Designing for a Future With No Kidney Left Behind
We're incredibly proud of our client, 34 Lives, for recently demonstrating their kidney transport cooler prototype at Health250 Congressional Demo Day in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), the event brought together some of the most ambitious health technologies in development today and gave members of Congress a firsthand look at what the future of healthcare can be.
Seeing the product we helped design presented at Congress was a special moment, especially knowing the success of the product was measured in lives.
Co-Founder and Co-CEO’s Chris Jaynes and Kathleen St. Jean presenting the kidney 34 Lives transport cooler prototype at Health250 Congressional Demo Day in Washington, D.C.
A Massive Problem With an Ambitious Solution
Every day in the United States, approximately 34 patients are removed from the kidney transplant waiting list because of death or an increased level of patient illness to where they can no longer receive the transplant. That number inspired 34 Lives' name, and their mission. Learn more about 34 Lives.
At the same time, thousands of donor kidneys recovered for transplant ultimately go unused. ARPA-H estimates that more than 8,000 donor kidneys each year cannot be successfully transplanted because of concerns about their viability, while patients on the waiting list face an average wait of around six years.
In September 2024, ARPA-H awarded 34 Lives up to $44 million to pursue No Kidney Left Behind, a five-year effort to recover approximately 50% of kidneys that might otherwise be discarded. The project combines organ preservation, assessment, and emerging machine perfusion technologies to give transplant teams more information, and more time, to decide whether a kidney can be successfully transplanted. View the ARPA-H article and project award
The results are already significant. In a 2025 study published in Transplant International, 34 Lives reported that 142 of 158 hard-to-place donor kidneys evaluated through its centralized assessment and repair center were ultimately transplanted, a transplantation rate of nearly 90%. As of October 2026, 34 Lives reports that it has rescued more than 800 kidneys. Read the study in Transplant International
Designing for the Moments That Matter
As 34 Lives' design partner, LINK PBC contributed to the design and development of the kidney transport cooler prototype showcased at Health250.
The cooler supports a highly specialized process where time, precision, and confidence matter enormously. Every interaction with the product, from set-up and transport to monitoring and handling, must work for two very different users: the kidney perfusionists who run the system and the transport specialists who deliver it.
Our job was to translate a complex technical system into something users could understand and operate with confidence. We designed the system for clarity, ease of setup, ergonomics, protection, and visibility, all within the demanding requirements of organ preservation and transport.
The perfusionists who use the system were an integral part of that process. We started by observing how they stage and load the current system, asking questions along the way. At every stage of design, we put prototypes back in the hands of the perfusionists to evaluate and provide clear feedback on what worked and what didn't. Their input drove our design decisions, and the cooler is far more successful because of them.
Transport brought its own set of requirements: Thoughtful handle placement and weight balance to move through buildings and vehicles, features to secure the cooler for car and plane transport, and device status updates at a glance to ease kidney monitoring during transport.
The user interface received the same level of attention. A wide display presents critical data in a clear, easy-to-read layout, and intuitive icons and interactions help perfusionists and transport specialists find what they need quickly, even under pressure. Like every part of the cooler, the interface went through multiple iterations of testing with perfusionists for refinement.
The combination of complex technology, real-world constraints, and an enormous human reason to get it right is what makes this project so meaningful to our team.
From the LINK Studio to Capitol Hill
Watching the prototype demonstrated to members of Congress at Health250 was a milestone for everyone at LINK.
As a Public Benefit Corporation, we believe product development can, and should, be about more than bringing another product to market. We believe in Design for Good: using engineering, industrial design, and thoughtful product development to create things that make a meaningful impact on people and the world around us.
34 Lives' mission aligns closely with our own values, and we are grateful to work alongside another PBC using innovation to make a real difference in people's lives. We are honored to be part of the team helping bring that vision to life.
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