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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."

8 of 74 comments (clear)

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

    Sweet mother of Jesus!!

    Watch that video!!

    NOW.

    1. Re:GOOD LORD!!!! by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Funny

      Pfft. How is it going to crawl into my nightmares without gleaming, razor sharp mechanical spider legs?

  2. Getting them over with. by Dripdry · · Score: 4, Funny

    What a breath of fresh air!
    I'm glad they're breathing new life into transplant technology.
    The medical community did well but they shouldn't go getting all puffed up over this.

    phew. There. I'm taking a karma hit for everybody who even considered making those jokes.

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    -
    1. Re:Getting them over with. by mfnickster · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, I'm glad you achieved your aspiration.

      --
      "Slow down, Cowboy! It has been 3 years, 7 months and 26 days since you last successfully posted a comment."
  3. 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']
  4. 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

  5. Re:A question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes, the closer lung is the right lung. It is divided into three lobes, with the transverse and oblique fissures dividing them.

  6. Re:That's unholy by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think you have some issues.
    And no Canadians are not stuck in the stone age. Only an idiot would think that.
    You guys are stuck in the ice age :)

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.