Extending The Shelf Life Of Liquid Nitrogen In Your Reproductive Materials Storage Facility
Your clients rely on your facility to preserve their eggs and embryos for future use. Your entire cryogenics storage facility is completely dependent on liquid nitrogen tanks, but do you know the shelf life of your liquid nitrogen? Like most facility operators, you probably think that the nitrogen will last almost forever, but you are mistaken. Not paying attention to the tubes in which the precious reproductive material is stored is the same as telling your customers their dreams of having children are not important. Cast that impression aside and do the following.
Install Ambient Temperature Monitors in All of Your Storage Rooms
If you have not done so already, install ambient room temperature gauges which can be monitored remotely. If you also install the type of monitors that have alarm systems alerting you to the fact that a room's temperature has rapidly risen more than ten degrees, then you can get to the root of the problem before it becomes serious and the samples stored there are in danger of losing their cryogenic protection. A minute temperature change is acceptable when you have lab technicians entering the room to remove samples or check the cryo-tubes for proper storage temperatures, but you can monitor the room remotely the rest of the time.
Use Older Tanks and Samples First
The more frequently a cryo-tank is opened, the shorter the shelf life of the liquid nitrogen inside. If your plant does not switch the samples in use into a new cryo-tank, make sure those samples will be used before the tank empties of its nitrogen insulation. This may mean hard-selling these samples ahead of the fresher and more recent samples in order to preserve the unopened cryo-tanks of liquid nitrogen. In some cases it will be unavoidable and you will have to open previously unopened tanks, but following this rule of thumb will extend the shelf life of most of the liquid nitrogen your company uses.
Only Order Your Nitrogen from Liquid Nitrogen Services You Trust
During transport, if the service company supplying your liquid nitrogen is not taking the necessary precautions to keep the nitrogen liquefied, you will end up with less than you ordered and less in your tanks than you should have. Less nitrogen starting out means the shelf life is also less because the liquid nitrogen will evaporate more. Be sure you are purchasing your liquid nitrogen from a supplier you trust such that the tanks are full and will not lose much each time they are opened. Cryotek Inc is a reputable company in your area that offers liquid nitrogen services.