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A close-up image of the OrganOx Metra machine, a medical device used for preserving donor livers. The machine features several transparent compartments and fluid-filled bags. A red fluid, simulating blood, circulates through tubing into a liver chamber, mimicking physiological conditions. The setup includes control panels, syringe modules, a clear storage container, and multiple connectors for monitoring and sustaining liver function outside the body before transplantationOrganOx metra®

First G&H | ITL manufactured OrganOx metra device installed in Europe

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OrganOx, a leader in the field of organ preservation, has installed its first ITL manufactured metra device at a leading European liver transplant center.

ITL was appointed by OrganOx as a chosen manufacturer for metra®, signing a 5-year manufacturing agreement back in 2019. The first of these devices was released from our UK facility last month.

OrganOx Production Manager, Paul Adams, is regularly on-site at G&H | ITL, working alongside Prototype Team Leader Keith Denton and our Production Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality Assurance departments. Production Engineering has worked closely with OrganOx’s team from the very beginning to ensure a seamless transition into manufacturing at G&H | ITL, including performing a comprehensive gap analysis, compiling their Device Master Record (DMR), and complete work-cell set up.

An educational infographic titled "How OrganOx Metra Works" explains the process of preserving a donor liver for transplantation using the OrganOx Metra machine. The image includes a realistic illustration of a liver and the machine itself. Numbered steps are displayed: A donor liver is removed and stored at 4°C. Blood is circulated into the liver at room temperature and physiological pressures. The liver remains functional, continuing to produce bile, metabolize glucose, and maintain pH levels. The device allows doctors to assess the liver’s condition and extends the preservation time. The image visually supports each step with arrows and medical components connected to the liver.

Liver transplantation is a highly successful treatment but is severely limited by the shortage of donor organs. However, many potential donor organs are unable to be used because sub-optimal livers cannot tolerate conventional cold storage – and there is no reliable way to assess organ viability.

The metra is the world’s first fully automated system for keeping a human donor liver functioning for up to 24 hours outside the body. The invention breaks 40 years of traditional organ preservation in ice, doubling the length of time that donor organs can be preserved before transplantation.

To date, OrganOx’s innovative normothermic perfusion technology has supported over 1,000 liver transplants worldwide. It has already received regulatory approval for the European market, and an application has been submitted for approval in the United States.

Craig Marshall, CEO, OrganOx Limited, commented, “As OrganOx continues to grow from strength to strength, a part of the vision of success has been to expand from a single source to a dual source of devices. I am delighted to report the successful execution of this plan, all credit to the respective cross-functional teams at G&H | ITL and OrganOx in making this vision a reality.”

Nick Colyer, Managing Director, G&H | ITL, said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with a company that’s developed such a transformational product that enables a higher successful transplant rate. G&H | ITL has worked with OrganOx for several years, and it gives me great satisfaction to say that the first instrument has been installed in one of Europe’s leading transplant centers. Both teams at G&H | ITL and OrganOx have worked well together, and long may it continue.”

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