Surface property optimization of an insulation coating for glass

The handling and storage of perishables like vaccines are critical to retain medical potency and effectiveness for patient administration. The delivery of vaccines can succumb to several pitfalls such as physical damage, losses in transit and expiration. One of the primary causes of vaccine wastage is a result of heat and freezing of the biological products. These sensitive perishables quickly spoil if not maintained in the correct temperature range of a refrigerator that is kept to +2°C to +8°C. [1] As a result of vaccines being exposed to temperatures outside of this 6-degree range can reduce the protection that vaccines provide against such diseases like diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. Clear visual differences can be observed from within vials that show large precipitates of crystalline structures of the affected vaccine when exposed to freezing temperatures. [2] These unfavorable conditions irreversibly ruin the vaccine for immunization. Ensuring proper vaccine temperature conditions in-transit have mainly been done through cold-chain delivery and the use/management of expensive purpose-built refrigerators.

Faculty Supervisor:

Daniel Foucher

Student:

Farhan Yusuf;Amir Tehrani

Partner:

VivaVax Inc.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Other

University:

Ryerson University