Remote monitoring, and how it aids in centralising cryostorage facilities

Samples are at the heart of every lab. They are often valuable, precious and contain beneficial information that could answer novel research questions, leading to new drug discoveries, providing people with life-saving treatments, or, in the case of infertility clinics, helping to create lives. Therefore, in fertility clinics, academia, biobanks, research and pharmaceutical laboratories, safe handling and storage of biological samples is paramount to achieve successful results.

Biosamples that need to be cryogenically stored are particularly sensitive and need management since they must be stored within strict temperature ranges. Any fluctuations in temperature during sample storage, or during accidents in retrieval, can lead to deterioration or even complete sample loss.

Managing centralised cryostorage

Many areas of research and biobanking require cryostorage of thousands, or even millions, of samples. As such, high-capacity freezers are a pre-requisite to successfully centralising cryostorage facilities. By consolidating samples into larger vessels, trip hazards, asphyxiation risks and the amount of required floorspace, will be greatly minimised, in fact, some high-capacity storage vessels can hold the same volume of samples as four typical smaller capacity vessels. This also simplifies refilling and reduces running costs as only a single vessel needs to be maintained with liquid nitrogen.

Cryostorage facilities must be aligned with adequate health and safety measures, including staff training, ventilation, and an environment monitoring system coupled with alarms. Employing health and safety measures is far easier at a single centralised cryostorage facility, than across multiple locations.

With centralised repositories, it is important that monitoring is in place 24/7 with access to the storage vessel provided around the clock. Although most alarms provided by liquid nitrogen storage vessels do not require immediate action, it is imperative that action can be taken for those incidents that do require intervention. The Precision Controller, which is available on all of the IC Biomedical LABS freezers and incorporated within the state-of-the-art Revolution freezers too, provides this connectivity whether through server-based technology or Wi-Fi. These controllers, as well as providing discrete alarm notifications, also allow for users (or service providers) direct access to the controller remotely for investigation and for corrective action to be applied.

Embracing centralised cryostorage

Fertility clinics, academia, biobanks, research and pharmaceutical labs regularly cryopreserve and manage hundreds of thousands of samples. It can quickly become disorganised, unsafe, and non-compliant when many small cryostorage vessels, spread across multiple locations are used; especially when coupled with a spreadsheet or paper-based management system.

Emerging technologies are enabling digitalisation and automation of sample monitoring, management, and storage. These systems have the potential to create a safer working environment while simultaneously preventing sample mix-ups, deterioration, and loss. Ultimately, this will help an organisation save time and money, simplify adherence to regulations and make the most of their samples.

Contact Biopharma Group* to discover how the correct cryopreservation storage solutions can be selected to match your facility needs.

*Available across the UK, Ireland & France Only