FreMon Scientific recently collaborated with Comprehensive Cell Solutions (CCS) to evaluate the ZipThaw system against conventional water bath thawing for cryopreserved apheresis products. The study evaluated if ZipThaw’s controlled, dry thawing system could deliver comparable or superior outcomes in cell viability and recovery.
Key Operational Advantages
The CCS team found the ZipThaw device highly usable with minimal training required. The transition to dry thawing provides several workflow benefits:
- Dry operation eliminates the need for water handling, reducing both messes and contamination risks.
- The system allows for real-time, continuous tracking of the bag temperature during the thaw, a major advantage over water baths.
- Dual chambers allow operators to thaw two products simultaneously using independent programs.
- While the system provides excellent temperature control, operators cannot visually inspect the bag for residual ice crystals without stopping the program.
Cellular Quality & Thaw Performance
ZipThaw performed exceptionally well against the conventional baseline.
| Performance Metric | Evaluation Results |
|---|---|
| Thaw Time | Thaw times were comparable across both methods, averaging approximately 9 minutes. |
| Post-Thaw Viability | All samples exceeded the 80% target, but ZipThaw samples showed slightly higher viability, testing approximately 2% higher immediately post-thaw. |
| Total Cell Recovery | After the post-thaw wash, the ZipThaw consistently demonstrated slightly higher recoveries, yielding a 2.2% overall improvement. |
| Leukocyte Populations | Monocyte counts were higher in the ZipThaw samples, suggesting the device better preserves stress-sensitive cell types. |
| T-Cell Subsets | Counts for T-cells, B cells, and NK cells showed no meaningful differences, indicating equally successful cell preservation. |
The Verdict on Transitioning
The findings from CCS support the classification of ZipThaw as an equivalent thawing method. Because it offers a closed system and minimal maintenance requirements, transitioning existing laboratory workflows to the ZipThaw presents manageable regulatory risks and minimal comparability risks.