How to properly store biological samples and health products

Pharmaceuticals and biological samples should be properly stored to prevent them from losing their properties. Each healthcare product requires specific preservation conditions, so it is essential for healthcare professionals to know which refrigeration or freezing equipment best suits the needs of the medical material.

Refrigeration Equipment

and freezers can be distinguished from each other by various aspects and reasons. Their energy efficiency, the materials used in their manufacture or their physical characteristics are some of the important points to consider before purchasing one. But it is also essential to know what features they offer, their level of insulation and, above all, the internal temperature they can maintain stably.

According to this last aspect, the equipment can be classified into:

Refrigerators: are devices whose temperature can range between +2°C and +16°C, depending on the function they are intended for and the content they should store.

Freezers: are devices equipped with a cooling system capable of reaching temperatures between -5°C and -45°C.

Ultrafreezers: are devices capable of maintaining a stable internal temperature of approximately between -20°C and -90°C.

Cryogenic Ultrafreezers: are devices capable of reaching exceptionally low temperatures, up to -150°C. At this temperature, frozen water does not sublime or recrystallize, making them especially useful for preserving products that must retain all their characteristics.

Combined equipment: are a combination of a refrigerator and a freezer separated into modules. They are a particularly practical option for spaces with reduced capacity.

It should be noted that the performance of the refrigerator or freezer is subject to the environment in which it is located. That's why many manufacturers indicate the ambient temperature at which the performance tests have been carried out, because this can affect the minimum temperature they can reach.

On the other hand, refrigeration equipment can also be categorized according to their external characteristics, which include:

Opaque door refrigeration equipment: they are usually more economical and have slightly better insulation than glass door models, although they require the user to open the door every time they want to check the stored material, affecting energy consumption and the cold chain of especially sensitive samples.

Glass door refrigeration equipment: although they are generally slightly more expensive than opaque door models and have less insulation, their transparent door allows the content to be inspected from outside, so it is not necessary to open the device and interrupt the refrigeration process to check it.

In addition, refrigerators can also be differentiated according to the regulations to which they adhere. We can find:

Non-certified equipment: these are completely reliable refrigeration equipment, but their standards and performance have not been evaluated by any regulatory body, only by the manufacturing company itself

Equipment certified by the DIN 13277 standard: these are refrigeration devices regulated by a standard that sets the standards for the refrigeration of healthcare products. It is a directive issued by the German Institute of Standardization (DIN) which dictates that a safe and reliable refrigerator should:
- Have a stable temperature between +2°C and +8°C.
- Be able to reach these values with an external temperature between +10°C and +35°C.
- Have visual and audible alarms that alert for excessive temperature fluctuations, for door left open for prolonged periods, for probe failure and for power supply cut.
- Incorporate a backup battery with 12 hours of autonomy.
- Have a safety thermostat to prevent the temperature from dropping below +2°C.
- Incorporate a product simulation probe.
- Ensure that the device can withstand a minimum load of 100kg/m2.

How to correctly store healthcare material

The correct storage of healthcare products will directly depend on our knowledge of their preservation requirements and needs. Therefore, it is important to know the specifics of each product:

Thermolabile drugs: although a large number of pharmaceutical products can be stored at room temperature, there are some items that must be stored within a specific temperature range. These are the thermolabile drugs, which must be preserved between +2°C and +8°C to ensure their effectiveness at all times. This group includes vaccines, insulin and some antibiotics.

For these cases, it is advisable to purchase a refrigerator specifically designed for the preservation of pharmaceutical material. At DH Medical Material, we have pharmacy refrigeration models that have also been manufactured according to the DIN 13277 standard, which guarantees an optimal temperature to preserve these types of substances. We have equipment of different capacities, from 200 liters to 1300.

Red blood cells: when blood is drawn, it must be separated into different components to correctly preserve each of them. For example, to prevent plasma from perishing and maintaining its characteristics, it is frozen. Red blood cells, however, must be kept refrigerated, specifically between +2°C and +6°C.

In our catalog, we have refrigeration equipment especially indicated for preserving red blood cells. We have glass door refrigeration equipment with 225, 352, 600 and 685 liters of capacity that are ideal for preserving blood samples.

Biological samples: in these cases, the preservation and the equipment we should choose will also depend on the nature of the sample itself. Thus, for example, biological reagents can be stored in refrigeration equipment that maintains temperatures between +4°C and +8°C, while nucleic acids must be frozen at temperatures of -20°C (as long as they are not intended to be stored for a long time). On the other hand, cells, tissues and organs usually require devices that prevent biological degradation, such as ultrafreezing or cryogenization devices; in these cases, the decision will depend on whether they should be stored for long periods of time or not.

Summary

As we have seen, properly preserving healthcare material directly depends on our decision about which refrigeration equipment to use. This choice, in turn, should be based on multiple factors. Keeping in mind aspects such as energy performance and motor power are essential points, but so is knowing the characteristics of the material to be stored and the options available in the market. At DH Medical Material, we have an extensive catalog of refrigeration equipment that adapts to the needs of each case. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing refrigerators, freezers or ultrafreezing equipment for your business.