ArcticRx launches vaccine freezer pods
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A device developed amid the pandemic to store and transport vaccines in ultra-low temperatures for extended periods of time has launched.
The ArcticRx pod, a durable plastic shipping container a bit larger than a dishwasher, was unveiled last week at the Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers, where one of the partners behind the project, ChefsFridge Co., is based. The other partner is Rolls Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, whose thermal engineers helped develop the technology that can maintain stable temperature for more than 21 days on a single charge of dry ice, ArcticRx said in a news release.
“It is incredible to have with us all of those who have had an integral part in bringing this pod to market,” ArcticRx co-founder Shane Bivens said in the release. “This advance in transport packaging is light years ahead of anything else in the world.”
Work on the pod escalated in 2021, when ChefsFridge and Rolls Royce joined efforts to develop a way to store and transport COVID-19 vaccines, Inside INdiana Business reported at the time. The pod, which also can be used to store and transport food and other perishable items, does not require batteries or electricity.
The device significantly outperforms other types of passive, ultra-low-temperature shipping coolers available on the market, the company said.
“Rolls-Royce is working to foster innovation and entrepreneurship globally and locally,” Allen Barta, a Rolls-Royce executive involved in technology and partnerships, said. “We’ve created a network to share practices and ideas. When an idea comes up, we can find partners through our network.”
ArcticRX in 2023 was named the state’s Innovative Small Business of the Year by the Indiana Economic Development Corp.