University of California, San Diego
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
MAE 156B: Senior Design Project
Project Overview
This project focuses on improving an ex vivo normothermic kidney perfusion (NMP) system for preserving and evaluating donor kidneys prior to transplantation. Traditional cold storage methods limit assessment of kidney function, leading to high discard rates.
The system maintains the kidney under physiological conditions by controlling temperature, flow, and pressure, enabling real-time monitoring and improved viability. This project builds on previous MAE 156B work and two Master's Theses to refine the system and move toward a more clinically usable device.
MAE 156B Objectives
The objective of this project is to refine, test, and improve a kidney perfusion device capable of maintaining physiological conditions and enabling real-time monitoring and control. The system integrates sensors, fluid systems, and control architecture to regulate temperature, pressure, and flow rate for safe and effective kidney preservation.
The final system is a self-contained, portable perfusion platform built around five core subsystems: a peristaltic pump, a pediatric oxygenator and heat exchanger, a PID-controlled hot-water heating loop, an in-line sensor and control suite, and an organ chamber. A custom Teensy 4.1 PCB consolidates all sensing and control, including dual PT100 temperature probes, an ultrasonic flow sensor, and a medical-grade pressure transducer, and drives both the pump and heater over the same board. A browser-based GUI provides live telemetry, alarms, and CSV logging, while an aluminum T-slot enclosure keeps the disposable fluid path up front for quick access. Two complete devices were built and delivered to the sponsors.
The integrated system was validated on a water loop and an extended human-kidney perfusion. Pump flow was controllable across the operating range over RS-485 Modbus, the pressure channel resolved downstream resistance changes up to 400 mmHg (well beyond the 65 to 95 mmHg operating window), and the heating system held the perfusate within ±0.2 °C of the 34 to 37 °C setpoint under closed-loop PID control. In a 100-minute perfusion of a discarded human kidney, flow held at a ~107 mL/min mean and mean arterial pressure stayed in the ~90 to 103 mmHg range, with the organ visibly transitioning from pale to uniformly reperfused. Two complete devices were delivered to the sponsors.