An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability
of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. The method includes
perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably
after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method
can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure
of the organ. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g.,
ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated
cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures.
In perfusion, organ perfusion pressure is preferably controlled in response to
a sensor disposed in an end of tubing placed in the organ, by a pneumatically pressurized
medical fluid reservoir, providing perfusion pressure fine tuning, overpressurization
prevention and emergency flow cut-off. In the hypothermic mode, the organ is perfused
with a medical fluid, preferably a simple crystalloid solution containing antioxidants,
intermittently or in slow continuous flow. The medical fluid may be fed into the
organ from an intermediary tank having a low pressure head to avoid organ overpressurization.
Preventing overpressurization prevents or reduces damage to vascular endothelial
lining and to organ tissue in general. Viability of the organ may be automatically
monitored, preferably by monitoring characteristics of the medical fluid perfusate.
The perfusion process can be automatically controlled using a control program.