The world of health care has many challenges. One of the biggest is keeping patients safe from contamination. To do that, health care practitioners must ensure that samples from a patient stay uncontaminated. This means they must know how to store and transport these samples without them getting damaged or spoiled.
Here are a few ways that biosamples are kept safe and unspoiled.
Pharmaceutical Freezers
These freezers are essential for keeping medications stable enough so that they do not lose potency after some time. There are a lot of pharmaceutical freezers available for sale in the market that keep pharmaceuticals alive for many years.
Most of these facilities store samples below -135 degrees. You only need to shop around for ult freezers near you, place your order, and have the shipment to your particular facility.
Biosite Bags
Biosite bags are the quintessential items that health care practitioners need if they intend to keep biosamples intact. These bags are designed to change color if they get contaminated. If a patient should happen to acquire a sample that is infected, they can immediately be identified in some way through the color change of their biosite pack. This will ensure that future samples are kept safe even if contamination is not detected at any time.
Go for Aseptic Environments
The best way to store samples is in an aseptic environment. This means that the room where the samples are kept should be clean and without any dust or other particles. It should also be kept under sterile conditions, meaning that all personnel wear protective clothing and masks when handling the samples.
Sterilized Environment
Sterilization is another way of keeping biosamples safe from contamination. Sterilization involves heating samples for about 30 minutes at 121 degrees Celsius or freezing them for 72 hours at -80 degrees Celsius. This kills most bacteria and viruses in the samples, so they cannot grow when they are stored again later.
Quick Tips
Correctly label each sample
Label each sample clearly, so everyone knows what’s inside before opening it up later. People often open something only to realize that it isn’t what they thought it was. This tip is key for avoiding those kinds of situations.
Keep the samples cold or frozen at all times
You need to keep your freezer at -80 degrees Celsius. According to research, this will help stop bacteria growth and reduce the risk of sample degradation.
Keep the samples in a dark place
Don’t store samples in direct sunlight or fluorescent light; they can degrade samples faster than normal room temperature storage conditions allow. For enhanced safety, only remove the sample from its container when ready to use it.
Always wash your hands before handling the samples
Handling biosamples can be a tricky business. If you’re not careful, your samples can get contaminated by bacteria, mold, or other unwanted contaminants. This is why you need always to wash your hands.
Conclusion
Biosamples are the most important tools in the healthcare industry. They provide doctors and researchers with a way to diagnose and treat patients, but they can also be highly susceptible to contamination.
When it comes to keeping a biosample safe and unspoiled, what you use to store it is just as important as the sample itself.
