The current design from Wheecon shall include the following changes and modifications, enabling the uniquely designed blast freezer to be used as a plasma storage device and vice versa !! A significant cost saving can be achieved, a very relevant aspect in the Indian market.

According to AABB and European blood bank regulations the plasma is to be blast frozen before it is stored at -18 ºC or lower, as per guidelines from international blood bank association.  Unfortunately most of the blood banks in India ,  resort to storage of the plasma straight away at -40 ºC, low temperature cabinet, which has a lot of shortcomings in terms of the final products utility and efficacy .

The blood banks have been facing practical difficulty with demand for  huge investment on a dedicated blast freezer varying between 10 to 25 lacs for a single machine ,  and hence often the system is not acquired at all, and in the process, compromising with the final quality of the plasma product .  Wheecon have come out with a totally different approach to address the issue by offering an integrated solution with the system which can function as the blast freezer and at the same time can be used for subsequent storage of the plasma after the blast freezing  process, in the same chamber without additional transfer step to another machine or  need for another freezer, based on the load, if preferred.

Blast freezers operate at an air temperature of -30 ºC with plasma in bag reaching core temperature of -30 ºC in about 30 minutes  or -35 ºC in about 35 minutes or -45ºC in 45 minutes compared to standard  plasma freezer used for keeping at -35 or -40 ºC.  But then plasma bags thus stored in a -40 ºC  can take about four hours, or even more based on extraneous factors to reach -30 ºC in prescribed time.  Research studies have proven that quick and consistent freezing is essential for the maximum recovery of coagulation factors of fresh frozen plasma.  Otherwise the product quality is severely affected.

The main modifications of our design involve the following aspects  :

1. The advent of newer refrigerants with lower evaporation temperature compared to the existing, give the benefit of adaptation to the new design with appropriate refrigeration assembly, with modification and program changes and special holders.

2. The special compressor and chosen for first time for this application is with a much higher cooling capacity with ability to work at high ambient temperature and adjust cooling capacity automatically to suit the cooling load and with auto speed control with inverter compressors, for best efficiency and at the same time compatible with the refrigerant , which is also environmentally friendly.

3. The special design combination additionally employed in the evaporator section specifically modified, designed and used for the first time in the industry is  strategically positioned  (patent applied for), enhances the cooling efficiency and VERY QUICKLY reaching desired temperature and reducing drastically the time involved compared to existing design.

4. The combination of the compressor, condenser  in conjunction with one of its kind special type evaporator and its location , and the chamber design all add up to help in the “ultra  rapid freezing of the plasma” and farther assisted with the unique shape of the plasma holder for uniformity in temperature and reach -30 ºC in about 30 minutes, as against many manufacturers needing 60 -75 minutes or more to reach -30ºC of 250ml plasma,  overall improving  the efficiency and time to attain – 30 or -35ºC in blast freezing mode. The system is not affected by fluctuating ambient temperature, thanks to refrigeration mechanism starting with a totally different type of compressor, condenser, fan,  evaporator which are all HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT.

5. The system shall have in the case of blast freezing process, a dedicated position for running a control bag, with material mimicking plasma, for tracking the freezing temperature right through the entire cycle till the freezing temperature of -30 ºC is reached. The tracking mechanism is based on our unique TemPTrak paperless monitoring and controlling device with graphic output of temperature vs time. This assures that the validation is an integral part of the blast freezer itself and for assured consistency of the freezing cycle all the time. 

The above design modifications in all the critical areas ensure that the plasma loaded on to the system is in direct touch and touch with the highly conducting material holding the plasma which in turn is in direct contact with evaporator itself, thanks to its positioning and shape as well , for quick cooling of  the product ,  with a single compressor, if it is a -40 ºC  freezer or with two compressors in cascade with -80 ºC  system, the conventional one ! At the same time energy efficient and with lower vibration and noise levels, compared to current ones used  by almost all the other manufacturers, ensuring higher efficiency and reliability of the system ! Above all, the whole design is environmentally friendly. The special high capacity and unconventional compressor for this application chosen with the latest in the refrigerant, all go to assure that the plasma of 250ml bag shall reach the core temperature of -30 ºC in about 30 minutes,  even if the plasma in the bag  is loaded from a relatively higher ambient temperature  !!

The system can be used for the conventional storage of plasma at -40 ºC or -80 ºC after the blast freezing. But  in line with guidelines as suggested in AABB , storage temperature of plasma is -18 to -20 ºC or lower temperature after the blast freezing . So in essence, the new device saves significant cost on the investment on an additional blast freezer,  as well ably working as blast freezer as well as plasma storage device , and with high level of energy efficiency and with overall economy of operation and acquisition cost, space saving , and one of its kind product for the purpose.