A start-up supported by the Department of Biotechnology’s (DBT) Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has developed a portable, battery-operated medical-grade refrigeration device, and it is already revolutionising the last-mile delivery of vaccines at remote locations.

Called Emvólio, the device developed by the start-up Blackfrog Technologies is capable of improving the efficiency of the immunisation by strictly maintaining preset temperature for up to 12 hours, thus enabling the safe and efficient transportation of vaccines to remote locations, an official statement said on Thursday.

It has a 2-litre capacity, enabling it to carry 30-50 vials, the standard for a day-long immunisation campaign. The device also includes continuous temperature monitoring, location tracking, state-of-charge indication, communication with headquarters via live-tracking, and vital statistics for improved coverage, the statement said.

Emvólio’s patented technology ensures that all contents in the cold chamber are blanketed in strictly temperature-controlled air. The underlying refrigeration mechanism is solid-state cooling with a smart PID (Proportional Integral Derivate) controller, which guarantees precise temperature maintenance without the risk of noxious refrigerant leakage or cross-contamination. The lack of motors/compressors or any moving parts enables low-maintenance operation. The unique design of Emvólio promises uniform cooling and minimal freeze-thaw cycles, it explained.

Due to the ability of the device to strictly maintain the temperature between 2°C and 8°C for up to 12 hours in the field, the device is being used as a platform for delivery of vaccines and all other biologicals like blood, serums, viral culture. The innovation solves the current challenge of last-mile vaccine delivery as currently iceboxes, which have no mechanism for temperature control and regulation, are being used. The absence of temperature control and regulation in iceboxes also risks accidental freezing and thawing, rendering the temperature-sensitive vaccines inefficacious.

Blackfrog, which received a series of grants from BIRAC from seed fund to proof-of-concept to prototype development, has a production capacity of 1500 units per month, and Emvolio is now being deployed across North-East India with necessary clearance from the National Health Mission. Till now, Blackfrog has also sold more than 200 vaccine carriers across five States in India for safe last-mile delivery of vaccines, the statement said.

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