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Enterprise Minnesota Magazine - February 2010HELPING MANUFACTURERS GROW PROFITABLY |
Special DeliveryMinnesota Thermal Science's insulated containers set a new standard for transporting temperature-sensitive materials--saving lives at home and around the world. Since 2003, wounded U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been given a fighting chance thanks to cutting-edge technology from a Minnesota company. Summer temperatures on battlefields can exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit, making it difficult for military medics to preserve temperature-sensitive materials such as blood. But Minnesota Thermal Science's thermal insulated containers can keep pharmaceutical and biomedical materials cool for up to a week, making it possible for soldiers to receive lifesaving blood transfusions right on the battlefield. Originally developed for the U.S. military, the now commercially available product line is called Credo®. It has expanded the limit of what's possible in the transport of medical materials. While older methods involving Styrofoam boxes, dry ice and gel packs can preserve materials for 48 to 72 hours, Credo® containers can maintain strict temperature controls for up to seven days--ensuring a safe arrival for vital payloads. Minnesota Thermal Science's layered container system uses a liquid called phase change material and a vacuum-insulated panel that prevents the transfer of heat energy into or out of the container. Without the need for heavy, space-hogging dry ice or gel packs, Credo® containers are roomier inside, lighter and less expensive to ship. They also are reusable, making them both eco-friendly and economical. All in all, vice president of sales Kevin Lawler estimates the containers cost between 30 and 50 percent less over time than their disposable counterparts. Lawler is proud to market an "environmentally sound solution" that affects so many lives in a positive way. "Medics and soldiers will walk up to us at military conferences and tell us that [the containers] save lives on the battlefield," he says. The containers also have helped save lives at home. For example, a Texas-based EMT organization was able to transport blood to a rural car accident scene, saving the life of a young girl. In another example, an individual was able to ship a temperature-sensitive drug from Germany to the United States, greatly improving the life of a family member battling a degenerative illness. Sales at Minnesota Thermal Science have surged as its containers have become popular among pharmaceutical and biomedical companies for transportation of clinical trial materials and other medical supplies. The company saw sales numbers triple between 2008 and 2009 alone. In 2010, Lawler expects sales will double yet again. |
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