Novosibirsk State Technical University has developed an innovative system for transporting blood and pathogens of the third and fourth groups, which combines cold and warm chambers and is compact.
Irina Varavina, a graduate of the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering at NSTU-NETI with a degree in Biotechnical Systems and Technologies, has developed a system for transporting class B biological materials (smears, blood, and pathogens of the third and fourth groups), which is a two-chamber container with the ability to simultaneously maintain two temperature conditions.
"The device is a 250x200x300 mm container with two chambers with a volume of three liters each. One of them maintains a temperature of +37 degrees, close to the temperature of the human body, which is necessary for some cultures of bacteria of the fourth group of pathogenicity. The second chamber operates at temperatures up to +5 degrees and is used for storing urine, blood, various bacterial and viral crops and microorganisms," Irina Varavina said.
The Peltier element, a thermoelectric device whose principle of operation is based on the occurrence of a temperature difference during the flow of an electric current, allows maintaining different temperatures in two isolated chambers at once. It is lightweight, takes up minimal space and is safe, unlike the usual dry ice, which can cause a cold burn. The ATmega328P microcontroller based on Arduino Nano, digital thermal sensors and an LCD display for temperature display are used to control the developed system. The vehicle's on-board power supply with a voltage of 12 volts serves as the system's power source.
The development of the graduate of NSTU-NETI requires preheating and cooling for only 20 minutes, does not require refueling with liquid nitrogen or dry ice, when disconnected from the power source; it is able to maintain the required temperature for 40 minutes, which distinguishes it from domestic and foreign analogues. Another advantage of a two-chamber system with a temperature difference, in addition to compactness, mobility and safety, is the low cost of the components of the structure. "The Peltier element is inexpensive, but it takes a long time to work. According to our calculations, if the container is used daily, it will potentially last for 13 years if the operating rules are followed," Irina Varavina emphasized.