Fusion of Space Technology and Vacuum Insulation Technology:
Business Alliance with a JAXA Venture for the Development of an Ultra-High-Performance Insulated and Refrigerated Container

• Vacuum-insulated container
• Logistics
• Medical

Tiger Corporation has partnered with TwinCapsula Inc., a JAXA venture, to develop a next-generation insulated and refrigerated container utilizing technology acquired through space development. This project aims to solve temperature control challenges in biomedical logistics.

Background to the development: Terrestrial Application and Social Implementation of Space Technology

　In recent years, the application of advanced technologies cultivated through space development to civilian fields has gained attention. In particular, the highly sophisticated thermal control technology developed for the extreme environment of space holds great potential for use in terrestrial applications that require precise and high-performance temperature management.

Tiger Corporation’s Commitment to Technological Innovation

　With over 100 years of expertise in vacuum insulation technology, Tiger Corporation is striving for further innovation. We are taking on the challenge of creating new value through collaboration with different industries and fields. By engaging in technology development for the cutting-edge domain of space, we aim to create products that go beyond the limitations of conventional vacuum insulation technology.

TwinCapsula × Tiger Corporation: Bringing Space Technology to Earth

　By combining Tiger Corporation’s long-standing expertise in vacuum insulation with JAXA’s thermal control and design know-how for spacecraft, a groundbreaking mission was accomplished. In November 2018, JAXA became the first in Japan to successfully retrieve space-based experimental samples (such as high-quality protein crystals) from the International Space Station, bringing them back to Earth in a refrigerated state using a unique re-entry capsule. To develop and commercialize the technology from this re-entry capsule for terrestrial use, Kazuhiro Miyazaki and Ryuta Hatanaka, who were key members of the capsule development project and led the insulated container development at JAXA, founded the JAXA venture, TwinCapsula Inc

The Challenges

Traditional refrigerated boxes used for transporting pharmaceuticals and other items face the following challenges.

Risk of Temperature Excursion

　In the biomedical field, it is critical to maintain proper temperatures when transporting samples, vaccines, cells, drugs, and biological tissues.
Although various refrigerated containers and transport services are available, temperature excursions during transit occur frequently. This can lead to significant economic losses, such as the disposal of temperature-sensitive goods, making reliable temperature maintenance extremely important.

High Transport Costs

　Currently, it is difficult to transport small quantities of items reliably and compactly at a low cost. Traditionally, even for small shipments like a few test samples,
large refrigerated boxes filled with a significant amount of coolants or dry ice were necessary to ensure an adequate preservation period.
This results in high shipping costs, especially for long-distance or international transport.

The Solution: “BAMBOO SHELLter” – An “Ultra” Insulated Container for Biomedical Transport

　To solve these challenges, TwinCapsula and Tiger Corporation formed a technological partnership to develop the “”BAMBOO SHELLter,”” an “”ultra”” insulated and refrigerated container. With a slim, bamboo-like shape, this compact and ultra-high-performance container (under 2L in volume, maintaining temperatures of -70°C or lower for over 7 days) provides a new solution. By enabling the secure and compact refrigerated transport of small quantities of samples and cells, it helps address critical issues in the medical field and beyond.

Exceptional Temperature Retention Performance

　The BAMBOO SHELLter can maintain temperatures crucial to the biomedical field, including -70°C, -20°C, -10°C, 4°C, 20°C, and 37°C.
The Single-Insulation S size model can sustain these temperatures for over 3 days, while the Double-Insulation model can maintain them for over 7 days. Developed with high-performance vacuum insulation technology from space exploration, these containers minimize the impact of external heat, ensuring long-term, stable temperature retention. This significantly reduces the risk of damage from temperature excursions for sensitive biomedical materials like blood, cells, and biological tissues during transport.

Future Outlook and Expansion into Multiple Fields for Insulated Containers

Future Outlook and Expansion into Various Fields for Vacuum Insulated Containers

The innovative features and performance of the BAMBOO SHELLter have the potential to transform cold-chain logistics and the broader temperature-controlled
infrastructure of society. Its applications are wide-ranging and can be utilized in various settings within biomedical research institutions and medical facilities.

About JAXA Venture, “TwinCapsula Inc.”

　TwinCapsula Inc. is a JAXA venture aiming for the social implementation of the insulation and cooling container technology from JAXA’s HTV Small Re-entry Capsule, under the slogan “Bringing the ‘Ultra’ Insulation and Cooling Technology of Re-entry Capsules to the Ground and into Society.”
By developing and supplying small, ultra-high-performance insulated containers, the company aims to enable personalized cold chain transport of specimens, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, biological tissues, and more. This will lead to the creation of new services in the biomedical transport field, including clinical testing, early screening for diseases like cancer, and decentralized clinical trials (DCT).

Official Website of TwinCapsula Inc.: https://twincapsula.co.jp/

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