Freezer Management Software

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TheNIH is challenging labs to go beyond the NIH Freezer Policy to further reduce energy consumption and operating costs from freezers at the NIH. Labs are provided with challenge initiatives and each lab can choose what inititiaves they will undertake. For more information on the challenge and how you can participate, visit the NIH Freezer Challenge Page

Decided to make my wife happy with a new HA card related to our freezer. As we have some small kids, we often cook during the weekend and cook up a batch of bolognese sauce or quite a lot of soup and put these in food containers (e.g. IKEA) and then in our freezer.

I have two 600l freezers in the garage where I store meat, batch cooked meals and all the vegetables grown in the garden. Currently I have no way to maintain an inventory and display what is available.

Freezer management is the practice of organizing and taking care of a lab freezer. This involves keeping things like biological samples or chemicals at the right temperatures, labeling and tracking what's inside the freezer, and making any needed repairs to the freezer or storage equipment. Proper freezer management is essential for preserving research materials and maintaining the quality of scientific experiments.

Sample-centric freezer management systems are more of a light version of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). For example, LIMS have a broader scope and support more things, like lab inventory, billing, and automatic experiment integration.

West Campus Research Support Services has eight ultra-low temperature freezers strategically located throughout the research complex. These freezers provide temporary cold storage of sensitive research materials during emergencies and planned maintenance. Five of these freezers are designated to provide priority use to specific Institutes and three are designated for flexible and supplemental use at the discretion of the Research Support Team.

Gain operational efficiency, simplified workflows, and control over your lab. Tailor our comprehensive cold-chain sample management, lab automation, and multiomic solutions to support your sample lifecycle needs, from collection to end use.

Azenta Life Sciences' world class service team is committed to ensuring you meet your business objectives by providing a flexible portfolio of service products designed to optimize up-time and productivity.

FreezerPro is a web-based sample management inventory system designed to support organizations of all sizes with simple and quick installation, from lower throughput labs to central biorepositories handling millions of records.

FreezerPro is an off-the-shelf sample inventory management software that provides clear visibility to all samples. The FreezerPro user interface (UI) is standardized, simple, and intuitive, allowing for deployment within hours and rapid user adoption. FreezerPro can be integrated with the cryogenic storage and Ziath tube & rack barcode reading systems from Azenta. Cloud-based and on-premises installations are available.

Azenta creates a cloud environment for your company, which is used for FreezerPro deployment. These cloud services include application support and maintenance and can be used for multiple environments such as development, testing, validation, training, and production. The user experience remains the same as on-premises FreezerPro application usage, including access via web browser.

FreezerPro seamlessly integrates with our Ziath tube and rack readers, streamlining workflow processes by enabling direct data exchange between the inventory management system and readers. This integration enhances efficiency by automating sample tracking, minimizing manual data entry, ensuring accuracy, and saving valuable time in laboratory operations.

FreezerPro complements the Azenta CryoArc automated cryogenic storage systems. FreezerPro stores all the metadata details for the samples within your CryoArc, allowing you to see the full history of your samples and quickly find and retrieve them, wherever they move within your lab.

Azenta automated storage systems are powered by the Strata Store Controller Software, which helps manage precious biosamples and compounds within the systems with the highest level of security and confidence. By integrating FreezerPro and Strata, you can access quick sample retrieval from both manual and automated storage.

With a comprehensive laboratory information management system (LIMS) solution, biobanks can seamlessly integrate clinical, consent, and other data across multiple sites to maximize the value of sam Horizontal Scroll On Compatible Products Ziath DP5 Mirage Rack Reader Off The most compact camera based 2D rack scanner available. Setting new standards for 2D barcode rack scanners. Easy to set up and easy to use.

ULT freezers, (often called -80 freezers), are one of the most energy intensive pieces of lab equipment found in MCB. The FAS Green Labs Program has several initiatives available that help improve freezer management, and reduce energy waste.

Offers the essentials for effective sample management. Base is forthe site that operates as a single group: needing a limited number of datafields, and accessing samples and aliquots from a limited number of entry, search and viewing screens.

The additional group features in Ascent provide multi-tenancy options while boosting security. Every group can access and manage its own freezers, screens, and formats. Aliquot movement is made even more efficient with the ability to process requisitions and prepare shipments. If you have multiple stakeholders, Ascent is the place to start collaborating.

All of the features in Ascent plus Patient, Test Result, and Invoicing Management. Cutting-edge security features protect sensitive patient information with an audit trail that records all PHI viewing. Group ownership of fields enhances and streamlines multi-tenant use and management.

"With many new students working in the lab, we were notorious for pulling samples and not returning them. This was causing a real problem because the samples are so valuable for our longitudinal studies. With Freezerworks, that doesn't happen anymore."

Flexible enough to be configured by the end user, Freezerworks also offers configuration services to help you build the tracking and sample management system best suited for your needs.

This policy ensures NIH is responding with energy conservation measures throughout its facilities. Improving the reliability and energy efficiency of ULTF, LGF, and LGR at NIH facilities will make a significant contribution.

This policy will promote freezers and refrigerator reliability and energy conservation by providing direction and guidance to ensure that ULTF, LGF, and LGR are managed effectively, thereby increasing freezer and refrigerator reliability, decreasing energy consumption, reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, reducing the cost of NIH cold storage, and preserving federal dollars for important medical research.

Federal laws including the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Energy Act of 2020, and Executive Orders, require all Federal agencies to promote energy efficiency and achieve targeted reductions in energy use.

Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers (ULTF), Laboratory Grade Freezers (LGF), and Laboratory Grade Refrigerators (LGR) are essential to support NIH mission-critical activities, providing cold storage to preserve materials related to research. When operated and maintained properly, with reliability and energy conservation in mind, ULTF, LGF, and LGR can play a significant role in reducing NIH energy use. Optimizing energy conservation begins with selecting Energy Star Certified freezers and refrigerators during acquisition. Other factors help too, including performing biannual cleaning and maintenance and placing freezers and refrigerators in well-ventilated and temperature-controlled areas without excessive foot traffic.

The NIH will preserve and protect the viability of research materials in cold storage in a reliable and energy efficient manner. This policy requires: (1) selection of energy-efficient ULTF, LGF, and LGR, with an Energy Star Certification, when acquiring new units consistent with Federal Acquisition Regulation 23.103; (2) Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to list all ULTF, LGF, and LGR in the NIH Property System, and when no longer needed, disposed of according to property disposal requirements; (3) regular maintenance to be performed on all ULTF, LGF, and LGR; and (4) To the maximum extent practicable in coordination with the Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations (ORFDO), ULTFs, LGFs, and LGRs should be placed in areas that are adequately ventilated, temperature controlled, and away from excessive foot-traffic. This policy also requires each ICO to designate a Cold Storage Coordinator as the Point of Contact (POC) for all information related to the ULTF, LGF, and LGR and to establish procedures for the inspection of NIH facilities to ensure compliance with this policy; to note deficiencies; and to remedy non-compliant occurrences.

A full freezer is most energy efficient, and refilling your freezer several times a year is most cost efficient. If the freezer is filled and emptied only once each year, the energy cost per package is very high. You can lower the cost for each pound of stored food by filling and emptying your freezer two, three and even more times each year.

Post a frozen foods inventory near the freezer and keep it up to date by listing the foods and dates of freezing as you put them in the freezer. Check them off as you take them out. By keeping an inventory, you will know the exact amounts and kinds of foods in the freezer at all times. It also helps to keep foods from being forgotten.

This document was extracted from "So Easy to Preserve", 6th ed. 2014. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

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