OrganTrack

The specific problem we are working to solve through OrganTrack is the profound inequity and lack of transparency plaguing the organ donation and transplantation system in the United States and globally. Our solution directly tackles the systemic racial disparities that have deprived communities of color, especially Black patients, of fair access to life-saving organ transplants.

The scale of this problem cannot be overstated - in the U.S. alone, a new person joins the organ transplant waitlist every nine minutes, while a staggering 17 people die each day due to lack of access. Globally, the organ shortage crisis has reached catastrophic levels, impacting millions.

At the core of our mission lies the alarming statistic that Black Americans comprise over 30% of candidates desperately awaiting cardiac transplants, yet account for only 8% of annual heart transplant procedures performed. Similar asymmetries manifest across organ types, with Black patients chronically underrepresented in receiving kidney and other vital transplants compared to their disproportionate representation on waitlists.

These racial inequities stem from the fragmentation pervading the current U.S. donation infrastructure across disconnected procurement networks, hospitals, and policies. This breeds inconsistencies that enable non-medical factors like patient wealth and social capital to unfairly influence allocation instead of medical urgency alone determining organ matches.

The lack of centralized governance, data transparency, and accountable oversight has perpetuated an unethical, opaque system that equates privilege with lives. We cannot accept a status quo where a person's race, zip code, or income level dictates their access to scarce donor organs.

OrganTrack is a comprehensive, centralized platform that revolutionizes how organs are tracked, transported, and allocated for transplantation. It utilizes cutting-edge technologies like GPS tracking, sensor networks, blockchain, and AI-powered analytics to optimize the entire organ delivery process while prioritizing equitable access based solely on medical urgency.

At its core, OrganTrack provides real-time tracking and monitoring of organ shipments from harvest to transplant surgery. GPS technology pinpoints the exact location of organs in transit, while embedded sensors continuously monitor critical environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions that impact organ viability.

This sensor data is streamed in real-time to OrganTrack's central command platform, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze it alongside other variables such as traffic patterns and transportation routes. Using predictive analytics, the system can forecast potential delays or deviations from the optimal preservation parameters and proactively recommend contingency plans to mitigate risks.

A key innovation is OrganTrack's ethical AI algorithms that determine organ recipient matching and transportation logistics. These algorithms are trained on carefully curated datasets that exclude non-medical variables like race, income, etc. Instead, they prioritize criteria such as medical urgency, wait times, infection risks, and other purely clinical factors to ensure fair, need-based allocation.

Importantly, OrganTrack utilizes blockchain technology to create an immutable, tamper-proof record of the entire chain of custody for each organ from recovery to transplant surgery. This transparent blockchain ledger can be audited by regulators to verify adherence to established protocols.

The system seamlessly integrates with electronic health records and hospital information systems for smooth handoffs across the healthcare ecosystem. Customized alerts also notify transplant teams and coordinators of any issues requiring intervention.

Underpinning it all are stringent governance mechanisms and community oversight to prevent unintended biases from creeping into the algorithms. Regular audits and reviews are conducted to ensure OrganTrack's protocols uphold the highest standards of equity, ethics and medical integrity.

OrganTrack serves several key stakeholders within the healthcare ecosystem involved in organ transplantation, with a particular focus on communities that have been historically underserved and deprived of fair access to life-saving organ donations.

Patients Awaiting Transplants: This group represents the heart of our mission. Individuals awaiting organ transplants, especially those from marginalized communities like the Black population, have faced systemic barriers and inequities that have limited their chances of receiving viable donor organs in a timely manner. Our solution aims to directly impact their lives by increasing their likelihood of successful transplants through optimized organ delivery and the elimination of non-medical factors like race, income, or social capital from the allocation process.

Transplant Surgeons and Medical Teams: Healthcare professionals rely on the integrity and viability of procured organs to ensure positive surgical outcomes. OrganTrack assures medical teams that the organs they receive have been transported under strict quality control measures, adhering to optimal environmental conditions throughout the journey. This empowers surgeons to focus on providing the best possible care, secure in the knowledge that the organ's integrity has been meticulously maintained.

Transplant Coordinators: These individuals bear the critical responsibility of orchestrating the complex logistics of organ allocation and transportation. Our solution streamlines their workflow by providing transparent, real-time data and proactive risk mitigation strategies. It enables them to coordinate seamlessly between donor and recipient hospitals, mitigating potential delays or issues that could compromise the organ's viability.

