ViaCord's Processing Lab Continues to Innovate
How do you take ViaCord's Processing Laboratory — a state-of-the-art cord blood cryopreservation facility — and make it more state-of-the-art? We recently spoke with Karen Foster, Vice President of ViaCord's Processing Laboratory, to find out.
What happens at the lab?
"Our processing lab is very focused: we receive, process, test and store umbilical cord blood units, and we ship units upon request for transplantation," Karen explains.
What's the lab's mission?
"Ultimately, ViaCord's goal is to both protect our customers' investment and protect our cord blood recipients by providing them with cord blood stem cells that have been processed, preserved and prepared for transplant in the best possible environment."
How does the lab keep up with technological advances?
"We're constantly on the lookout for any new technology or development that can help us support our lab's purpose. Right now, we're implementing some of the latest technology available. For example, our environmental controls will be upgraded to deliver a state-of-the-art reporting capability to our Quality Assurance team and our alarm systems that monitor temperature and environment are being upgraded to provide the most advanced, secure, data storage available."
Does the lab have enough capacity to keep up with demand?
Demand for high-quality storage is definitely growing as more families become aware of cord blood preservation and its potentially life saving benefits. As a result, ViaCord has expanded its laboratory's physical space by 67%.
What's in store for the future of the lab?
Our new lab expansion provides us with the most state-of-the-art cryopreservation and storage facility possible. Continually re-investing in our lab is how ViaCord maintains its commitment to offer the highest-quality standard in cord blood cryopreservation and storage."