Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) are facing more stringent outcome measures than ever before under a November 2020 final rule promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding Conditions for Coverage.

“Specifically, this final rule would revise the outcome measures for assessing OPO performance to ensure they are transparent, reliable, and enforceable; support higher donation rates; help shorten transplant waiting lists; reduce discarded but viable organs; and increase safe, timely transplants that save lives.” (CMS.gov)

How the VP.S ENCORE® device will help OPOs meet the new requirements:

Because the VP.S ENCORE® device is designed to extend the viability of organs outside the body, more organs could be made available for transplant which promises to increase the availability of organs for those currently waiting on the transplant list, and thus reducing the wait time for those life saving organs.
The VP.S ENCORE® device is designed to maximize the viability of donor hearts during transport so that they arrive at the recipient transplant centers in an optimal physiological state.
The VP.S ENCORE® device is designed to significantly increase the amount of time that an organ can remain viable outside the body beyond what is possible with the current SOC ice cooling devices.
By increasing the time that organs can remain viable outside the body, the VP.S ENCORE® device is designed to allow more organs to reach more recipients beyond the distance possible for hearts transported by SOC coolers today. The goal is to significantly reduce the number of transplantable organs that are discarded.

How the VP.S ENCORE® device will make OPOs jobs easier:

The small size and portability of the VP.S ENCORE® device, as well as ease of use, make the system ideal for transport by ground or aircraft.
The VP.S ENCORE® device utilizes a crystalloid perfusate without blood. Avoidance of using blood greatly simplifies transporting the organ.
The VP.S ENCORE® device has a simple design that does not require an external power source. The small size, rugged design and the lack of an external power source are intended to make it easier to transport.
Compared to normothermic perfusion devices, that if they fail the organ is lost. The VP.S ENCORE® device if it fails, the organ is kept in hypothermic conditions similar to SOC, and it allows for safe transport within the current SOC timeline.