Does Your Lab Have a SafetyNet?

Cold storage devices and laboratory equipment are in every life science organization and used daily by researchers to make breakthrough discoveries. An organization’s valuable and sensitive samples are stored in this equipment, making it absolutely necessary to maintain constant control over laboratory and equipment conditions.

Does Your Lab Have a SafetyNet?

Unfortunately, even the most expensive piece of equipment can fail and even our best employees can make mistakes. With this in mind, it is important to add extra layers of security to laboratories to help prevent bad things from happening. Continuously and proactively monitoring lab devices for any deviations or anomalies to protect the valuable science inside is an important initiative for any life science organization. If a device fails or SOPs aren’t adhered to, it is necessary to have measures in place to mitigate risks and potentially catastrophic losses.

Adding a safety net to your lab

Data gathered from laboratory equipment and ambient parameters tells the story of a laboratory’s operations and infrastructure. Capturing relevant, real-time data allows for in-depth analysis and allows us to draw meaningful conclusions that are used to improve SOPs and optimize maintenance schedules. Predictive analysis can be applied to prevent failures before they happen, adding an extra level of protection to your lab’s operations.

The XiltriX SafetyNet team provides an autonomous, real-time monitoring solution and acts as an added layer of security to keep you in constant control of your lab’s operations.

Read about Facility Monitoring in our eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Life Science Facility Monitoring

Imminent Failure for -80 Freezer

Freezers constantly go through heating and cooling cycles. On September 18th, the unit above cooled, but did not begin heating until a day later. This does not trigger an alarm because temperature remained within preset parameters and in most cases would go unnoticed. However, the XiltriX SafetyNet team knows this graph indicates a bad compressor in the freezer and the unit is likely to fail in the coming days or weeks. A SafetyNet team member notices the deviation in your freezer and alerts you to schedule preventive maintenance.

Every Door Opening is Different

This graph shows two different temperature spikes throughout the day that cause the refrigerator’s internal temperature to rise too high. The XiltriX SafetyNet team understands exactly how each door opening affects fridge temperature, and how it can compromise sensitive samples or reagents. A Safety Net team member reaches out to you and provides advice on ways to minimize the duration or frequency of door openings to improve SOPs and protect sample integrity.

Fluctuating Fridge Temperatures Threaten Sample Quality

This graph indicates a fridge with excessive temperature fluctuation. Normally a fridge should have a temperature between 2-8°C, and this falls too low. The low temperature can actually cause more damage than the high one. Samples begin to freeze which causes disruptions in the biological structure. A SafetyNet Team member will reach out and strongly recommend raising the setpoint on the unit by 1-1.5C to safeguard against frost damage.

Incubator Takes Time to Recover from ‘Traumatic’ Experience

This graph shows the temperature for an incubator when a door is opened for 5 minutes. During this time, the temperature drops 9C and takes an additional 45 minutes to recover to a normal setting. Door openings like these can kill samples and adversely affect research results or data quality. A Safety Net team member reaches out to alert appropriate personnel of possible issues and ways to improve SOPs if necessary.

The XiltriX SafetyNet team provides real-time, Monitoring-as-a-Service to protect your science by safeguarding scientific assets and providing value-added insight into laboratory equipment and facility operations. With over 30 years of experience in life science environments, the XiltriX SafetyNet team are industry experts when it comes to laboratory OEMs and operations, ensuring your investments are safeguarded. The SafetyNet team provides you peace-of-mind and protects your science.

To learn more about lab equipment monitoring, read our eBook, Life Science Equipment Monitoring - The Ultimate Guide: