Testing to charge VD-BOX with solar panel

ITS Campus, ITS News – As a top university, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) continues to get international achievements. Muhammad Adrian Fadhilah, ITS Industrial and System Engineering Student, won the silver medal after creating a vaccine distribution box in Indonesia Inventors Day 2020 (IID), International World Invention and Technology Expo (WINTEX) category, which have been announced on Sunday (29/11).

Adrian won the sub-category of the International Paper Competition for a tool called Vaccine and Medicine Distribution Box or VD-BOX. This box facilitates vaccine distribution, especially for the Covid-19 pandemic. The VD-BOX innovation has been developed by Adrian for six months and has outperformed 2,200 participants from 15 countries.

The awarding moment at the WINTEX competition held via Zoom 

Based on Adrian’s statement, he created the VD-BOX after watching the difficulty of drug distribution in the frontier, outermost, and least developed (3T) areas in Indonesia. “More than 20 percent of the population in the 3T region is malnourished. So, their health level is low,” Adrian explained.

With this health level, Adrian is worried that vaccine distribution to the 3T area will be very difficult considering the existing facilities and infrastructure conditions. “With this problem, it means that when the vaccine comes in, won’t it be difficult to distribute it to 3T areas?” said Adrian.

Muhammad Adrian Fadhilah dan kotak VD-BOX rancangannya

His motivation to create VD-BOX arises because Indonesia has ordered 100 million vaccines through the pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, but the current distribution boxes are very large-sized and high priced. From there, Adrian came up with the idea to create a VD-BOX, an economical vaccine distribution box, but still meets safety and health standards.

Not only in written concept, but Adrian has also built the ordinary VD-BOX prototype and has been tested. The best graduate of SMA Negeri 1 Kebomas, Gresik, explained the materials that he uses to make VD-BOX is High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic material. That plastic is made from petroleum and has characteristics impermeable, odorless, heat resistant, and impact resistant.

For distributing vaccines, VD-BOX works by maintaining temperature stability in the box, which is between 2-8 degrees Celsius for 15 hours under vaccine storage standards. Adrian admitted that he focused on vaccine distribution in a high period, but with environmentally friendly components. “For VD-BOX, I use recycled HDPE. I design the material, so the environmentally friendly aspect is high,” said Adrian.

VD-BOX, the creation of ITS student can maintain temperature to 2 degree celsius

Meanwhile, the cooling component of the VD-BOX is made using a thermoelectric cooler called Peltier and combines with a blue gel ice pack. Blue gel ice pack capable to absorb and store cold air and can maintain the freezing condition of an object.

The design of the VD-BOX was prepared by Adrian using eco-design principles or modular design, where if one component of the box is broken, the box can be repaired by simply replacing the damaged part. Thus, no gluing or welding of the box is permitted.

In maintaining the power resistance of the VD-BOX, Adrian also integrated hybrid energy resources. This charging method can be done using solar panels or common electricity sources. “So this solar panel can be placed in 3T areas. However, not only solar panels but this tool can also be charged like normal electronic devices, ”said the student.

Components of  VD-BOX, conceived by an ITS student that wins an international competition

The VD-BOX designed by Adrian is also equipped with an insulator bag that can maintain long-lasting temperature stability. “For further concept, This tool also uses ideas to sterilize the inside of the box using UV-C lighting,” said Adrian.

Previously, the 2018 student also got the gold medal at International Science and Invention Fair (ISIF) competition with his VD-BOX in the Others category (individual). Adrian hopes the tool can be useful for the community, especially during the pandemic period.(jev/man/ITS Public Relations)

Ice pack blue gel inside VD-BOX, made by ITS student