How to store and transport Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine of Covid-19 ?

 

 

 

How to store and transport Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine of Covid-19

 

 

 

First of all, it essential to learn about what is RNA or mRNA vaccine

 

Quote from Wikipedia:

 

An RNA vaccine or mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccine is a type of vaccine that uses a copy of a natural chemical called messenger RNA (mRNA) to produce an immune response.The vaccine transfects molecules of synthetic RNA into immunity cells. Once inside the immune cells, the vaccine's RNA functions as mRNA, causing the cells to build the foreign protein that would normally be produced by a pathogen (such as a virus) or by a cancer cell. These protein molecules stimulate an adaptive immune response which teaches the body how to identify and destroy the corresponding pathogen or cancer cells. The delivery of mRNA is achieved by a co-formulation of the molecule into lipid nanoparticles which protect the RNA strands and helps their absorption into the cells.

 

Then lets learn about Pfizer vaccine of COVID-19-- Tozinameran

Tozinameran, codenamed BNT162b2, commonly known as the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and sold under the brand name Comirnaty, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech in cooperation with Pfizer. It is both the first COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized by a stringent regulatory authority for emergency use and the first cleared for regular use.

From Pfizer official statements and online news, we learned that the vaccines needs to be stored and transported at ultracold/ultralow temperatures between −80°C and −60 °C (−112 and −76 °F), its cold, isnt it? But to many people, they can't image and never felt how cold is that, unless they got a chance to the Antarctic Pole.

 

While actually -60℃/ -70℃/ -80℃/ freezers had always been using in medical field, commonly known as Ultra-low Temperature Freezer (ULT freezer). The ULT freezer offers a wide variety of research and cold storage application, such as low temperature scientific experiments, preservation of red blood cell, white blood cell, skin, bone, bacteria, semen, ocean products, electronic devices, and testing of special chemical or biomedical materials etc. 

 

 

Its widely used in hospitals, blood banks, scientific research institute, university Lab, chemical engineering industries，military industries, Disease Control and Prevention Center, electronic industries.

So obviously -80℃（minus80/negative80) freezer is the best choice to safely and stably store Tozinameran.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem is the vaccines of COVID-19/Coronavirus can't stay in the ULT freezers all the time, it has to be shipped and transported from vaccine factory to hospital, from downtown to surburb, from city to city, from state to state, from country to country.

 

How can we make that happen under the condtion of keeping the required temperature all the time?

 

People use dry ice to keep cakes,meats stuff cold while deliverying, can it be used for transporting COVID-19/Coronavirus vaccines? Technically the answer is yes, as we all know that the dry-ice temperature can be as low as -78.5℃, which totally meets the requirement of below -70℃. And you may already saw from news that the dry ice+insulation boards+carton had been used for transporting Pfizer vaccines,  carriers are UPS and FedEX.

 

 

However, the defects of dry ice are quite serious as well, dry ice sublimates at 194.7 K (−78.5 °C; −109.2 °F) at Earth atmospheric pressure. This extreme cold makes the solid dangerous to handle without protection from frostbite injury. While generally not very toxic, the outgassing from it can cause hypercapnia (abnormally elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood) due to buildup in confined locations.

 

So, is there a better way without using dry ice?

 

The answer is yes if we can turn the -80℃ ultra-low temperature freezer into portable types.

 

And, innovative cold chain solution provider MEI(Mussi Ecology Innovation) made it.

 

MEI -80℃ Portable Ultra-low Temperature Freezers are specialized designed for distribution and transit of vaccines,reagent etc materials, which got very small sizes and light weights, easily to be carried around, can be powered by DC12V and AC110V/220V, built-in battery can keep the temperature set for 1-10hrs while the freezers unplugged, moreover, MEI portable ULT freezers can be powered by external Lithium battries to extend longer running time.

DF86-PH01 is the smallest portable -86℃ cryogenic freezer, it has extremely compact appearance design, external dimensions is 270*270*450mm, very light weight 13.5KG, standard with handle, very convenient to lift up and carry around, temperature setting range is +4℃ ~ -86℃, built-in Lithium battery can keep the inside temperature for 1hr while its unplugged from vehicle or wall power.

Unlike tradtional compressor refrigeration method, DF86-PH01 adopts Stirling refrigeration technology, highly efficient refrigeration performance, low power and consumption, whats more, its not afraid of bumpy and swaying situations, perfectly qualified for Pfizer vaccine of COVID-19 transit.

 

Due to the extremely compact design, DF86-PH01 only has capacity of 1Liter, if you need a bigger one, have a look DF80-PH10 and DF80-PH25.

 

 

 

In common with DF86-PH01, DF80-PH10 also adopts Stirling refrigeration technology, it has 10Liter capacity, standard with wheels and handles, it shares same advantages of efficient refrigeration performance. However, with the increased external and interal dimensions, we have to set it the lowest temperature at -80℃ instead of -86℃ in DF86-PH01, to keep it qualified working well on vehicles, otherwises, the large power will make the car power overloaded.

 

Different with DF86-PH01 and DF80-PH10, DF80-PH25 uses tradtional compressor refrigeration technology, wide operating voltage range make sure it can be powered by DC12V/AC110V/AC220V like PH01 and PH10.

 

 

DF80-PH25 has as big as 25Liter capacity, which is much more than PH01 and PH10, but the disvantage is its too big power(270Watt) makes it inapplicable with most of vehicles(cars especially), so we made it two versions: DF60-PH25 and DF80-PH25, DF60-PH25 has smaller power of 80watt, the lowest temperature can be set as -60℃, which makes it applicable with vehicles power. In order to make DF80-PH25 running on vehicles as well, we provide an external Panasonic Lithium battery(12V,100A) to keep DF80-PH25 running for 4hrs while on vehicles.

 

In the end, MEI provides an alternative for transiting and distributing vaccines of COVID-19 without using dry ice, more safer,convenient and stable.

 

Detailed packaging dimensions of the 3 products:

 

DF86-PH01:  Gross weight 15KG,  package sizes: 404*384*544mm/ strengthen package sizes:504*584*644mm.

DF80-PH10:  Gross weight 40KG,  package sizes : 730*605*734mm.

DF80-PH25:  Gross weight 47KG,   package sizes : 860*490*680mm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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