LifeCore

What it does

LifeCore is an efficient and affordable solution for transporting hearts for transplant. It offers a lower cost than other specialized systems and superior protection compared to a conventional cooler, eliminating risks to the organ during transit.

Your inspiration

Currently, in Mexico, the most widely used solution is to transport hearts in styrofoam coolers with crushed ice inside, which poses a significant risk of organ damage. We wanted to create a prototype that eliminates these possibilities, creating a low-cost and efficient solution for all transport situations. We needed a cooling system that could provide the heart with a homogeneous temperature while still being relatively cheap and easy to access. We also took into consideration the protection of the organ itself, so it can travel unsteady terrain without compromising viability.

How it works

The vessel containing the heart is made of thermoformed PET and 3D-printed PLA, providing a hermetic seal. There is a water reservoir which is in contact with two Peltier cells. The cold water exits the container and enters a double-walled aluminum vessel before exiting and returning to the reservoir to be cooled again. By being in contact with the outer vessel, the physiological solution in which the heart is submerged is maintained at a constant and homogeneous temperature within a range of 3 °C to 5 °C, which is ideal for the organ.

Design process

We started brainstorming ideas in different teams consisting of students from both Biomedical Engineering and Product Design so we could utilize our strengths and create a functional prototype both technically and ergonomically. During this process, a lot of cooling systems were tested for accuracy and realistic ergonomic measurements until we found something that worked both for the design and engineering aspects. After that, we were able to work on a centralized idea, the design team handled the 3D modeling using Rhinoceros for all the parts, assemblies and systems, while the engineering team handled all the technical components, the cooling system and the interface. All of this resulted in a product that encapsulates functionality, convenience and gives the possibility of heart transplants to more people.

How it is different

In Mexico there isn't a specialized option to transport organs for transplants, so people resort to using ice coolers and shaved ice, which compromises the viability of the organs. We wanted to create a product that would eliminate the chance of compromise, making access to viable organs a reality. Worldwide, we saw organ carriers that were very technological and specialized, making them too expensive and inaccessible for most hospitals. Using accessible techniques like 3D printing and simple technology, we were able to create a product that can easily make it's way into most hospitals.

Future plans

We are working on creating a final prototype that can be used on a real scenario, that would give us extremely valuable information on what to improve to eventually produce a completely functional heart carrier that solves the crisis we see in Mexico and many countries as well. Given the accessibility of materials and techniques used to produce our prototype, we want to be able to reach other countries where these products are needed and give them an economic solution, saving more lives.

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