Hospital Physician Office Lab Equipment

A - Lab Circulator Maximum Temperature
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Laboratory circulators and chillers include heating systems to precisely control the temperature of the water, buffer, or bath fluid.

What is the Average Lab Circulator Peak Temperature?

Lab circulators commonly heat fluid to 150°C.

Julabo’s PRESTO circulators can achieve temperature set points up to 250°C. Common applications for heating circulators include food stability testing, medical device quality analysis, and forced aging studies.

B - Lab Chiller Minimum Temperature
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What Lab Chiller Applications and Uses Are Most Common?

Applications for lab chillers include cell freezing, blood banking, and pour point determination of petroleum products.

What is the Lowest Achievable Lab Chiller Temperature?

Laboratory chillers, or refrigerated circulators, include cooling coils to chill bath fluid or lab-grade water. Lab chillers commonly cool fluid down to -20°C.

Julabo’s PRESTO circulators can maintain temperatures down to -80°C.

C - Lab Circulator Capacity
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Lab circulator capacity refers to the volume of liquid safely stored and processed by the system.

Lab Benchtop Chiller Capacity

Julabo’s Cryo-Compact chillers are low-throughput benchtop chiller systems that accommodate fluid volumes under 10 liters.

Free Standing Lab Circulator Capacity

Julabo’s FL Series circulators are high-throughput, free-standing systems that accommodate fluid volumes up to 50 liters.

D - Voltage
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120-volt connections are suitable for standard laboratory power outlets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America.

208-volt or 240-volt connections, common in Mainland Europe and throughout Asia, require less current (amperage) and smaller conductors than equipment designed to operate at 120-volt.

E - Lab Circulator Configuration
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E1 - Immersion Circulator

Immersion circulators, like Julabo’s CORIO C Series, are placed within external water baths to mix and precisely control the temperature of the bath fluid. Immersion circulators are more cost-effective than benchtop circulators and more flexible: one immersion circulator can control multiple water baths within a single lab, given the baths aren’t operated simultaneously. However, immersion circulators cannot achieve the flow rates and temperature ranges of a benchtop circulator.

E2 - Open Bath Heating Circulators

Open bath circulators, like Julabo’s CORIO CD Series, include an integral, exposed water bath regulated by a digital controller. Open bath circulators provide easier sample access than enclosed bath circulators but may be prone to heat loss or larger temperature fluctuations. Common applications include temperature control of measurement cells, heating glassware, and material testing.

CORIO™ CD Refrigerated/Heating Circulators by Julabo

CORIO™ CD Heating Circulators by Julabo

E3 - Recirculating Chiller

Recirculating chillers contain enclosed water baths, cooling and/or heating coils, and digital control systems. Recirculating chillers include pump systems to deliver fluid to external equipment, such as wet processing stations, water-jacketed incubators, photometers, and refractometers. More expensive than immersion or open bath circulators, recirculating chillers provide large bath capacities, higher flow rates, broader temperature ranges and tighter set point tolerances.

F - Lab Bath Tank Material
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F1 - Polycarbonate Lab Bath

Transparent polycarbonate baths are more cost-effective and provide better sample visualization than stainless steel baths. However, polycarbonate baths support limited temperature ranges, typically between -20°C and 100°C.

F2 - Stainless Steel Lab Bath

Stainless steel baths help maintain aseptic conditions, resist acids and solvents, and support broader temperature ranges than polycarbonate baths.

G - Lab Circulator Power and Wattage
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Lab circulator power, listed in Watts (W), corresponds to the heat load capacity of the system.

Heat energy removed or applied to the fluid drives the maintainable temperature range of the system. Common lab circulators feature heat loads between 250 and 2,000 Watts.

Julabo’s PRESTO circulators include heat loads up to 2,700 Watts and, thus, industry-leading temperature ranges (-80°C - 250°C).

Where Can I Buy Lab Circulators and Chillers Online?

Laboratory-Equipment.com is a specialty division of Terra Universal. For nearly 40 years, Terra Universal has served the life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device markets. Customers appreciate a worldwide network of reps, factory-direct support, and ready-to-ship items available from Terra's on-shore manufacturing and warehouse facilities in Fullerton, California.

Shop lab chillers and circulators online for a wide variety of pharmaceutical, laboratory, life science research, and analytical environments. Terra specialists are able to provide support and expertise among many applications including life science research, drug discovery, material testing, wafer production, and wet chemistry.

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A - Medical and Laboratory Refrigerators Storage Capacity
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Laboratory and medical-grade refrigerators are manufactured in a broad range of sizes, from benchtop models smaller than 6 cubic feet to upright, double-door models larger than 40 cubic feet. Refrigerators smaller than 6 cubic feet are designed to fit on crowded work surfaces or under pharmacy counters to provide point-of-use cold storage for media, reagents, or vaccines.