Underserved Communities: Historically marginalized communities, particularly Black and other minority groups, have been disproportionately impacted by the inequities present in the current organ donation infrastructure. Our solution directly addresses their needs by dismantling the systemic barriers that have perpetuated racial disparities in accessing scarce donor organs. By embedding principles of equity, social justice, and anti-racism into our algorithms and protocols, we aim to level the playing field and ensure that medical urgency, not race or socioeconomic status, dictates organ allocation.

Regulatory Bodies and Policymakers: Entities responsible for overseeing and regulating the organ transplantation ecosystem have long grappled with issues of transparency, accountability, and ethical governance. OrganTrack's blockchain-based record-keeping and auditing capabilities empower these bodies to verify compliance with established protocols and identify areas for improvement proactively. Furthermore, our solution provides data-driven insights that can inform policy decisions aimed at promoting equitable access to organ transplantation services.

By addressing the needs of these diverse stakeholders, OrganTrack has the potential to transform the lives of millions of individuals awaiting organ transplants globally. Our solution represents a crucial step towards achieving equity, transparency, and ethical integrity within this life-saving domain of healthcare.

As a researcher I have worked with artificial intelligence technologies and been able to create algorithms which are targeted to save human lives. In the process of my research I have written twelve first author IEEE publications. Additionally, I have experience running a team as I have founded a nonprofit called FuturaSustain that attempts to utilize and develop artificial intelligence based algorithms to help the environment throughout the world. Also, I am working on a project similar through a LLC called KidneyChain which utilizes blockchain technology to help Kidney patients throughout the world through which I have also been able to create a partnership to ensure that I can help people as best as possible.

Currently, we have created a blockchain system that has the ability to store the data securely and a preliminary artificial intelligence algorithm, but I hope to develop the artificial intelligence algorithm and will be working on the tracking system using IoT next.

I am applying to because I believe that it will give me a unique opportunity to create important relationships with people in the industry who could help guide me through things like the legalities behind systems for EHR data in the United States and help get a team that has experience with IoT technology as that is a field that I don't have as much technical expertise in. Additionally, I hope to get partnerships with organizations that would be willing to test my system and provide me more data for the system and for the AI algorithm that I am using and testing.

OrganTrack introduces multiple innovative elements that collectively represent a paradigm shift in how the organ donation and transplantation ecosystem operates. Our solution catalyzes broader positive impacts by pioneering new standards of equity, transparency, and ethical governance within this critical domain of healthcare.

Centralized Platform with Unparalleled Interoperability: One of the core innovations of OrganTrack is its centralized architecture, which unifies the previously fragmented landscape of organ procurement organizations, transplant centers, and healthcare systems into a cohesive network. This unprecedented level of interoperability enables real-time data sharing, streamlined coordination, and consistent application of best practices across all stakeholders involved in the organ donation process.

Ethical AI for Equitable Organ Allocation: A truly groundbreaking aspect of our solution is the integration of ethical artificial intelligence algorithms that prioritize organ allocation based solely on medical urgency and clinical factors. By meticulously curating our training datasets to exclude non-medical variables like race, income, or socioeconomic status, we eliminate the potential for algorithmic bias and ensure that organ matching is driven by principles of equity and social justice.

Robust Oversight and Algorithmic Auditing: Recognizing the profound ethical implications of AI-powered decision-making in healthcare, OrganTrack implements rigorous oversight mechanisms and regular algorithmic auditing. These processes, which involve community representation and external auditors, help mitigate the risk of unintended biases creeping into our systems and ensure that our algorithms remain aligned with the highest standards of medical ethics and anti-racism principles.

Blockchain-Enabled Transparency and Accountability: By leveraging blockchain technology, our solution establishes an immutable, tamper-proof record of the entire chain of custody for each organ, from procurement to transplantation. This unprecedented level of transparency empowers regulatory bodies, policymakers, and the general public to audit the system, fostering trust and accountability within the organ donation ecosystem.

Real-Time Monitoring and Predictive Analytics: OrganTrack's integration of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, GPS tracking, and predictive analytics capabilities represents a significant innovation in optimizing organ transportation logistics. Real-time monitoring of environmental conditions, coupled with predictive modeling of potential delays or deviations, enables proactive risk mitigation strategies that can preserve organ viability and ensure timely delivery to recipients.

By pioneering these innovative elements, OrganTrack has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts and drive transformative change within the organ donation and transplantation landscape. Our solution sets new industry standards for ethical AI implementation, data transparency, and equity-driven decision-making, paving the way for other healthcare domains to adopt similar principles and technologies.

