Saving lives: robotic end-of-arm-tooling picks and places frozen containers of human plasma

FPE Automation Receives Recognition for Highly Specialized Application in the Biotech Sector

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation 

FPE Automation's Steve Moore received recognition in an industry insider partner newsletter this month for a unique and special application. One that saves lives. 

Plasma is the liquid component of your blood that contributes to 55% of your blood’s total volume. Plasma is necessary to help your body recover from injury, distribute nutrients, remove waste and prevent infection, while moving throughout your circulatory system.*

Plasma saves lives. Robotics help to
process it so that patients in need can receive
it. Pictured: FPE Automation's Steve Moore
and his daughter.

I work in automation, and this was most definitely outside my wheelhouse. So, I phoned a friend. 

Nancy Milewski, my knowledgeable and experienced RN friend, was willing to give me a basic understanding of plasma. "It carries all kinds of things; nutrients, proteins, enzymes, all over our bodies. Our blood cells and platelets are held together by plasma. We need it to survive."

Many of us are fortunate enough to rarely (or, in my case, pretty much never) think about plasma. For those with autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, blood disorders, liver failure, severe infections, serious burns, or even some undergoing cancer treatment, plasma transfusions are a critical part of their medical care.

You have probably heard of plasma donations. Our bodies carry plasma, but who and what carries the plasma that we donate to others?

Here's a look at what happens behind-the-scenes, after a donor leaves the plasma center. 

Once the plasma is collected, it is frozen. Freezing extends the life of the plasma and protects it from bacteria. From there, logistics come into play. While most of us in manufacturing have some knowledge of what happens next, it's not difficult to guess that plasma would have a highly specialized distribution channel. 

Frozen plasma in bags. Image courtesy of Medicoinfo.

A Highly Specialized Distribution Channel

This is, quite often, where FPE Automation  enters the picture. Applications that are not considered "cookie-cutter" can sometimes take months, or even years, to cycle through the research and development, proof-of-concept, testing and engineering phases. That's particularly true when FDA regulations come into play. It's FPE Automation's specialty to deliver innovative solutions in a timely manner. Locally based, with experienced engineers on staff, and the right partners, we're simply able to be more responsive. 

From Plasma Donor to Recipient

To lend a hand in engineering this important process, FPE Automation partnered with PHD Inc.'s custom team. Both companies can deliver custom products with speed and expertise that others simply can't match.

If you're in a similar situation, the PHD ML team is the ideal group to work with. I spoke to FPE Automation's Steve Moore, the lead on this project. "This application is a great example of how versatile PHD's Unlimited group really is," he told me. 

Robotic end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) was needed to grip the plasma bags without damaging them, and transport them to the next stage of distribution. 

End-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) is attached to robot arms to lift
and safely transport frozen plasma without damaging it.

Together, FPE Automation and PHD Inc. met with the customer and determined their requirements. They knew 316L (low carbon) stainless steel would need to be utilized. They discussed the rest, and narrowed it down to Ertalyte® thermoplastic PET-P vs. Delrin. Eventually, Moore explained, "Eyrtalyte was chosen over Delrin because of its low water absorption properties and resistance to wash-down chemicals used in pharmaceutical facilities."

 "We went through a few revisions of this custom 3-jaw gripper before we settled on this one," Moore added, "This current version has been utilized successfully for three years now, and has transported hundreds of thousands of life-saving plasma bags." 

As a result, several robotic cells work around-the-clock to keep the plasma moving to their final goal: the human patient. Steve concluded with one final thought; "PHD and I have worked with the customer over the years to provide a truly tailored product bespoke to their needs."

Source: Cleveland Clinic