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Purpose The Active Storage Machine (ASM), was developed to improve corneal graft storage in eye banks. The proof-of-concept, the bioreactor (BR) published by our research team (Am. J. Transplant. 2019), demonstrated the feasibility of an active storage system that restores the intraocular pressure and medium renewal for improving ex vivo graft viability. The present study aims at presenting the successful translation of the proof of concept (from an academic laboratory) into a functional prototype which maintain comparable technical performance. The new results were also compared with conventional (i.e. passive) organ culture (OC).Methods Nine corneas were stored in the ASM for 27 days, using CorneaMax (Eurobio-Scientific) in a dry incubator at 31°C without CO2 supplementation, 30 mmHg and medium circulation. They were then kept at room temperature, without medium circulation, under 40 mmHg for 3 days to simulate shipping to the operating room. Endothelial cell density (ECD), corneal thickness, and pH (endothelial/epithelial) were measured on days 0 (except ECD), 1, 7, 14, 21, 27, and 30. ECD was measured using specular microscopy (CellCheck-D+, Konan), which allowed for continuous monitoring throughout the storage period. Alizarin red staining was performed at the end of the study to verify for endothelial integrity. Statistical comparisons were conducted between the ASM group from the current study and the BR and OC groups (50 corneas both) from the 2019 publication.Results The initial ECD was 2412±232 cells/mm² and the daily ECD loss in the ASM was 0.30% (95%CI 0.15–0.44%) over the 27 days of storage. Corneal thickness decreased from 852±209 μm to 616±34 μm. During the transport simulation, ECD loss was 1.29% (95%CI 0.63–1.96%), and thickness significantly decreased to 607±36 μm (p<0.05). pH levels increased in both epithelial and endothelial chambers. Alizarin red staining confirmed perfect endothelial integrity. Corneas into the ASM had lower cell loss than in OC (p<0.0001), and similar cell loss than in the BR (p>0.05). After the 3 day-shipping simulation, corneal thickness was comparable to that of OC corneas deswelled in CorneaJet and the daily cell loss was 7 times lower.Conclusion The ASM effectively preserved corneas, demonstrating comparable technical performance to the initial BR and superior results compared to OC, confirming its potential for eye banking.