Summary- The freezer or the cold storage unit that you buy for your lab is different from the freezer that you purchase at home. It is thus important that you go through each of these criteria to choose the best cold storage unit for your laboratory.
Laboratories pay a lot of attention to find out the equipment that can let them cool and store the samples at a particular temperature. Unfortunately, no one size will fit all the labs’ refrigeration requirements. Here is what to look for in the Laboratory Freezers.
Robustness
The freezers that are used in the lab are used a lot. If you are anticipating heavy use, then it is best to purchase a stainless steel. Buy a freezer that comes with a ducted airflow that allows rapid recovery of temperatures. Shelves and the self-closing door are also something that should be looked for in the cold storage unit.
Security
It is not right if anyone who enters your lab gets access to your freezer. It is why you need to ensure that your freezer is secure.
You may also have some storage that is biologically controlled. Thus you need to take care that the freezer is not accessible to anyone but just to the authorized person.
Fit for the purpose that you need it for
The freezer or the fridge should be able to achieve and hold the temperature that you require. This is especially important in the case of pharmaceutical stock. It also comes with no issues of safety. Like for example, if you are keeping any volatile substance in the freezer. There should be no chance of a spark.
Should be able to maintain a stable temperature
You keep your samples in the freezer because you want the temperature to be maintained. This is why the lab freezers are tested by a manufacturer to ensure that the freezer operates in tight parameters. The cold storage should have fans on the inside and speed temperature recovery after the door is opened or when you put any item at room temperature in the fridge.
Type of sample that you wish to store
The samples that are used in the labs vary a lot. It makes it a deciding factor for your storage unit. This could be based on the temperature that the sample needs and how flammable it is.
Energy needs
When you choose cold storage for your lab, you need to pay close attention to the energy requirements. Even with so much advancement in technology, these freezers use a lot of energy and raise your energy bills. The lab should ensure that the freezer that they purchase fits their budget. It should also be energy efficient to not lead to an inflated bill each month.
Storage design
The lab cold storage requirements play a crucial role to determine the cold storage that the lab may end up selecting. The lab may need a horizontal freezer or a vertical one with varied partitions. It is again dependent on the labs’ requirements.
Kinds of lab cold storage units
There are various categories of cold storage options that a lab can choose from and which will meet their
The kind of medical freezer that the lab will need is dependent on their usage.
- The chromatography freezers are usually used in a research lab where the settings are highly demanding and thus need storage options that are stable and precise.
- The explosion-proof fridges are used to store samples that are flammable, combustible, and explosive in nature. It does not contain any electrical parts or metal on the inside. It does not aid sparks.
- The blood bank fridges are used to store large amounts of blood samples or samples closely related. It could be the bone marrow and plasma.
- The lab fridge and the freezers are the most common storage option for pharmacies and labs. These can store varied samples and also meet the practicality and the size that meets the lab needs.
Designs of cold storage units
There are many designs of freezers and storage units that are available in labs, each of which caters to different needs.
- The under-counter freezer will fit into the tight space in a pharmacy lab. These are similar to the upright fridge. The only difference is that it is placed on the shelf and not on the floor.
- The upright freezers are the most common kind of cold storage. These are vertically placed with front doors that open towards the outside.
- Chest freezers are large cold storage option are like freezers which can be accessed from the top.
- Low-temperature freezers can store those samples that require almost -20 degree Celsius temperature.
- The Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers are those that need extremely low temperatures. It goes to almost -86 degree centigrade
Conclusion
It is essential that before you find the best cold storage for your laboratory, check to see it meets the above requirements.
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