All blood banks have their share of equipment that will help freeze blood products. Freshly extracted products will need to be frozen almost immediately in order to keep them viable for at least a week. The storage temperatures are generally -30C or even lower. Creating and managing the freezer storage space for such blood products is an essential aspect of the functioning of in the blood bank.

Choosing the right laboratory freezer therefore is a necessity. There are certain criteria it has to meet. Ideally lab freezer units must have be able to accommodate all of the lab’s requirements. There are varying sizes to choose from ranging from ninety liters (3.2 cu. Ft.) bench top versions going up to bigger upright versions. Temperatures can range from -20C to -80C. Your choice will depend on the samples that you will be storing.

If the freezer has to be merged as a functional part of the laboratory, it will need to have additional features besides the ability to freeze blood products. Blood products require reagents and certain controls to aid their storage. A freezer should be able to store these as well. Once they have been incorporated into the product, these products will need to be frozen and stored under regulated temperatures. Proper temperature control is essential to a laboratory freezer as fluctuations can cause serious damage to the products.

Ideally, a laboratory freezer should also be free of CFC with a self contained compressor. It is necessary that the walls of the laboratory freezer have polyurethane foam insulation. This helps with power efficiency. Choose a freezer with cascade cooling as a means of freezing. The pressure placed on the compressor unit is consequently reduced.

Having a freezer that enables quick-freezing remains essential for any laboratory. This is especially in biotech facility. You can have the facility of ultra-cooling with a lab freezer that allows for quick-freezing. Depending on your usage, you can opt for a high-tech unit that controls freezing with a microchip control. This is in addition to the circular chart that is common with lower end models. Having the ability to control temperature with a computer gives you better precision.

Digital temperature displays are helpful in maintaining daily logs. Features such as alarm systems that intimate in the case of temperature fluctuations are also helpful to lab staff.

There are also freezing units that come with support for master calibration. This helps keep temperatures within a pre-defined range. Alarms in these cases can be rigged to give out mobile message or alarms in the event of system failure. Computerization has made laboratory freezers more efficient.

There are several styles of freezers available. No matter what your usage, you will find a freezer that is made for you. When looking for a freezer keep in mind your storage needs, temperature control methods on the freezer as well as the extent of computerization. These aspects will give you a better picture.

Author Bio: Dr. Sandor’s a Director at Tovatech, a leading supplier of undercounter refrigerator units in America. When not busy running his company he explores his fascination with the many aspects of various scientific & industrial devices. For more details on the above reach him through his site’s lab & industrial refrigerator section.

Category: Advice
Keywords: blood bank,lab freezer,laboratory,refrigeration,blood bank refrigerator,lab refrigerator,