Trade News
Guildford, UK, 16 November 2010 – A new national storage facility for tissue samples and other items that have to be stored at very low temperatures has been set up by BOC, the UK’s largest medical and industrial gases supplier.
The BOC Cryobank facility uses state-of-the-art DryStore freezers. These offer exceptional sample security and operator safety as the storage area is completely free of liquid nitrogen. Instead, the liquid nitrogen is housed in a jacket that surrounds the chamber which means that temperature performance down to –190°C can be achieved. As no liquid nitrogen comes into contact with the samples, the risk of cross-contamination is minimised. When up to full capacity, the BOC Cryobank will be able to hold over half a million 2ml vials.
BOC, a member of The Linde Group, expects the service to be of interest particularly to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, as well as research labs in the university sector. It relieves researchers of the burden of continually maintaining the samples in perfect conditions. BOC, who have over a century of experience in handling cryogenic liquids, is able to ensure optimum conditions for as long as storage is required by customers.
“Ensuring the safe and secure storage of research samples is vital in today’s multi-million euro medical research environment,” noted Elton Chapman, BOC Healthcare Business Manager. “Through discussions with a number of our customers we had become aware of a need for this type of facility. We brought together experts from a number of fields, including engineering, cryogenics and software development to engineer this facility which is unique in the UK.”
BOC
BOC is a member of The Linde Group. An industrial, medical and special gases provider, the company supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment. For more than a century the company's gases and expertise have contributed to advances in many areas of everyday life, and industries including steelmaking, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics and health care. For more information visit: www.BOConline.co.uk
The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com
For further information about this release please contact: Simon Napper, BOC Communications, on +44 7500 815166. Email simon.napper@