New Tech Revives ‘Unusable’ Organs
34 Lives, a medical innovation company, is making a significant impact in kidney transplants with their innovative technology that “revives” kidneys typically rejected by surgeons. So far, they have successfully saved ten kidneys and ten lives, with many more to come.
In the US, over 120,000 people await organ transplants, most needing kidneys. Patients on the waiting list often endure years of dialysis, risking their health and lives. Daily, 34 people die waiting. Choosing West Lafayette, near Purdue University, was strategic for 34 Lives. Purdue supports startups and offers top-tier facilities and engineering talent, enhancing 34 Lives’ life-saving efforts.
Around 30% of recovered kidneys are discarded, a loss for patients and donors’ families. 34 Lives aims to ensure donated kidneys save lives as intended. Their facility at Purdue Research Park includes custom-built Organ Rescue Labs, essential for quickly reviving and sending kidneys for transplant. Time is critical; delays in transport can render kidneys nonviable.
34 Lives ensures kidney viability using normothermic preservation, a technique that maintains organs at normal physiological temperature. This method allows for prolonged preservation and the ability to resuscitate organs after warm ischemia. This approach also enables more accurate assessment of the kidneys’ condition before transplantation, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
By collaborating with OPOs and transplant surgeons, 34 Lives identifies and rescues kidneys that would otherwise go unused the keeps them working with normothermic preservation.
Using Purdue’s regional airport, 34 Lives avoids delays common with commercial flights, which is crucial for their success. Their fifth kidney transplant was successful thanks to this proximity.
The partnership with Purdue exemplifies how collaboration can lead to world-changing solutions. Each saved kidney and life brings us closer to a future where no one dies waiting for a transplant.