What Measures Should Biobankers Employ to Prevent Possible Glitches in Storage Technology?

As demonstrated by the recent freezer failure incident at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital ⁱ in Belmont, Massachusetts, technology cannot always be relied upon when a freezer malfunction occurs. Apart from technology-based processes, what measures should biobankers employ to prevent possible glitches in storage technology?

In operating a biorepository there is a fiduciary responsibility to insure the integrity of the samples. The first line of defense is the technology and hardware we apply—freezer monitoring systems, back up freezer capacity maintained at temperature, back-up generators for power, security systems, and the like. Wherever possible, we need to make these systems and their capabilities redundant so that no single failure of a piece of equipment or system will endanger sample integrity. It is a truism that all equipment and systems will fail; it is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when.’

Second, successful operation requires good standard operating procedures that are carefully followed and where checks are routinely made to ensure all systems are functioning properly. Given this, we need to recognize that all the systems are tools, and to be effective, tools must be used. This is the human side of a repository. With the use of any tool, the outcome is a function of the training, skill, and dedication of the people using and maintaining the tool. We are dependent on the repository staff to use the tools provided to maintain and protect the samples. The staff must take the responsibility to ensure that when any discrepancies are noted, or any alarms occur, corrective action is immediately taken. Since repositories are always in operation, we must ensure that personnel are available 24/7 to respond to trouble. We must also confirm the contingency plans are in place for any foreseeable event, from a simple equipment failure to a regional event, such as a weather emergency or other natural disaster.

Besides equipment and systems issues there is another very key area where the human element is critical. When a single mechanical freezer can hold over 38,000 samples and a liquid nitrogen freezer in excess of a 100,000 samples, the integrity of the location system is critical. Samples that cannot be retrieved when needed have no value. We can apply computer technology/software systems to help us maintain records of where samples are stored, but except in the rare cases where automation can be economically applied to storage systems, we are dependent upon the staff to place samples correctly in the designated positions. This function becomes even more critical when samples must be relocated on an emergency basis. We must train our people in proper procedures and techniques, emphasize the importance of functions that can seem mundane and routine, and motivate them to perform at a high level.

We can apply all the technology that we can envision and afford, but the ultimate protection of our precious sample is based on the integrity and performance of the people who run the repository.