The Influenza vaccine manufacturing process is far from optimal and this results in delay and shortage of flu vaccine available to the US population. The inefficient and time consuming production of vaccine in chicken eggs is a key problem in manufacturing. The key bottleneck in the manufacturing process is the harvesting of allantoic fluid (vaccine) from embryonated eggs. This proposal discloses adapting automated egg handling technology developed for use in the poultry industry to improve egg handling technology and automation in human influenza vaccine production processes. Improved automation and implementation of advanced technology in the influenza vaccine manufacturing process should increase vaccine production efficiency, reduce labor needs, shorten vaccine manufacturing time, reduce costs and decrease problems associated with production of vaccines in eggs. The resulting technology will benefit influenza vaccine manufacturers by reducing costs and simplification of the manufacturing process. The resulting technology will benefit the people of the United States by improving time to market and availability of influenza vaccines. The resulting technology will enhance ability to meet Healthy People 2010 goals for Influenza vaccination and complement influenza vaccination programs recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Immunization Program (NIP), Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and World Health Organization (WHO). The proposed influenza vaccine-harvesting device will increase the production rate by 25 percent and improve efficiency of harvesting by at least 5 percent.
Improved automation of current Influenza vaccine harvesting processes can potentially increase the amount of vaccine produced per egg and production cycle thus reducing vaccine cost, improving time to market and easing manufacturing burdens.
