STEMCELL TECHNOLOGIES SIMPLIFIES Validation Process with Cybernet PC

As a biotechnology developer and manufacturer, STEMCELL Technologies must continually certify and validate that all components in its products, such as cell separators, tissue dissociators, and bioreactors, function properly and are safe for use. If a single component changed, whether that be hardware or software, the entire product had to be re-validated, a time-consuming and expensive process. 

Before working with Cybernet, STEMCELL had relied on consumer-grade devices for its computers, but this led to a recurring issue: consumer-grade computers are designed to be frequently replaced by newer models. By the time STEMCELL finished testing and validating with a consumer-grade model, it was often out of production and no longer supported by the original manufacturer, forcing STEMCELL to repeat the entire process. Technicians performing field repairs also had to deal with not knowing which specific model of computer they would be servicing, creating an additional layer of headaches.

After a brief period of considering different options, STEMCELL selected the CyberMed S24 as its new medical computer solution for use on its devices. The most obvious benefit of partnering with Cybernet was that, as an OEM, Cybernet exercised complete control over its bill of materials. This meant that any changes to the S24’s design, and thus the equipment it was integrated into, would be kept to an absolute minimum, reducing the amount of validation work STEMCELL’s team had to do. 

Another advantage that STEMCELL’s team discovered later was that the IP65-rated front bezel on the CyberMed S24, which blocks out dust and water, also made it ideal for clean room environments. Clean room equipment must be constantly cleaned and disinfected, which the CyberMed S24 could withstand without suffering any loss of performance.

Soon after adopting the CyberMed S24 for its STEMvision hematopoietic colony-forming unit assay, STEMCELL Technologies saw immediate improvements in both its production and validation processes and in the field. The stable platform that the CyberMed S24 offered eliminated the recurring validation burden, freeing up STEMCELL’s internal resources to focus on other projects. In the field, service engineers reported significantly fewer failures for units using Cybernet computers, directly attributing this to the fanless cooling systems employed by Cybernet computers. These successes have pushed STEMCELL Technologies to adopt Cybernet computers for other products, such as their RoboSep™-16 cell separator.