Tokyo, Japan – May 24, 2024 – ITE Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Pankaj Garg, hereinafter referred to as ITE), a global leader in temperature control technology, is pleased to announce a breakthrough in the field of cold chain logistics. ITE will leverage its expertise in the development, manufacturing, sales and operation of high-performance IceBattery® systems to transform the transportation of temperature-sensitive products globally.
ITE offers comprehensive solutions with a wide temperature range from -50°C to +25°C with IceBattery® technology to meet the needs of various industries such as agriculture, food, and life sciences. In a strategic partnership with Sagawa Global Logistics Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Masanori Yamamoto), ITE has begun offering last mile delivery services in the life science market (specifically bone marrow, organ transplants, blood, vaccines, regenerative medicines, and specialty pharmaceuticals). This advanced service allows precise temperature control throughout the entire transportation process to ensure the quality and efficacy of sensitive products. Leveraging ITE’s compact 8L, 13L, 16L, and 32L box sizes, the service is available from Tokyo to any destination nationwide. The IceBattery® system provides unparalleled precision and accuracy in temperature ranges of +15°C to +25°C, +2°C to +8°C, +3°C to +6°C, -20°C to -18°C, and -25°C to -30°C.
In addition to IceBattery® technology, ITE also offers a cutting-edge DX (IoT) real-time monitoring solution that allows real-time monitoring of the delivery process. This innovative system tracks and monitors the temperature, location and inventory of transported goods in real time, providing valuable insights to ensure optimal transport conditions are maintained. Through this solution, ITE provides high visibility and control, creating an environment where any deviation from desired conditions allows for appropriate intervention. The introduction of IceBattery® technology and real-time monitoring solutions marks a significant milestone in the life sciences market, revolutionizing traditional cold chains that rely heavily on dry ice and liquid nitrogen. Unlike the dangerous nature and logistical challenges associated with such traditional approaches, IceBattery® and DX (IoT) solutions are safe, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 70 local governments across the country have introduced the IceBattery® system, proving its reliability and certainty with over 16 years of experience and expertise in the cold chain field.
ITE Co., Ltd. will continue to drive innovation and global expansion, providing groundbreaking temperature-controlled solutions that enhance the transportation and distribution of temperature-sensitive products. By revolutionizing the life science cold chain, ITE aims to advance the development of medical, pharmaceutical and scientific research.
●Maintaining temperature in 32L box
A 32L ITE box containing nine IceBatteries® was placed in a temperature-controlled laboratory with an outside temperature of 35°C, and the temperature at the bottom and center of the box was recorded using a temperature logger. It was confirmed that the temperature could be maintained within the target temperature range (5°C around -20°C) for more than 48 hours. This target temperature range is also the transportation and storage requirement for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical company M.
*The demonstration experiment was conducted in two constant temperature laboratories: ITE’s research laboratory and the Temperature Control Technology Research Institute (Ota-ku, Tokyo) of Alfresa Corporation (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yusuke Fukugami), Japan’s leading ethical pharmaceutical wholesaler.
●Temperature change of 32L box by opening and closing the lid (1 minute x 8 times)
Using a 32L ITE box in a room temperature environment, the lid was opened for one minute every hour, and then the process of closing and closing was repeated eight times to measure the temperature change inside the box. It was confirmed that the temperature inside the box could be maintained within the range of -22°C to -24°C.
Comments from Pankaj Garg, CEO of ITE Corporation:
We founded our company with a strong desire to deliver vaccines to every corner of the world, and have been developing many cold storage logistics products for over 12 years. If there is even a slight failure in temperature control during the transportation of the COVID-19 vaccine and it loses its effectiveness, the coronavirus will not go away. We are confident in the quality of our products, and can prove that temperature control is being properly carried out no matter when or at what stage we check the condition inside the box during vaccine transportation.
Our IceBattery® is easy to use, which helps prevent human error. In addition, it does not require a power source except when frozen, so vaccines can be delivered with the same operation anywhere in the world. We hope that our products will be useful so that you can live your daily life with peace of mind in any environment in the world.
