Updated May 19, 2020
Stirling Ultracold has always felt a strong sense of pride and responsibility by helping laboratories, biorepositories, hospitals and test/research facilities further their research and bring life-saving and life-changing solutions to patients.
This has never been more of a priority than it is right now. As a High Containment Program Director at a university recently told us…
“We decided to purchase a new freezer for these COVID-19 projects so that we would be able to keep the Select Agent freezer locked up and inaccessible to the new personnel. I very much appreciate that Stirling was able to accommodate us and make it possible for a quick purchase of this new freezer.”
During the COVID-19 outbreak, we are actively monitoring the rapidly evolving needs of our health care infrastructure. The following updates and resources can help you address the urgency of this pandemic.
CDC guidelines for specimen handling
The CDC has provided guidance on specimen collection, storage and shipping. For specimens stored at 2–8°C, all laboratory testing must occur within 72 hours of collection. If a delay in processing or shipping is expected, store specimens at -70°C or below. For more information, review the CDC’s Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019.
VWR’s Virus Detection: COVID-19 research-approved equipment protocol
VWR scientists are engaged with the supplier and research communities to provide a protocol for the research use-only identification of COVID-19. This protocol closely mirrors that of the CDC-recommended protocol and, in some cases, makes use of the materials already validated by the CDC.1 For more information, please review VWR’s COVID-19 Virus Detection protocol/product list, which includes Stirling Ultracold’s SU780XLE upright ultra-low freezer.
Easing the COVID-19 testing backlog
The availability of more COVID-19 tests likely will create backlogs and delays as research organizations scramble to store more biological samples. We are ready to help those testing sites and diagnostic laboratories that must rapidly increase ultra-low temperature (ULT) storage capacity to meet surging demands. Our upright, undercounter and portable ULTs can help you increase sample capacity quickly and meet the CDC’s -70°C storage requirements, whether in the lab or at a remote, off-site testing location. Find out more about our ULT storage solutions.
Expedited delivery of our ULT freezers
We are committed to getting you the vital supplies you need as soon as possible. Despite the disruption to many industries, our business and supply chain are still currently operating on schedule. At this time, we can expedite new orders in as quickly as one week. Although we have not been impacted by major upstream disruptions to our supply chain, the situation remains fluid; we will continue to work diligently with our suppliers to maintain factory schedules.
With our unique free-piston Stirling engine technology, our ULT freezer products are lightweight and compact relative to storage capacity, offer a flexible voltage range (including the ability to plug into 110V outlets), have the widest temperature setpoint range, and provide the flexibility for remote and rapid deployment of ULT storage. View and download our new Guide to Rapid and Remote Deployment of Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Storage for more information.
CDC health and safety guidelines
Like many, we’ve incorporated the CDC’s health and safety guidelines into our everyday business. This includes the voluntary option to telecommute for all employees not essential to manufacturing, additional cleaning and disinfecting activities, and disinfecting all incoming freight.
We’re working in close collaboration with our partners to support and expedite COVID-19 testing and vaccine research. If you have any questions about the rapid or remote deployment of ULT freezer products, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 1-855-274-7900 or contact us here.
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