The Notbox Company is developing a new reusable cool box for the healthcare supply chain following its success in transporting blood and urine samples for testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency during the London 2012 Olympics.
At the Games, London-based Notbox supplied a cool box for more than 6,000 anonymous urine and blood samples taken from approximately 50% of the athletes taking part in events during the 19 days of competition.
The Notbox protected the integrity of blood samples for at least six hours within a 2–12°C temperature range when exposed to ambient temperatures. It is a lightweight supply chain box that folds flat when not in use.
Jonathan Cobb, Managing Director of Notbox, said: ‘Having undergone rigorous testing prior to its selection for the Olympics, the Notbox cool box proved its credentials when moving up to 400 samples a day to the World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Harlow, Essex, provided by GlaxoSmithKline.
‘Having since held various discussions with a series of cold chain specialists with customers in the healthcare market, we are now conducting further cold chamber tests to identify the full capability of Notboxes for the pharmaceutical market and to be able to gain the necessary regulatory approvals to satisfy the industry’s strict requirements.
‘Initial laboratory testing is very encouraging for applications in short-haul 2-8 degrees and ‘last mile’ distribution. We are also testing for compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) international shipment of vaccines requirements. We see great potential for Notbox in the healthcare sector and believe it can offer valuable cost savings over traditional packaging and support the CSR programmes of companies in the industry.’
Notboxes are strong, recyclable and multi-use transportation and storage boxes that have been designed to replace traditional single-use cardboard boxes in the supply chain. This month, Notbox has also launched in North America. Notboxes come in a range of sizes and colours and can be easily branded. The company also offers bespoke products for specific client requirements.
