Cold chain tracking from Uhlmann ensures that the demanding cold chain of a Covid-19 vaccine is monitored. From the delivery of the vaccine to the final deep-freezing of the packaged vials, the digital solution provides data in real time.
A cold chain must be maintained for many vaccines, sometimes even in the freezer section. A maximum of 48 hours in 14 days: this is the period during which one of the new Covid-19 vaccines may be outside the cold chain during filling and packaging. This makes it all the more important Efficient monitoring of the cold chain across the entire process, as is currently being realised by Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG is currently realising for an international pharmaceutical packaging company.
„For some manufacturers, the cold chain has to be monitored manually and on paper because no digital solutions are yet available. Given the speed and quantities at which COVID-19 vaccines are produced, this is very inefficient. In addition, the active ingredients can become ineffective if the cooling is interrupted for too long. With our Digital Cold Chain Tracking helps to ensure that the maximum number of vaccine doses can be provided,“ says Georg Schick, Global Product Manager Track & Trace at Uhlmann.
Traffic light system indicates status within the cold chain
With cold chain tracking, the vaccine batches are registered when the goods are received. From then on, the system records every check-in in the cooling and every check-out for filling or packaging. For this purpose, the vials are filled in the filling line with a UV code printed and can then be read in using the VisioRead camera system. The provision and recording of the Serialisation data The Uhlmann Control Terminal T1 takes care of the data management and aggregation. All data is collated on a central server. This is where the batches to be monitored are created and finalised, reports are generated and documentation is produced.
The system documents withdrawals and storage in the cooling system. At the same time, a comparison is made with the maximum permissible time without cooling. The The status of the cold chain is displayed at each checkpoint using a traffic light system. If the cold chain is interrupted because a work step takes too long, the system triggers an alarm. This means that the packaging process can be controlled accordingly and as many vaccine doses as possible can be „saved“ with the help of digital cold chain tracking.
Digital beats manual
The digital cold chain tracking is extremely precise and provides a Real-time reporting. Critical batches can thus be recognised at an early stage, given preferential treatment or at least ejected at the earliest possible point in time. The reporting can be viewed at any time, even from outside production. In addition, the cold chain tracking of Uhlmann can be integrated into the existing track & trace process and expanded accordingly. This is a mandatory component in pharmaceutical production for comprehensive counterfeit, product and process safety.
Source: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
