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DOE OSTI · 1813836

Low-Cost, Accessible Vaccine Cooler Options

Bernardin, John David
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Abstract

In response to cold chain management requirements for COVID-19 vaccines, Los Alamos National Laboratory has investigated, built, and demonstrated viability for different cryogenic storage options. With ease-of-access and affordability in mind, these cooler units have been built using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The team was also able to design a testing method for evaluating the performance of the different vaccine cooler options as part of the Technology Evaluation and Demonstration program. The tested cooler units demonstrated compatibility with either dry ice or liquid nitrogen as the cryogen, along with several commercial solvents. This compatibility demonstration would potentially offer sufficient flexibility for temperature control continuity. Next steps are to investigate industry interest in supporting field testing of the cooler units.

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Bernardin, John David. 2021-08-16. Low-Cost, Accessible Vaccine Cooler Options. https://doi.org/10.2172/1813836

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