Ultra-low freezsers: stable cooling for sensitive material

Ultra-low freezer: cold storage to ultra-low temperatures

An ultra-low freezer is a laboratory freezer that can reach temperatures as low as - 90 °C and keep them stable. To ensure these low temperatures, ultra-low freezers are designed to often use a cascade cooling system with two compressors connected in series to cool to the necessary temperatures.

Both have their own control systems that send out warnings as soon as the functionality is not sufficiently given. Currently, propane or ethane are often used as refrigerants for the highly specialised cooling technology for the laboratory

Application of ultra-low temperature cabinets

Ultra-low temperature refrigerators are mainly used in biological, biochemical or medical laboratories, hospitals or pharmacies . In a laboratory ultra-low temperature freezer, for example, vaccines and reagents are stored frozen before being dispensed to users.

Biological materials also need to be stored at very low temperatures. If these temperatures are not maintained, there is a risk that the materials will deteriorate or even be destroyed. These include, for example:

• Cell extracts,

• proteins,

• plasma,

• DNA and RNA

• and bacteria.

For this reason, it is important that the cold chain is always transparently traceable. In addition, the special cooling devices are also used in the food industry. Here, too, for some foodstuffs, such as fish, compliance with the cold chain must be ensured over a longer period of time in order to prevent quality losses.

Standard functions of an ultra-low temperature freezer

Depending on the area of application, there are different versions. Nevertheless, modern and efficient units have many standard functions that can be compared with each other. These include, among others:

• reliable solution for flexible temperature control within the desired temperature range

• reliable assurance of the set temperature with low temperature fluctuations

• effective and environmentally friendly cooling

• energy efficient heat insulation

• long term storage capacity

• high quality gaskets to prevent ice formation

• a stainless steel interior that can be used flexibly, e.g. by using inserts

• a stable and ergonomic door lock, which can also be locked if required

• an alarm in the event of malfunctions and failure to maintain the refrigeration temperature

• an interface for data transfer

Ultra-low freezer design variants

In addition to the comparable standard functions, the individual appliances can differ in numerous features. Relevant criteria for selection are listed below.

Temperature range

Laboratory freezers can reach temperatures of up to 30 °C or 40 °C. Ultra-low temperature units can also be controlled within a range of 40 °C and 86 °C, with a minimum low temperature of 86 °C. Some units, such as the BINDER UF V 500 ultra-low freezer, can also achieve temperatures of 40 °C to 90 °C and are therefore suitable for storing materials where cooling to 86 °C is not sufficient.

Cooling performance

Two criteria are decisive with regard to cooling performance:

• Temperature stability: The temperature stability indicates the spatial or temporal temperature fluctuations that can be expected. These can be between +/- 1.5 Kelvin and +/- 5 Kelvin.

• Cooling speed: This value provides information on how quickly the freezer can cool from room temperature to 80 °C. Typical values range from 3 to 5 Kelvin. Typical values range from 3 to 10 hours.

Cooling volume

The cooling volume describes the volume available in the cabinet, but also the amount of materials that can be cooled efficiently. A high cooling volume is generally associated with higher energy consumption. Typical volumes are in the range of 500 litres. However, there are also smaller systems with volumes of less than 100 litres or larger systems up to 1000 litres.

Defrosting system

Defrosting can be manual or automated. In the case of manual defrosting, the freezer should be defrosted at regular intervals, but especially when above-average ice formation can be observed. In this case, the specific time can be chosen by the laboratory staff and the defrosting process can be prepared.

A freezer with an automatic defrosting system defrosts automatically when only a small amount of ice has formed. Due to the high sensitivity to temperature fluctuations of the stored materials in ultra-low freezers, the majority have a manual defrosting system.

Energy consumption

Energy consumption depends on the volume to be cooled, the temperatures to be achieved and the cooling technology and performance of the compressor system. Average energy consumption is about 10 kWh/day, energy-saving units reach 1-2 kWh/day, higher energy consumers are up to 16 kWh/day.

Accessories for ultra-low freezers

Ultra-low freezers can be optimally adapted to your personal needs and requirements by means of various accessories. These include, among others, the following accessories:

• Inserts to make optimum use of the room volume

• Sample boxes with sample dividers for stable and safe sample storage

• Aluminium cabinet racks for storage of sample boxes

You can order all accessories online at the same time. Do you have any questions, are you looking for specific accessories or would you like detailed advice? Our team of experts will be happy to help you!

Leading manufacturers of ultra-low cabinets at MedSolut.com

The following manufacturers represent a selection of brand-name manufacturers at MedSolut.com who produce ultra-low temperature freezers with minimum temperatures below 40 °C. You can choose, for example, from the following manufacturers For example, you can choose from the portfolio of the following companies:

POL-EKO

POL-EKO Apparatura is a leading Polish manufacturer of high-quality laboratory equipment. Excellent products and a high degree of customer orientation speak for the multiple award-winning company. The top-quality equipment developed together with customers is continuously improved.

This ensures that customers always receive an outstanding state-of-the-art product. Discover this manufacturer's selection of ultra-low pressure cabinets at MedsSolut.com.

BINDER

The Binder Group is a family-owned company with innovative technology concepts and outstanding quality. As one of the world's largest specialists for laboratory cabinets, Binder manufactures its products exclusively in Germany.

Professional advice and excellent service complete the manufacturer's range of services. This ensures that all demanding laboratory tasks can be reliably fulfilled. Our portfolio includes several high-quality instruments from Binder.

CARLO ERBA

Carlo ERBA Reagents is an Italian company with more than 150 years of history. The specialist for chemical reagents and laboratory equipment is one of the largest producers in Southern Europe with locations in France and Italy.

Excellent quality, sustainable technologies and comprehensive service are at the heart of the company's philosophy. At MedSolut.com you can choose from a wide portfolio of high-quality instruments.

Find the ideal ultra-low temperature unit for your application

Do you want to equip your laboratory with optimal and technologically advanced freezers and are you looking for the right ultra-low temperature freezer? Our trained team of experts will be happy to assist you in your selection.

With our objective and competent advice, we will ensure that you find the right product for your requirements and areas of application . You can reach us by phone at +49 30 209 657 900 or by e-mail at info@medsolut.com.