PHC Corporation of North America Launches PHCbi Brand VIP ECO� SMART Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer with Industry-Leading Energy Efficiency

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

WOOD DALE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#highthroughputimaging–PHC Corporation of North America, supplier of the PHCbi brand of cell preservation and growth products in North American and Latin American markets, announces the launch of the PHCbi brand VIP ECO^� SMART ultra-low temperature freezer series for use in facilities including medical institutions, universities, and pharmaceutical companies. This new series builds upon PHCbi’s long history of innovative and reliable ultra-low temperature freezers to offer enhanced energy-saving performance while improving security and usability.

Advances in pharmaceutical and life sciences research continue to increase the global demandⁱ for ultra-low temperature freezers. mRNA vaccine research and storage, cell and gene therapy development, pharmaceutical development, and storage of samples for therapeutic advances all require accurate, dependable, and secure preservation equipment. This growth in demand, combined with the need to meet energy efficiency goals set by many industry institutions and governing bodiesⁱ, has created a need for products that minimize power consumption without compromising preservation capability.

The new PHCbi brand VIP ECO SMART 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. Its main benefits include:

• Nearly 30% reduction in power consumption.ⁱⁱ 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^®.ⁱⁱⁱ
• 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 PHC Corporation of North America, stated “The new VIP ECO SMART represents years of design research and innovation, building upon PHCbi’s history of excellence in supporting advances in life science research and health. The VIP ECO SMART offers pharmaceutical companies and health institutions an opportunity to achieve sustainability goals without compromising their research performance.”

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) 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., 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 FY2021 were JPY 340 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries. www.phchd.com

ⁱ Source: Global Assessment of Life Science Equipment Market and The Impact of COVID-19 (Frost & Sullivan, Issued November 1, 2021)

ⁱⁱ 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

ⁱⁱⁱENERGY STAR Certified Lab Grade Refrigerators and Freezers

Contacts

Julia Cottrill

Corporate Communications

PHC Holdings Corporation

phc-pr@gg.phchd.com