“Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) represent a unique component of
health care. By federal law, they are the only organizations that can perform
the life-saving mission of recovering organs from deceased donors for
transplantation” – Association of organ procurement organizations.
There are 58 organ procurement organizations throughout
the United States. They are all overseen by multiple government agencies and
must obey the highest medical and ethical standards. OPO’s help give a gift
more precious than anything: life to a person in need. With this being said,
packaging for these organizations must be taken very seriously in order to
properly deliver donated organs and tissues. The following are guidelines to
adhere to while shipping commercially.
- When shipping commercially, a disposable shipping box must be used.
- The disposable shipping box must
be labeled with the standardized label distributed by the OPTN contractor.
- Disposable boxes are not allowed
to be re-used.
- The outer box must be a corrugated plastic or corrugated cardboard that is coated with a water resistant substance with at least 200 pound burst strength.
- The inner container must be 1.5 inches thick, insulated container OR have an equivalent “R” value.
- A closed colored opaque plastic bag must be placed between the outer container and the insulated container. Closed is defined as being secured in a manner to prevent leakage (i.e. watertight).
- A second closed plastic liner must also be placed inside the insulated container to encase the ice. Closed is defined as being secured in a manner to prevent leakage (i.e. water tight). [1]
Polar Tech would like to recognize these outstanding
organizations, not only for the lives that they change; but also for their
great cooperation with healthcare organizations and federal agencies.
It is an honor to work with such organizations and we
are proud to be able to offer packaging solutions for them. We will continue to
innovate and improve our line of products, so that we may always meet such
guidelines for our current and future customers.
“The heart and soul of the company is creativity and
innovation” – Robert Iger
For more
information on Organ Procurement policies, including packaging specifications
click here:
[1]
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, (OPTN). Policy Management: Standardized
Packaging, Labeling and Transporting of Organs, Vessels, and Tissue Typing
Materials. 2/1/2013. http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/PoliciesandBylaws2/policies/pdfs/policy_17.pdf.
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