Moreover, the successful deployment of OrganTrack could inspire a paradigm shift in how healthcare systems approach issues of social justice and equitable access to life-saving treatments. By demonstrating the power of technology to dismantle systemic barriers and uplift marginalized communities, our solution could inspire similar initiatives aimed at addressing long-standing disparities in various aspects of healthcare delivery.

Ultimately, OrganTrack's innovative approach has the potential to reshape the market and redefine the norms within the organ donation ecosystem, fostering a future where the gift of life is accessible to all, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or any other non-medical factor.

OrganTrack's theory of change is centered around leveraging innovative technologies and robust governance mechanisms to directly address systemic inequities and lack of transparency in organ allocation and transportation.

Key activities include developing a centralized platform integrating GPS tracking, sensors, blockchain, and ethical AI algorithms that prioritize medical urgency over non-medical factors. Regular audits with community oversight will prevent algorithmic bias.

Immediate outputs are a unified system enabling coordinated organ matching and transportation, transparent allocation driven by ethical AI, optimized logistics through real-time monitoring, and trustworthy record-keeping via blockchain.

Longer-term, we expect reduced racial disparities in accessing transplants, improved post-surgical outcomes through better preservation, restored public trust in the system's integrity, and catalyzing broader adoption of equity-focused practices across healthcare.

Our theory of change is grounded in research highlighting transplant inequities, successful blockchain supply chain pilots, interviews with stakeholders voicing needs for fairness, and studies showing ethical AI can mitigate bias in clinical decisions.

By tackling root causes through innovative and ethical solutions, OrganTrack can drive systemic reforms and inspire similar equity-driven approaches in healthcare and beyond.

Our core impact goals for OrganTrack are:

1. Eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities in accessing life-saving organ transplants.
2. Increase equity and fairness in the organ allocation process across all demographics.
3. Improve post-transplant outcomes and survival rates through optimized organ transportation and viability preservation.
4. Foster public trust and transparency in the organ donation ecosystem.

To measure progress towards these goals, we are tracking the following key indicators:

For Goal 1 & 2 (Reducing Disparities & Increasing Equity):

• Percentage distribution of organ transplants across racial/ethnic groups compared to their representation on national waitlists (Target: Proportional distribution)
• Percentage of organ transplant recipients from low-income communities (Target: Year-over-year increase)
• Gini coefficient measuring inequality in access to transplants across socioeconomic levels (Target: Downward trend towards 0)

For Goal 3 (Improving Outcomes):

• Rate of organ discard/non-transplantation due to logistics issues (Target: <1%)
• 1-year and 5-year post-transplant survival rates (Target: >90% and >70% respectively)
• Organ Transplant Waitlist Mortality Rate (Target: Downward trend year-over-year)

The core technology powering OrganTrack is a convergence of cutting-edge innovations spanning Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and secure data integration platforms.

Internet of Things (IoT) & Sensor Network: At the heart of our solution lies an extensive IoT sensor network embedded within the organ transportation containers. These medical-grade sensors continuously monitor critical environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and vibration levels that can impact organ viability. The real-time data streams from these sensors provide unprecedented visibility into the preservation conditions during every stage of the transportation journey.

Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking: Complementing the sensor network is GPS technology that precisely tracks the geographic location of organ shipments throughout the supply chain. This geo-spatial data, coupled with sensor readings, enables our system to proactively identify potential risks or deviations from optimal transportation protocols and recommend contingency measures.

Blockchain Technology: OrganTrack leverages blockchain's distributed ledger capabilities to establish an immutable, tamper-proof record of the entire chain of custody for each organ donation case. From the initial procurement to final transplantation, every handoff and environmental data point is cryptographically secured on the blockchain, ensuring transparency and auditability by authorized stakeholders.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML): At the core of our platform lies a sophisticated AI/ML engine that powers several critical functions:

1. Ethical Organ Allocation: Our algorithms match donor organs to recipients based solely on medical urgency factors, having been trained on carefully curated datasets that exclude non-medical variables like race or socioeconomic status. This ensures an equitable and unbiased allocation process.
2. Predictive Analytics: Using machine learning models, our system analyzes real-time IoT sensor data, traffic patterns, weather conditions, and historical data to forecast potential delays or deviations that could compromise organ viability. Proactive alerts are then generated to mitigate risks.
3. Optimized Logistics: AI-driven route optimization techniques are employed to dynamically plan the most efficient transportation routes, considering variables like traffic, organ viability windows, and multi-modal options (air, ground, etc.).