United Network for Organ Sharing has received a $106,000 grant from the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation to support research opportunities focused on organ transportation, tracking and logistics.
Currently, there is no single national transportation system that can provide streamlined service moving donated organs to transplant hospitals. UNOS Labs℠, the experimental incubator that brings together data, technology innovations, and industry expertise, is studying the feasibility of predicting organ travel time and tracking using biosensors to ensure fewer organs are discarded due to time outside of the body.
“UNOS staff work proactively with organ procurement and transplantation professionals, and industry experts in implementing new innovation toward continuously improving the transplant system,” UNOS CEO Brian Shepard said. “Grants like this allow us to help professionals pinpoint needs and explore solutions in parts of the system where we haven’t previously played a role.”
The tracking pilot kicked off in late spring this year. This project seeks to improve system-wide processes and prevent the circumstance where an organ is not transplanted due to transportation issues. As a result, this grant honors the gift of life by hopefully saving more lives through organ transplantation.
“We are pleased to help UNOS with efforts to streamline logistics surrounding organ donation,” foundation President Bill Valle said. “By supporting UNOS we believe more organs will arrive ready for transplant, allowing even more patients to live to their fullest potential.”
The Fresenius Medical Care Foundation was established in 2018 by Fresenius Medical Care North America. The foundation’s mission is to raise awareness of kidney disease and transplantation as a lifesaving solution.
Read more about innovative case studies on UNOS Labs projects.
