Systems and methods for ex-vivo organ care

A method of preserving an ex-vivo heart comprising:

• placing an ex-vivo heart in a chamber of a portable organ care system;
• providing, via a pump, a pulsatile flow of a perfusion fluid to the ex-vivo heart at a rate of between about 200 mL/min and about 5 L/min, wherein the perfusion fluid is at a temperature of between about 25° C. and about 37° C.;
• measuring, with a sensor, one or more physiologic characteristics of the ex-vivo heart while the ex-vivo heart is beating;
• and
• in response to the one or more physiologic characteristics, timing the pulsatile flow of the perfusion fluid such that the perfusion fluid enters the ex-vivo heart when the ex-vivo heart is in a diastolic state.