UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING

AR ORGAN SCANNING

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a nonprofit organization that manages the U.S. organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, UNOS operates the national transplant waiting list and ensures the fair and equitable allocation of donated organs. Beyond managing logistics, UNOS also leads innovation in medical technology, data, and research to improve transplant outcomes and save more lives, partnering with Shockoe to develop and implement emerging technologies.

Solving a Complex Process with Innovation

Organ procurement is one of the most time-sensitive and complex processes in medicine. UNOS sought to explore augmented reality (AR) and 3D scanning to create a prototype tool that would bring greater precision and efficiency to organ evaluation, making the organ procurement process more reliable, transparent, and efficient.

01
THE CHALLENGE

UNOS partnered with Shockoe to design and develop a proof-of-concept AR prototype.

STEP 1

Plan, Assess, and Design

Define business goals, customer needs, and digital execution plans

STEP 2

Develop, Test, and Repeat

Creating intuitive, on-brand solutions, focusing on quality and scalability

02

THE SOLUTION

Saving lives through the use of emerging technology.

An App for Precision and Efficiency

Procurement teams must quickly scan, measure, and evaluate organs before transplant—all under pressure to ensure accuracy, preserve viability, and avoid errors. Historically, this process relied heavily on manual tools and subjective evaluation, creating challenges:

  • Lack of consistent, objective measurements for organ size, arteries, and abnormalities.
  • Limited tools to annotate, document, and share organ scans across distributed teams.
  • A need for faster, more reliable ways to capture data and support decision-making in the field.
A Two-Phased Approach

An iterative approach allowed for UNOS to test feasibility before expanding and scaling the tool.

Phase 1: 2D organ scanning, anchored measurement of organ, artery, and vein dimensions, annotation recording, and web view rendering.

Phase 2: 3D organ reconstruction, image segmentation, and enhanced user collaboration within the web viewer.

Life-Saving Results

This tool proved viable, setting the stage for digital transformation in transplant logistics. Expected and early results include:

  • Greater Accuracy – standardized measurements reduce variability and support better matching decisions.
  • Improved Collaboration – digital scans and annotations make it easier for teams to evaluate organs in real time.
  • Foundation Innovation – 3D reconstruction and secure data management open pathways for scaling.

03

THE RESULTS

Let the work do the talking.

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