Contracted Processing Centers
Similar to eye banking, tissue banking involves producing transplantable grafts from donated tissues such as bones, heart valves, veins, and skin. With corneas, eye banks typically perform their own evaluation, processing, and distribution in-house. However processing these other tissues into transplantable grafts requires the use of highly sophisticated equipment and techniques. Due to the cost of this specialized equipment and the stringent government regulation of tissue processing, it is far beyond the financial reach of most eye banks.
Thus, the current system of tissue banking evolved. This system consists of smaller, independent recovery agencies that screen and recover donor tissue. The recovery agencies then ship the tissue to contracted processing centers where it is made into transplantable grafts. Finally the processing centers make the finished grafts available to surgeons for implantation.
In most cases the recovery agencies and processing centers are separate companies that contract with one another. The South Dakota Lions Eye Bank is an experienced tissue recovery agency. SDLEB screens and recovers the donor tissue then ships it to our contracted processing agencies. In addition to ocular tissue, SDLEB recovers bone, connective tissue, heart valves, veins, nerves, and skin.
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Regeneration Technologies, Inc.
Regeneration Technologies, Inc., prepares human donated tissue and bovine tissue for transplantation through extensive testing and screening, precision shaping and proprietary, validated sterilization processes. These allograft and xenograft implants are used in spine, sports medicine and other orthopedic surgeries. Biologic implants are very effective in repairing and promoting the healing of a wide variety of bone and other tissue defects.
AxoGen Nerve Regeneration AxoGen provides nerves to repair and regenerate peripheral nerves, bringing relief and restoring functionality to patients who suffer peripheral nerve injuries. Nerves are recovered from the upper arms and lower extremities. They are currently in a research state and will be transplanted in the near future. Injuries to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are a major source of disability, impairing the ability to move muscles or to feel normal sensations.
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National Disease Research Interchange NDRI is a non-profit, federally-funded organization that was founded in 1980 because of a dream. Lee Ducat, the mother of a diabetic son, became NDRI’s founder and president to help scientists studying diabetes to find a cure.
CryoLife, Inc.
CryoLife, founded in 1984 and headquartered in suburban Atlanta, is dedicated to improving health and quality of life through the transplantation of human tissues and biosurgical devices.
CryoLife is the pioneer and leader in processing, preserving and distributing living human tissues for use in reconstructive cardiac and vascular surgeries. |
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Alamo Tissue Services
Alamo Tissue Service, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a distributor of high quality tissue allografts to physicians, hospitals, surgical clinics and tissue banks.
Alamo Tissue Service is dedicated to providing the highest quality tissue available and our ability to network with the finest accredited Tissue Banks in the United States allows us to help you with those hard to find grafts
Vascular Transplant Services Vascular Transplant Services (VTS) is a Chicago based tissue bank specializing in processing and distribution of vascular tissue for transplant. VTS provides vascular and cardiovascular surgeons with an alternative to the devastation of limb loss by providing human saphenous vein for peripheral vascular surgery.
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