Two types of special refrigerators developed for "Bringing vaccine to children" without power attention Bill Gates takes

Because electricity and means of transportation are not in place, it is not possible to deliver the vaccine necessary for prevention of infectious diseases, and many children are dead in the world. Equipment such as a refrigerator is indispensable because the vaccine needs to be transported at low temperature, but it is still not easy to solve the power problem. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and acting as a philanthropist, notes two refrigerators that can create a low temperature environment suitable for vaccine transport for as little as 5 days without the need for electricity.

Can this cooler save kids from dying? | Bill Gates
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/The-big-chill

The most important issue in the transport of vaccines, it can be called temperature control. Many of the vaccines are required to be stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius and it is necessary to strictly adhere to this temperature at all stages from the factory producing the vaccine to the site of actual injection Yes. This is called "cold chain", and in many cases it is not easy to realize in countries where equipment and infrastructure is not well prepared.


One of the refrigerators developed to solve this problem is "MetaFridge"is. Even in an environment without power supply, it is possible to keep the temperature suitable for transporting vaccines in the storage for 5 days to 9 days. It is also introduced in the following movies of Gates' official Youtube channel.

Frontiers of Science with Bill Gates # GOALKEEPERS 17 - YouTube


MetaFridge is the device introduced on the platform. It looks like a refrigerator at home, but ...


On the top of the unit there is a freezer for making ice and keeping it. Before transporting the vaccine, connect this device to a power supply, make ice with the power and fill the freezer.


Using the ice made in this way, the MetaFridge can continue to cool down the refrigerator in the lower half of the unit. There is a heat exchanger which the male on the right has in the equipment ... ...


You can guide the coldness stored in the upper freezer to the refrigerator containing the vaccine. With this mechanism, MetaFridge can continue to cool down the refrigerator for 5 to 9 days even in the absence of power supply, inform the administrator that the built-in battery has lost power or the temperature is rising It has become possible to do.


Another thing that Mr. Gates is paying attention to is a small vaccine refrigerator that people can carry on carrying "Indigo"is.

Indigo - YouTube


Vaccines are needed all over the world, but it is particularly important in areas where medical care systems are not in place. Indigo is used like the Republic of Congo in Central Africa.


Generally, in order to cool the vaccine, use such a container made of Styrofoam ......


Stuff the ice pack that was frozen inside and lower the temperature. But with this method, the time to keep coldness is limited.


There is also the difficulty of making ice at places where power supply is not stable.


It is possible to solve such a problem, "Indigo" which can be carried on this shoulder.


Indigo has become a container made of metal ... ...


The interior is structured so that the sealed containers overlap twice. The two containers are separated by insulation and are connected by pipes with valves.


The inside of the container is in a state of low pressure compared with the atmosphere, and water is contained in it. When opening the valve in this state, water moves to the low pressure part, and the pressure inside the container drops so that the temperature inside the vaccine storage is kept at the proper temperature.


A breakthrough in Indigo is to prepare the container to be heated from the outside before using it. When heat is applied to the container from the outside, the expanded water moves into the container inside the insulation. Close the valve when water moves sufficiently and stop heating and this time the pressure of the outer container drops. By doing this, when opening the valve next time, water moves to the low pressure container, the pressure drops and the temperature drops.


Thus, the two vaccines refrigerated transporters are capable of safely storing the vaccine for a long time even in areas without electric power.