The solution is dedicated to the freezing and storage of plasma, compliant with international standards, capable of rapidly bringing the product down to a temperature of -40°C.
The cold chain plays a fundamental role in preserving blood and its derivatives. It is a systematic process that begins with its collection from the donor and ends with its transfusion to the patient.
Throughout all phases, from storage to transport, it is essential to use suitable equipment that ensures correct preservation, guarantees maximum safety, and minimizes losses. To this end, Desmon – part of the Middleby Corporation and leading company in the design and manufacture of systems for commercial and healthcare refrigeration – relies once again on Frascold and its compressors for the creation of a plasma collection freezer, compliant with national and international regulations, such as Regulation (EU) 2017/745 and 21 CFR 860 (Code of Federal Regulations for Medical Device Classification Procedures).
"We took the road to the healthcare sector around 2000, when we expanded our production to medical devices. Over the years, we have acquired ever greater expertise, which today has allowed us to develop, in close collaboration with Frascold, the innovative freezer for plasma. A system mainly aimed at the European and American market, where regulatory bodies such as the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guarantee the safety and efficacy of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and food supplements. These products must meet strict parameters in order to obtain marketing authorization," commented Ciriaco De Santis, Technical Director at Desmon, who added, "Thanks to Frascold compressors, the core of the product can reach -35°C within 230 minutes from the start of the blast chilling cycle, to ensure process reliability and minimize risk."
How the plasma collection freezer works
More in detail, the solution is designed to store a maximum of 72 blood component bags and obtain, in any operating condition, a stable temperature of -40°C during the blast chilling phase. A result made possible by the use of Frascold’s standard piston compressors, characterized by high versatility, efficiency, and energy saving, in every application.
Selected together with the company’s engineering team following many lab tests, the components make it possible to meet the operating standards defined by the guidelines and certifications issued by institutes and bodies worldwide. The freezer alternates the blast chilling phase with the hot gas defrosting phase, activated every 4 hours, for a duration of few minutes. This prevents the thickening of the ice on the evaporator, in favor of a constant and continuous operation of the system over time, as well as ensuring the best preservation of the plasma inside the drawers. Lastly, the system features a series of alarms that can warn in real time of any failures, blackouts, or opening operations that may affect the operating conditions.
"Our partnership with Frascold is over 10 years old. We recently collaborated on setting up the Food Court of thousands of points of sale of an important large-scale retail chain in the USA, a project that involved the installation of around 2500 blast chillers." concluded Ciriaco De Santis. "Among the strengths? Undoubtedly the performance guaranteed by Frascold products, combined with a rapid response in terms of availability of components and qualified technical assistance."
