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Precise temperature control of donor cornea tissue with reusable passive thermal container
Shachar Tauber1, John Bowman, Joe Bango
1Adjunct Faculty, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA. shachar.tauber@mercy.net
Cornea
|July 1, 2011
Summary
A new reusable passive thermal container (PTC) ensures stable air temperatures for human donor corneas during transport. This novel shipping method maintains temperature for over 60 hours in extreme conditions, outperforming traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Human donor corneas require precise temperature control during transportation to maintain viability.
- Current shipping methods, such as polystyrene containers with wet ice, have limitations in maintaining stable temperatures, especially under extreme environmental conditions.
- Developing advanced thermal shipping solutions is crucial for improving corneal transplantation success rates and expanding donor tissue availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a novel reusable passive thermal container (PTC) designed for the domestic and international transport of human donor corneas.
- To assess the PTC's ability to maintain stable air temperatures for extended periods (72 hours) under challenging hypothermic and hyperthermic environmental conditions.
- To compare the performance of the PTC against traditional shipping containers (polystyrene with wet ice).
Main Methods:
- The passive thermal container (PTC) was prepared by pre-conditioning at -30°C for 8 hours.
- Human corneas were placed in PTCs or polystyrene containers with wet ice.
- Thermal data loggers were used to record air temperature within the containers during exposure to external temperatures ranging from -28.9°C to 51.7°C for 72 hours.
Main Results:
- The PTC successfully maintained stable acceptable air temperatures for 71.13 hours under hyperthermic conditions and 60.33 hours under hypothermic conditions.
- In contrast, polystyrene containers with wet ice failed to maintain temperatures between 2-8°C for more than 8 hours during the hypothermic challenge and did not meet industry standards during the hyperthermic challenge.
- The PTC demonstrated superior thermal stability and longevity compared to conventional methods.
Conclusions:
- The developed passive thermal container (PTC) offers a novel and reusable solution for transporting human corneal tissue.
- The PTC ensures significant air temperature stability for 60-71 hours in harsh thermal environments, crucial for preserving corneal viability.
- This technology holds potential for enhancing the safety and efficiency of both domestic and international corneal tissue transportation.
