Scientists hail new ‘miracle machine’ for transplants

Published on 16/03/2013 00:00

A PORTABLE machine that breathes life into ailing livers outside the body could revolutionise organ transplants, ­experts believe.

The British-built device, set on wheels and the size of a supermarket trolley, can keep a donor liver alive for 24 hours or more at body temperature.

As well as preserving the organ, it helps damaged tissue repair itself. Doctors believe the machine, which could be ready to market in Europe next year, has the potential to double the number of livers available for transplant. Modified versions of the device may also assist transplants of other organs, including kidneys and lungs, and provide a tool for testing the toxicity of new medicines.

Two patients are currently recovering well after taking part in a pilot trial to test the ­machine at London’s King’s College Hospital, Europe’s biggest organ transplant centre.

Professor Constantin Coussios, co-inventor of the machine of Oxford University, said: “These first clinical cases confirm we can support human livers outside the body – keep them alive and functioning.”