BioCision, a leader in advanced products to improve biospecimen and biologics handling and standardization, announced the availability of ThawSTAR automated sample thawing system, a breakthrough technology that addresses the “last mile” in the cryopreservation process.
Utilizing the patent-pending STAR sensing technology, ThawSTAR system tailors the thaw cycle to the specific characteristics of each frozen sample.
Consistent with BioCision’s objective to standardize important workflows, the ThawSTAR technology platform represents another industry first and sets a new standard for how cells and cell-based therapies are thawed.
The ThawSTAR technology integrates multiple detection algorithms to ensure uniform thermal profiles and reproducible recovery of the frozen contents, eliminating the subjectivity found in conventional thaw methods that rely on human interpretation, such as swirling frozen vials in water baths, rolling vials between hands and other crude methods.
Each of these outdated methods carries a high level of risk for temperature variation and sample contamination, important considerations in the preparation of cells, including cell therapy drugs.
"Today, many researchers and clinicians rely on improvised methods such as manually immersing vials in a water bath and visually monitoring ice crystals to determine if the vial contents are properly thawed," said Dr. Rolf Ehrhardt, BioCision CEO.
Like other BioCision products, ThawSTAR sample thawing system is an intuitive, error-free method for achieving reproducible thawing and recovery results. Users will simply insert a frozen vial and retrieve it when the vial is raised at the end of the thaw cycle.
The automatic release of the vial coupled with built-in audio and visual alarms allow users to quickly retrieve thawed vials for downstream processing to minimize risk of toxicity from cryopreservatives, such as DMSO. ThawSTAR thawing system was engineered to deliver results similar to those achieved when thawing in a 37C water bath, but with reproducibility and standardization built in. Its small footprint enables easy incorporation into a laboratory or clinical setting.
BioCision will feature ThawSTAR sample thawing system at the upcoming American Society for Cell Biology meeting in Philadelphia, PA December 6-10, booth number 725.
Image: BioCision has unveiled new ThawSTAR automated sample thawing system. Photo: courtesy of BioCision, LLC.