Emvólio
The Portable Medical - Grade Refrigerator

The team of engineers at Blackfrog have developed Emvólio - a portable active cooling (battery-powered) device that will provide a platform for delivery of vaccines and all other biologicals like blood, serums, viral culture which require to be kept strictly between 2°C and 8°C for up to 12 hours in the field. The product is prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO PQS E003/134) and conforms to IEC 60601 standards.

Emvólio for Immunization
(Vaccine Carrier)

9 out of the 15 vaccines commonly administered today are freeze-
sensitive, and they need to be strictly maintained between 2 - 8°C.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 50% of vaccines (25% for liquid vaccines) go to waste before they are administered[1]. One of the biggest contributors to this issue is the disruption in cold chain supply. That is, temperature-sensitive vaccines must be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius to remain efficacious.

However, as things stand, there is no accountability when the vials leave the primary or sub-health centres where they are refrigerated. “Last-mile” immunization cold chain in remote, low-income settings reliant on ice-based technologies faces problems of compliance, accidental freezing and/or warming, and lack of temperature monitoring during transport.

Issues with the Current Cold Chain System
Why Emvólio?

Emvólio is a portable, battery-powered refrigeration device that will strictly maintain a pre-set temperature for up to 12 hours for last-mile transport of vaccines. Further device capabilities will include continuous temperature monitoring, location tracking, state of charge indication, and communication with headquarters via live tracking and vital statistics for improved coverage. This device will reduce the economic burden of wasted vaccines and optimize human resources in vaccine delivery by nullifying the need for repeated immunization visits to account for the administering of unviable vaccines. Importantly, the level of portability and ease of charging that it gains from being battery- powered sets Emvólio apart from the competition, which relies on less efficient and impractical means, such as frozen PCM, use of Ammonia or refrigerants, to generate cooling.

Salient Features of Emvólio:
Cold-life usage duration 12+ hours
Capacity 1.55 liters
Assured temperature maintenance YES
Display (Feedback to user) YES
Pre-cooling or conditioning required NO
Online monitoring & report generation YES
Portable & Rugged YES
Leak Resistant YES

Emvólio for Biologicals

“The World Health Organization states that the most biologicals like whole blood and red cells as well as viral specimens (including COVID-19 specimens) should be stored and transported at 2-8 degrees Celsius if they reach the laboratory in less than 72 hours.”

However, as things stand, there is no accountability for the samples once they are dispatched from collection centers to the central laboratory for testing. Cold-chain transport systems that rely on ice-based technologies face problems of compliance, accidental freezing and/or warming, and lack of temperature monitoring during transit. Chilled transport media are often unreliable due to power outages and human error during freezing of ice/gel packs, leading to the risk of compromised testing resulting from specimen drying, contamination or degradation.

Why Emvólio?

Emvólio has a patented rapid-cooling technology that ensures temperature stabilization to safe-limits over 96% faster than ice-based technologies, during temperature excursions (arising from operational requirements or human interference). In practical terms, this means minimal freeze-thaw cycles for the specimen and thus accurate results from testing. The rugged 2 liter-capacity cold chamber (as per WHO standards[2]) is designed with dual-layered stainless steel 304 for corrosion resistance and easy sterilization.

Emvólio for Consumer Applications

Are you a nursing mother going back to work? Want to have your partner help with feedings or want to make sure you have breastmilk for your baby if you are away for a few hours - you will need to pump and store your breastmilk.
Why Emvólio?

US-CDC guidelines [3] recommend that freshly pumped human milk be stored at a stable 4 degrees Celsius for up to 4 days. Blackfrog’s portable carrier provides a safe and conducive platform for nursing mothers and caretakers of breastfed infants to carry and store expressed milk..