The digital health package, which has received more than £1 million funding from the 国家卫生和保健研究所, works in the same way as Artificial Intelligence-based facial recognition technology to evaluate the quality of an organ.

这是对技术的估计, known as OrQA - 器官质量评估 - could result in up to 200 more patients receiving 肾脏 transplants and 100 more liver transplants a year in the UK.

最好的治疗

It is hoped the OrQA software will be ready for a licensing study within the NHS within two years. T在这里 is also the possibility of marketing the tool worldwide.

移植外科医生 科林·威尔逊, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at 大发体育下载, is co-lead of the project.

He said: “Transplantation is the best treatment for patients with organ failure, but unfortunately some organs can’t be used due to concerns they won’t function properly once transplanted.

“The software we have developed ‘scores’ the quality of the organ and aims to support surgeons to assess if the organ is healthy enough to be transplanted.

“Our ultimate hope is that OrQA will result in more patients receiving life-saving transplants and enable them to lead healthier, 更长的生命.”

T在这里 are currently nearly 7,000 patients awaiting organ transplant in the UK. The waiting list for liver transplants has increased significantly since before the pandemic.

An organ can only survive out of the body for a limited time and, 在大多数情况下, only one journey from the donor hospital to the recipient hospital is possible, meaning it is essential that the right decision is made quickly.

A key part of the OrQA assessment is to look for damage, pre-existing conditions and how well the blood has been flushed out of the organ (organ perfusion). This is important as organs blocked with clots will not be able to connect to the recipient’s blood system during implantation.

威尔逊先生，他在 纽卡斯尔泰恩医院国民保健服务基金会信托 and is also General Secretary of the British Transplantation Society, 他说:“直到现在, we haven’t had anything to help us as surgeons at the time of organ retrieval.

“This is a really important step for professionals and patients to make sure people can get the right transplant as soon as possible.

“OrQA will help us professionals make the best decision at a really stressful time for all those involved in organ donation and transplantation.”

令人兴奋的发展

该项目由 NHS血液和移植, Quality in Organ Donation (QUOD) biobank and an NIHR Blood and Transplant 研究 Unit to deliver 研究 for the NHS. It involves academics from the universities of Newcastle, Oxford, and New South Wales.  

Derek Manas教授, Medical Director of NHSBT Organ Donation and Transplantation, said: “This is an exciting development in technological infrastructure that, 一次验证, will enable surgeons and transplant clinicians to make more informed decisions about organ usage and help to close the gap between those patients waiting for and those receiving lifesaving organs.”

‘Proof of concept’ work into the technology has been carried out in liver, 肾脏, and pancreas transplantation as well as at an advanced stage of pre-clinical testing in liver and 肾脏.

国家卫生研究院首席执行官教授, Lucy Chappell said: "Funded by our Invention for Innovation Programme, this deep machine learning algorithm aims to increase the number of liver and 肾脏 donor organs suitable for transplantation.

“This is another example of how AI can enhance our healthcare system and make it more efficient. 经过临床验证和测试, cutting-edge technology such as this holds the real promise of saving and improving lives."

器官捐献

In 2021/22, 41 percent of the population in the United Kingdom had 'opted-in' to the NHS organ donation register, 总共超过27个.700万人登记.

如欲登记器官捐献登记册，请按 在这里

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said: “Technology has the ability to revolutionise the way we care for people and this cutting-edge technology will improve organ transplant services.

“在英国发展起来的, this pioneering new method could save hundreds of lives and ensure the best use of donated organs.

“I encourage everyone to register their organ donation decision. Share it with your family so your loved ones can follow your wishes and hopefully save others.”