Research hospitals and laboratories rely on ultra-low temperature (ULT) cold storage units to protect and extend the shelf life of specimens and vaccines. ULT medical freezers are designed with high quality materials and provide a better investment over time compared to domestic units or household refrigerators and freezers.

ULT research and medical freezers can be used to store the following temperature-sensitive and biologic materials

  • Enzymes
  • Viruses
  • Bacteria
  • Tissue Samples
  • Vaccines 
  • Therapeutic drugs

Benefits of Medical Grade ULT Freezers 

ULT Freezers are built to store biological material. Based on this, there are several advantages in investing in a ULT freezer such as SU105UE or SU780XLE. 

  • They provide a reliable cold-chain for biologics.
      1. Having a dependable temperature-controlled storage area that protects biological material can be a critical step in a cold chain process. 
  • Many are equipped with accurate temperature Monitoring and Alarm Systems.
      1. Temperature fluctuations in biological material typically cause it to lose their viability and efficacy. ULT medical freezers allow for accurate monitoring and tracking of cabinet temperature.
  • They protect your products from temperature shifts due to power failures.
    1. Temperature shifts due to power failures can damage your products and cause you to lose your samples. In addition to onboard temperature probes, some ULT medical freezers have secondary monitoring and LN2 backup systems that can help prevent temperature excursions.

How to Choose the Right Size Freezer

It is important to find a freezer that will meet your needs and the size of your facility. To make sure that you choose the right ULT freezer for your facility, keep the following factors in mind: 

  • Size
    • Balancing the amount of storage you need with available facility floor space is an important factor to consider. Upright units occupy the most vertical space, but offer the most storage capacity per floor space footprint. Smaller units, such as the compact SU105UE are ideal for undercounter and bench side storage applications or in clinics where a larger model is not suitable. If you plan on growing your sample inventory, then selecting a larger model with “room to grow” will benefit you in the long run. 
  • Temperature
    • Compared to home freezer units, medical freezers provide precise, uniform and sustainable temperature setpoints. ULT medical freezers are designed to maintain temperatures down to as low as -86 °C, while a normal range for a medical freezer is around -18 °C to -25°C.
  • Cost
    • Budget constraints can greatly affect the size and type of freezer you can afford. Start by figuring out the storage temperature requirements and storage capacity you need for your space and have a budget in mind when shopping. 

Other qualities to keep in mind when choosing the right size ULT freezer include:

  • Energy Efficiency
  • Manual Defrost Capabilities
  • Locking capabilities
  • Temperature Alarms
  • Temperature Display
  • Broad operating temperature range for various applications

Stirling Ultracold Freezers

Medical and research freezers require an upfront cost but provide invaluable opportunity for research and clinical care providers. Stirling Ultracold offers 3 laboratory grade ULT freezers to help you safely store your temperature-sensitive products, extend their viable shelf life and increase your biological samples storage and throughput.