Paragonix Technologies, a leader in organ transplant technologies and services, today announced the successful completion of its hundredth case using the FDA-cleared KidneyVault ™ Portable Renal Perfusion System. This milestone was achieved with the support of Tennessee Donor Services (TDS), an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) that serves more than 6 million people across Tennessee and Virginia.
In recent years, the transplantation industry has removed geographic barriers to ensure organs may reach those in greatest need, meaning organs now travel farther and remain outside the body longer. For kidney transport, the gold standard of preservation is hypothermic machine perfusion – a clinically accepted therapy that continuously pumps a specialized solution through the organ. The KidneyVault System is the first hypothermic machine perfusion device specifically designed to maximize mobility. The device offers a comprehensive, portable solution from end-to-end, allowing transplant teams to continuously perfuse the kidney and monitor key perfusion metrics in real-time through a mobile-friendly, data-driven dashboard.
The innovative system was first used shortly after achieving FDA clearance in late 2024 and has been rapidly adopted by likeminded organizations across the nation ever since. Now, over 12 OPOs stock the device, and 100 donor kidneys have been placed in a KidneyVault for transplant. This rapid adoption reflects a broader shift in the field — one that embraces new technology to meet the evolving demands of organ recovery and allocation.
“Tennessee Donor Services’ mission is to save and improve lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation, and we’re proud of our teams who embrace innovation to save as many lives as possible. It’s exciting to partner with Paragonix to be an early adopter of the KidneyVault, a technology that will help more people get their lifesaving transplant, and work alongside their teams to make donation and transplant possible,” said Jill Grandas, CEO of Tennessee Donor Services.
Leading OPOs like Tennessee Donor Services are leveraging the KidneyVault System to expand access to the limited supply of donor organs and improve post-transplant outcomes. As of April 2025, nearly 90,700 people are on the kidney transplant waiting list in the U.S., representing 86% of the national transplant list. In 2024, 27,761 kidney transplants were performed, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions to address the organ shortage.
“This hundredth KidneyVault case is a significant milestone for Paragonix and underscores our company’s commitment to enhancing the future of organ transplantation,” said Dr. Lisa Anderson, President of Paragonix Technologies. “We are proud to offer advanced preservation technologies across all solid organ transplants, and our ability to provide a truly portable renal perfusion system aligns with our mission to provide ‘Every Possible Advantage’ to those waiting for lifesaving transplants.”