United Network for Organ Sharing

Saving Lives Together

Through its investment in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation (FMCF) is helping UNOS learn more about ways to improve transportation and logistics for organ donation.

Efforts outlined in the project include opportunities to better predict organ travel time and improve tracking using biosensor technology. This project is designed to ensure that fewer kidneys are discarded due to time outside the body.

The logistical improvements for organ donation supported by this grant include: Predicting Organ Travel Time, Understanding Cold Ischemic Time (CIT), and Organ Tracking.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORGAN DONATION PROCESS

Grant Supports Research to Improve Organ Transportation, Tracking, and Logistics

Currently, there is no single national transportation system that can provide streamlined service moving donated organs to transplant hospitals. Each OPO and transplant center is responsible for obtaining its own transport solutions, creating a need for a centralized method to identify best practices and process efficiencies.

Predicting Organ Time

UNOS Labs, the experimental incubator that brings together data, technology, and industry expertise, is working on an application that Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and Transplant Centers can use to easily choose an optimal travel route for an organ.

Understanding Cold Ischemic Time

Cold ischemic time (CIT) is the time that an organ spends outside the body between procurement and transplantation. Kidneys typically last 24 to 36 hours, and there is a limit on how far they can travel. UNOS is working to collect better data in order to provide an estimation of total accumulated CIT before an organ is accepted.

GPS Tracking

UNOS is working to pilot GPS tracking of organs shipped via ground and air. UNOS will provide GPS/critical asset trackers to pilot OPOs, while partner couriers will share in-house tracking data they collect to work toward a centralized data warehouse of transportation information.