Silastic oxygenator and perfusion system for canine liver and kidney preservation.

Abstract A silicone rubber oxygenator and perfusion circuit was developed for the prolonged preservation and metabolic study of intact hypothermic mammalian liver and kidney. With this perfusion system, the canine kidney may be studied up to 4 days and the canine liver up to 20 hrs. The low capacity membrane oxygenator consists of multiple strands of thin walled silicone rubber tubing in parallel through which the perfusate flows. An oxygen-carbon dioxide mixture is blown over the tubing surface. Oxygen transfer capacity of the oxygenator is about 2.5 ml per min at 10 °C. The perfusion system is reusable and autoclavable, and its size can be scaled up for larger organs or scaled down for rat organs.