REV-MED's Innovations in Bio Kits

Bio kit is a term widely known to people during the outbreak of COVID-19 because a self-test kit that diagnoses the presence or absence of a positive infectious disease belongs to this category. So when we think of bio kits, we often think of only diagnostic kits. However, the term "bio kit," a combination of "bio" meaning biology and "kit" meaning tool, collectively refers to a larger concept of tools made based on biotechnology.

Bio companies produce various types of bio kits. Among them, a Korean company stands out in Asia with equipment that extracts specific cells for cell regeneration from autologous tissues. That's REV-MED. Established in 2009, REV-MED has been researching, developing, and producing bio kits that help extract autologous stem cells rich in growth and regeneration factors from blood and bone marrow and use them in various fields such as diseases and beauty.

Among their products, TriCeLL PRP Kit, which concentrates and extracts stem cells and platelets from the blood, has been certified by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), referred to as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety(PMDA). Moreover, it has been approved by the Chinese NMPA for the first time globally. It shows unique technology.

In addition, the TriCell BMC Kit, which concentrates and extracts stem cells and platelets from bone marrow, was registered with the MFDS for the first time in Korea. REV-MED is pioneering the market through ongoing R&D and technological innovation. The reporter visited them.

"To extract the growth and regeneration factors from the blood, the traditional device usually performs the centrifugations twice. But unlike other devices, it can centrifuge two times simultaneously." "This function allows extraction of autologous stem cells without external contamination and minimized side effects for patients." The words of Bong-Geun Shin, CEO of REV-MED, clearly show the pride achieved through hard work.

The history of REV-MED BioKit began in the laboratory, divided into the design room, research lab, and production room. In the design room, Lee Cheon-Seok, head of the research center, plans and manufactures REV-MED's bio kit. He determines the specifications according to the product, verifies the productivity using a 3D modeling program, and precisely modifies to make the mold himself. To the naked eye, the kit design may not look very distinct. However, the mechanism for isolating tissue is different for each kit. I was able to see how it was made step by step accordingly.

After the production is completed, Dr. Dae-Kwan Kim supervises an experiment in the research lab to see if the device correctly extracts the factor. While demonstrating the extraction of factors involved in cell regeneration from centrifuged blood and their activities, he clarified, "in addition to extracting factors abundantly, we are conducting numerous experiments to selectively and uniformly extract the factors needed for each person." It looked like the efforts to help more patients were unfolding in front of my eyes.

Finally, in the production room, staff meticulously checked the condition twice to minimize the kit's defect rate. The kit is inspected twice - visually and through a machine. And then it is numbered on the laser machine for the customers' easier use. Since centrifugation is performed twice in one kit, the order is crucial, unlike other kits. In addition, as it is a kit that deals with the body's tissues, it was impressive to observe thorough hygiene throughout the entire process.

Safety is the most essential thing in medical devices used for patients. However, existing autologous stem cell extraction biokits on the market have a high probability of being contaminated through contact with air during the cell separation process.

Considering this, REV-MED created a bio kit that isolates cells without external contamination using mechanical, material, and cell engineering technologies. REV-MED's bio kit is being exported to 20 countries worldwide, including Korea, Japan, and China.

CEO Shin Bong-Geun said, "Autologous stem cell therapy is expected to grow significantly as it can be used in many fields. We will work hard so the world can use REV-MED's biokit." He added. "This year, to enter the U.S. market in 2023, we will proceed well with clinical trials to obtain FDA."