Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) now encounter more rigorous outcome measures following a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in November 2020 concerning 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 SCS 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.

Ways in which the VP.S ENCORE® device will streamline the tasks of Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs):

The compact size and portability of the VP.S ENCORE® device, combined with its user-friendly design, render the system ideal for transportation 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 features a straightforward design that operates without an external power source. Its compact size, robust design, and lack of dependence on an external power source are intended to facilitate transportation.
In contrast to normothermic perfusion devices, where organ loss occurs if they fail, the VP.S ENCORE® device ensures that if a failure occurs, the organ is maintained under hypothermic conditions akin to the Standard of Care (SOC). This feature enables safe transport within the existing SOC timeline.