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Device Keeps Lungs Breathing Outside the Body

Posted by timothy on from the trade-creepy-feeling-for-staying-alive dept.

Al writes "A new system that keeps lungs breathing outside the body could improve the chances of a successful transplant. The Toronto XVIVO Lung Perfusion System, developed at Toronto General Hospital, can keep a pair of human lungs slowly breathing inside a glass dome attached to a ventilator, pump, and filters. The lungs are maintained at normal body temperature of 37 C and perfused with a bloodless solution that contains nutrients, proteins, and oxygen. The organs can be kept alive in the machine for up to 12 hours while surgeons assess function and repair them. See a video of the system keeping a pair of lungs alive."

3 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. GOOD LORD!!!! by A.+B3ttik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sweet mother of Jesus!!

    Watch that video!!

    NOW.

  2. Re:A question: by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I recall correctly (health class was a long, long time ago), each lung is separated into 2 or 3 lobes. They're supposed to look like that.

    --
    [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
  3. Already been done, and ever more freakier stuff.. by Faw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    and it was all done in the 1950s. Search for Doctor Sergei S. Bryukhonenko.

    Experiments in the Revival of Organisms

    A link to the movie in google video