Passive thermal regulator for bio-organisms

实体器官移植是终末期器官衰竭患者的首选选择，有时也是唯一挽救生命的选择。对用于移植的固体器官的需求非常高，它们的适宜性在很大程度上取决于适当的保存和安全地运送到移植中心。目前的标准做法是将器官保存在专门的冷缓冲液中，并在低温条件下(~4℃)在冷环境中运输。目前批准的便携式器官运输设备使用冰浴来维持寒冷的条件，而冰浴缺乏主动控制温度和进行全面温度监测的能力。此外，该领域最近的科学进步表明，最佳保存温度在-6摄氏度至37摄氏度之间变化，这是目前的器官运输设备无法提供的。为了应对目前便携式器官保存设备市场上的挑战和限制，开发了一种创新的温度调节技术。这项创新技术不仅能够将器官温度控制在一定的设定点，而且可以在不需要任何外部有源电源的情况下，在很大范围内动态调整器官的储存温度。这项创新技术提供的独特功能将改变器官运输设备领域的游戏规则。这项拟议工作的目标是(I)优化这种新型动态温度调节装置的总体设计，以便将其用于器官运输系统，(Ii)利用完整的器官进行验证测试，以证明其潜在的商业化效果。

Solid organ transplantation is the preferred and sometimes only life saving option for patients with end stage organ failure. The demand for solid organs for transplant is very high and their suitability is heavily dependent on the proper preservation and secure transportation to the transplant centre. The current standard practice is to preserve an organ in specialized cold buffer solutions and transport in cold environment under hypothermic conditions (~4 C). With currently approved portable organ transport devices, cold conditions are maintained using an ice bath, which lacks the ability to actively control the temperature and conduct comprehensive temperature monitoring. Furthermore, recent scientific advancements in the field show that the optimal preservation temperature varies between -6 C to 37 C, which current organ transport devices cannot provide. An innovative temperature-regulating technology has been developed to address the challenges and limitations in the current market of portable organ preservation devices. This innovative technology has the ability to not only control the organ temperature at a certain set-point but also to dynamically adjust the organ's storage temperature over a wide range without any requirements of an external active power source. The unique functionalities provided by this innovative technology would serve as a game changer in the field of organ transportation devices. The objectives of the proposed work are (i) to optimize the overall design of this novel dynamic temperature-regulating device for its utilization in organ transportation system and, (ii) to conduct validation tests using intact organs to demonstrate its effectiveness for potential commercialization.