manage, track, monitor, and diagnose the at least one organ in the perfusion apparatus in real-time based upon the information in the data record.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of monitoring, maintaining, and/or restoring viability of at least one organ in a perfusion apparatus, the method comprising:
 monitoring data comprising information relating to events occurring while at least one organ is present in a perfusion apparatus to form a data record; and   connecting the perfusion apparatus to a network through wiring or wirelessly, and continuously uploading the data record to a database at a location away from the perfusion apparatus in such a manner that a database computer that obtains the data record from the database can at least one of manage, track, monitor, and diagnose the at least one organ in the perfusion apparatus in real-time based upon the information in the data record.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 disseminating the data record.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the data record in the database.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the data record over the network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the network is at least one of a local area network and the World Wide Web. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a processor at least one of manages, tracks, monitors, and diagnoses the at least one organ, and the processor or a different processor at least one of manages, tracks, monitors, and diagnoses at least one other organ. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transferring the data record to a memory device, wherein
 the data record is transferred to the memory device before connecting at least one of a transporter, the perfusion apparatus, a cassette, and an organ diagnostic apparatus to the network. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of displaying, accessing, and uploading the data record from the database via either the network or a different network connected to the database. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the network or the different network is at least one of a local area network and the World Wide Web. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transferring the data record to a remote location for at least one of managing, tracking, monitoring, and diagnosing the at least one organ.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a transporter, the perfusion apparatus, a cassette, and an organ diagnostic apparatus is configured with a wireless communications setup to provide real-time data transfer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 producing a first organ viability index based on the data record.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 making organ therapy decisions based on the first organ viability index.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 comparing the first organ viability index with a second organ viability index.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous upload of the data record to the database occurs while the perfusion apparatus is in a vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is an automobile. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is an airplane. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the perfusion apparatus is wirelessly connected to the network, and   wherein the data record is continuously uploaded to the database over the wireless connection.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data record is continuously uploaded to the database while the vehicle is in motion.