ISOBAR: The Cooling System that Could Revolutionize Vaccine Delivery

ISOBAR is a portable, cooling device that aims to provide safe and effective vaccine transportation in developing countries.

The UK winner of the 2016 James Dyson Award, the device has the ability to keep vaccines cold for up to six days and can be recharged easily on the go in a little over an hour.

Limited access to electricity and healthcare centers proves to be a difficult obstacle when transporting vaccines in rural areas. Further still, current vaccine programs in developing countries do not necessarily meet international standards for vaccine distribution with regards to temperature conditions, which may lead to the loss of vaccine potency.

ISOBAR aims to change that, and could potentially save millions of lives in its use.

ISOBAR utilizes a chemical process to keep vaccines at a steady cool temperature to prevent them from losing potency. The brainchild of Loughborough University Industrial Design and Technology graduate William Broadway, ISOBAR works by mixing and heating two substances, ammonia and water, in a lower pressure vessel. The ammonia vaporizes, separating from the water. It is subsequently captured by a valve in an upper chamber until cooling is needed.

This process is significantly more controllable than alternative methods like ice packs, and despite the chemical intricacies of the cooling mechanism, requires only minimum training to operate. With no moving parts and a long cooling span, time and manpower is also saved.

The invention is relatively easy to charge on the go with electricity or propane gas and is kept in a lightweight backpack. It has the potential to be used later on for the transport of organs, temperature sensitive medical equipment, and blood.

For more information about this exciting invention, please visit: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/