PHCbi Brand VIP ECO® SMART Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer Wins 2023 Outstanding New Product Award from the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories

Annual Award Recognizes Technical Innovation and Anticipated Impact on the Biobanking Community

VIP ECO SMART Series Reduces Energy Consumption by Nearly 30% Over Current PHCbi Class-Leading Models

WOOD DALE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ISBERawards--PHC Corporation of North America (PHCNA), supplier of the PHCbi brand of cell preservation and growth products in the North America and Latin America markets, is pleased to announce that the PHCbi brand VIP ECO® SMART ultra-low temperature freezer has been awarded the prestigious Outstanding New Product Award for 2023 by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER). The VIP ECO SMART is designed for use in a range of facilities including medical institutions, universities, and pharmaceutical companies. With industry-leading energy efficiency and enhanced security and usability features, this product innovation builds upon PHCbi’s long history of purpose-designed and reliable ultra-low temperature freezers.

PHCNA and PHCbi are part of PHC Group, a global company dedicated to improving health through digital and precision technology.

The VIP ECO SMART series was launched to respond to demand for accurate, dependable, and secure preservation equipment that minimizes power consumption while maintaining preservation capability. The series consists of four models of HFC-free ultra-low temperature freezers that enable efficient and safe long-term storage of specimens and samples for researchers engaged in drug discovery and life science research. The series is available in 25.7 cu. ft. (729 L) and 18.6 cu. ft. (528 L) models, at either 115V or 220V, providing flexibility to be used in a variety of settings.

The ISBER Outstanding New Product Award is awarded each year by a team of expert judges to highlight one innovative new product in the biobanking field. The award recognizes one model in the VIP ECO SMART series, the MDF-DU703VH/VHA-PA, for technical innovation and originality, and its’ anticipated impact on the biobanking community due to the data that support its position and valueKey benefits of the VIP ECO SMART series include:

• Nearly 30% reduction in power consumption.ⁱ Since 2018, PHC Corporation of North America has offered the PHCbi brand VIP ECO series of ultra-low temperature freezers featuring a highly energy-efficient natural refrigerant and an inverter compressor that can reduce power consumption through efficient rotation control in the low-speed range. The VIP ECO SMART series uses a new inverter compressor that enables more efficient rotation control at low speed and a new dual refrigeration inverter control, reducing power consumption to 5.4 kWhⁱⁱ per day. This is a reduction of approximately 30% compared to current modelsⁱⁱ and puts the VIP ECO SMART series in the top position among ultra-low temperature freezers as ranked by ENERGY STAR®.ⁱⁱ
• Enhanced security through electric lock with multiple authentication function. The VIP ECO SMART series features an electronic lock, accessible through password authentication, facial recognition, or an optional near-field communication (NFC) authentication, to accommodate a variety of facility needs.
• Enlarged color LCD touch panel to improve visibility and operability. The VIP ECO SMART series offers a 10.1-inch color LCD touch panel, 1.4 times larger than that of the current models, with 1.6 times higher resolution. The panel supports more efficient laboratory workflow with multiple functions integrated into a simple, user-friendly, and easy-to-see screen. In the future, PHC Corporation of North America plans to offer operation monitoring and maintenance management through data linkage with a cloud server.

Hans Brok, President of PHCNA, stated, “PHC Corporation of North America is honored and humbled to receive this award. We are excited that the ISBER Board has chosen to recognize this step forward for biobanking labs around the world, and we look forward to the technical advances of the VIP ECO SMART series also supporting pharmaceutical companies and healthcare institutions in achieving their energy efficiency goals, enhancing the security of their cold storage, and increasing lab performance efficiency.”

Joe LaPorte, Chief Innovation Officer for PHCNA, added, “Years of thoughtful design and input from global customers and engineers have led to the innovations in this new ultra-low temperature freezer. We thank the ISBER Board for their acknowledgement of our team’s commitment to quality and innovation.”

Since the launch of the first pharmaceutical refrigerator in Japan in 1966, PHCbi has developed a wide range of life science equipment, including class-leading ultra-low temperature freezers, biomedical refrigerators, incubators, and other laboratory storage and handling solutions. For more than ten years, PHCbi has focused its efforts on the development of energy-efficient products.

About PHC Corporation of North America

PHC Corporation of North America, located in Wood Dale, IL, is a leader in laboratory equipment for the biopharmaceutical, life sciences, academic, healthcare and government markets. Product lines under the PHCbi brand include the space saving and energy efficient VIP® ECO and TwinGuard® ultra-low temperature freezers, cryogenic and biomedical freezers, pharmacy and high-performance refrigerators, cell culture CO₂ and multigas incubators, and Drosophila/plant growth chambers. PHC Corporation of North America is a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, which is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, sells, and services solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences.

About PHC Holdings Corporation

PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523), or PHC Group, is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG, Epredia Holdings Ltd., Wemex Corporation and LSI Medience Corporation. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics, and life sciences. PHC Group’s consolidated net sales in FY2022 were JPY 356.4 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries. www.phchd.com

ⁱ As of November 22, 2022, ENERGY STAR certification. Certification Number: 2404812(MDF-DU703VHA-PA)/2404811(MDF-DU703VH-PA)/2404909(MDF-DU503VHA-PA)/2404910(MDF-DU503VH-PA) in the ultra-low temperature freezer category. https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-lab-grade-refrigeration/details/2404812
ⁱⁱ ENERGY STAR Certified Lab Grade Refrigerators and Freezers

Julia Cottrill
Corporate Communications
PHC Holdings Corporation
phc-pr@gg.phchd.com