Charpak develops “revolutionary” vaccine tray for delivery to world’s remotest regions

03 Jan 2022 --- Thermoformed packaging specialist Charpak has helped develop a new tray for the safe storage and transportation of refrigerated pharmaceutical products, which the company says will “revolutionize” the distribution of vaccines worldwide. 

Currently, around 6.3 million vaccines are wasted annually – almost 60% of them due to “fridge-related” failures. The new vessel packs could enable safe transport for vaccination products to the world’s remotest regions, claims Charpak. 

The UK-based company worked as part of a collaboration of design specialists, assembled by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) – an organization working to bridge the gap between academic research and industry – to create a vessel that prevents the waste of some vaccination products.

“The MTC has essentially developed a self-contained portable fridge that, when the lid is lifted to remove vaccines, then closes itself to retain the optimum temperature,” explains Charpak’s automotive lead, Niall Johanson.

Although the vessel is predominantly in response to improving the preservation of COVID-19 vaccines, Charpak says it could be developed to transport other medical supplies such as organs and blood. 

Charpak’s vaccine storage technology and tray.From Formula 1 to medical packaging 
Johanson says the concept was a first for Charpak. “While we have done more conventional packaging for medical instruments before, this was something new again.”

He says he was able to apply his experience from thermodynamics in Formula 1, which helped the company work out the amount of air and flow rates required to maintain a stable environment inside the vessel.

“Our bit has been to come up with a special tray that is thermodynamically optimized to allow the airflow within the vessel to keep everything at the right temperature.” 

“The vials can even be turned upside down as they are clipped in, and because the vessel runs on a battery which keeps everything flowing inside, it means it can be taken to many different corners of the world – it could even be carried on one’s shoulder to a remote desert village.”

The MTC is now searching for industrial partners to co-fund the project for commercialization. 

Packaging battles COVID-19 
Meanwhile, Tetra Pak’s mother company Tetra Laval announced a €10 million (US$11.3 million) contribution in support of UNICEF’s work to deliver COVID-19 vaccines globally. 

The donation will contribute to UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen global vaccine equity in lower-income countries. 

“Science tells us we will only defeat the pandemic if we reach a sufficiently high vaccination coverage globally. Making funds available to UNICEF and COVAX is important to us as it will contribute to the health and safety of many people and hopefully speed up the return to the new normal,” says Lars Renström, chairman of the board of the Tetra Laval Group. 

“We are a purpose-led company, focusing on securing safe food distribution sustainably everywhere. We know that UNICEF´s invaluable job to secure vaccination everywhere will work in the same direction.”

Last year, PackagingInsights spoke with experts about industry efforts to innovate pharma packaging that can ensure safe transport and labeling for medical products. Radio Frequency Identification and protective film technologies were highlighted as developments that have changed the packaging landscape for good. 

By Louis Gore-Langton 

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