You may have the most up-to-date medical refrigerator available on the market today, but it will be all to no avail if you do not carry out some simple procedures to ensure that it is maintained at the correct temperature. Cold storage is a basic application across medical facilities.
Protecting High-Value Drugs
Accsense systems are used for medical monitoring and the regular recording of temperatures. Get your medical refrigeration right and you will save time and money. Vaccines and equipment stored at incorrect temperatures will have to be discarded if they become unusable. For more detailed information on requirements for storing vaccines safely read more here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300304/Protocol_for_ordering__storing_and_handling_vaccines_March_2014.pdf.
Variations in Temperature
There will always be variations in fridge temperature depending on how often it is opened and whether or not the motor/compressor is running. The advantage of a probe thermal buffer is that it will measure temperature of the contents of the fridge, not of the air. A probe can be used without a thermal buffer, but generally this will result in false alarms.
The probe should be placed where it will not be disturbed and therefore show more consistent readings. The ideal place may be just inside the door. It may be possible to place the probe through the door seal or through an access port at the back of the freezer.
Recording Data
Most organisations will have guidelines as to when data should be recorded. This could be every four hours. The digital display on the fridge may show a different temperature from that of the Accsense system. Manufacturers of freezers tend to have slow-response probes which will not cause the alarm to go off when the door is opened. Because of these variations, when calibrations are carried out the Accsense probe and the manufacturer’s probe must be placed close together.
Professional-grade fridges and freezers can be purchased from https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/medical-refrigeration and used with the Accsense system of monitoring.
The advantages of automatic monitoring with the Accsense system are time and cost savings. Individual fridge temperatures and alarms can be set up to alert particular email addresses and phone lists. Unless facilities are staffed 24 hours a day, it is otherwise difficult to have such regular recording of temperatures as is required in medical units.
