The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new system for use in clearing secretions from the airways in the lungs of potential donors, improving the quality of the lungs for transplantation.

Advanced Respiratory said the system, called The Link™, consists of an inflatable vest connected by hoses to an air-pulse generator. The generator rapidly inflates and deflates the vest, oscillating the donor's chest wall to create airflow within the lungs. This process moves mucus from smaller airways toward the larger airways where it can be cleared by suctioning.

In many cases, the lungs of potential donors are not suitable for transplantation because significant inflammation, excess secretions, contamination, and mucus plugging damage them.

Three Organ Procurement Organizations in California and Oregon have been testing The Link system to assess its potential to improve the organ donor management process and to increase the number of lungs successfully procured.

"Our initial findings indicate that administering airway clearance therapy via The Link system to potential lung donors greatly increases the rate of lung procurement and improves the quality of allografts within a controlled study group," said Sarah Riznyk of the Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank.

"With The Link system, we are able to resolve issues with atelectasis and pulmonary infiltrates, which may be verified by donor chest x-rays, gram stains and pulmonary functions," she said.

Other sources: Advanced Respiratory, FDA