The current best-practice for the transportation of donor hearts between hospitals is to put it on ice inside a store-bought cooler. This severely limits the time window for performing the transplant (~4 hours) and introduces unnecessary risks for an already complex surgical procedure.
The Transmedics Organ Care System being tested at the University of Michigan is an investigational medical device that keeps the heart warm and beating outside the body. This allows for much longer transportation distances and allows the heart to be perfused with oxygen and nutrients until the patient is ready to receive it.
Source: http://goo.gl/vAR1F8
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