High-capacity, upright refrigerators include microprocessor controls to maintain precise, uniform conditions throughout the storage area to prevent sample spoilage due to temperature fluctuations. Double-door and triple-door refrigerators isolate samples from different production batches to prevent cross-contamination and exposure during refrigerator access.

B - Special Application
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B1 - ADA Compliant Lab Refrigerators

ADA Compliant Refrigerators are manufactured in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and fit underneath a 34” tall, ADA-compliant countertop. In addition, ADA-compliant models include positive-close hinges to prevent doors from remaining ajar. A front-mounted ventilation system ensures proper air circulation when the unit is installed in a crowded under-counter space.

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B2 - Blood Bank Refrigerators

Blood bank refrigerators are designed in accordance with AABB international standards for storage of samples for transfusions, cellular therapies, immunohematology references and platelet banking. AABB-compliant models include fully extendable and adjustable drawers designed to organize blood bags or Vacutainer tubes. To meet AABB blood storage guidelines, blood bank refrigerators maintain a set point of 4 degrees Celsius. An over-temperature alarm alerts all operators when the set point deviates from the user-selected parameters.

• Revco Blood Bank Refrigerators by Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Thermo Fisher TSX Series High-Performance Blood Bank Refrigerators

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B3 - Chromatography Refrigerators 

Chromatography refrigerators include internal duplex outlets and removable shelves to house and operate an HPLC system within the refrigerator. To prevent HPLC elution spoilage caused by temperature fluctuations, chromatography refrigerators include heat-free defrosting systems and forced air circulation to maintain temperature uniformity. Safety features, such as door locks or keypads, ensure controlled sample access.

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B4 - Explosion Proof Refrigerators 

Explosion-proof refrigerators meet OSHA criteria for storage of volatile chemicals, powders, solvents and intermediates. Explosion-proof models include hard-wired electrical systems encased in conduit to prevent spark ignition or accidental detonation. Compressors include enclosed overloads, sensors and relays to prevent conflagrations.

B5 - Flammable Material Refrigerators 

Flammable material refrigerators meet NFPA standards for storage of solvents and chemical powders. Magnetic door gaskets prevent hazardous fumes from escaping the refrigerator by ensuring a hermetically-sealed system. Additional security measures include door locks, audible alarms and fingerprint scanners.

PDF: Flammable Material Cabinet Features

Shop: Flammable Storage Refrigerators

B6 - Pass-Through Refrigerators 

Pass-through, or dual-access, refrigerators are designed for installation between two non-contiguous spaces to support rapid sample transfer and prevent crowded foot traffic in hospital and research lab corridors.

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B7 - Pharmacy Refrigerators

Pharmacy refrigerators are designed for storage of IV infusions, vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and compounded sterile preparations. Glass doors support quick and easy identification of stored medicine. Adjustable and removable baskets and drawers provide flexible storage of IV bags, vials, and conical tubes.

Shop Pharmacy | High-Performance Refrigerators

C - Lab Refrigerator Sizes and Styles
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C1 - Benchtop Refrigerators 

Benchtop, small-footprint refrigerators are designed for use in crowded pharmacies or research labs with limited counter space. Benchtop models offer fewer than 6 cubic feet of storage capacity.

Shop General Purpose | Laboratory Refrigerators

C2 - Under-Counter Refrigerators

Undercounter refrigerators, including ADA-compliant models, fit underneath a standard 34” tall counter top to support cold chain solutions for vaccine administration, retail medicine and mobile sample storage. Front-mounted ventilation systems ensure proper air circulation for refrigerators installed in tight spaces.

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C3 - Upright Refrigerators 

Upright, large-capacity refrigerators are designed for use in high-throughput research labs, pharmacies, and blood banks. Double-door and triple-door designs offer up to 60 cubic feet of storage space for IV bags, Vacutainer tubes, and conical vials. Energy Star-certified models consume 50% less energy than conventional refrigerators.

D - Lab Refrigerator Voltage
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D1 - 120 Volt Lab Refrigerators

120-volt connections are suitable for standard residential power outlets in the US.

D2 - 240 Volt Refrigerators

240-volt connections require less current (amperage) and smaller conductors than appliances designed to operate at 120V.

E - Lab Refrigerator Door Style 

Refrigerators with solid doors provide additional thermal insulation to prevent temperature fluctuations within the sample storage area. Solid doors, composed of epoxy-coated or stainless steel, also restrict viewing access of controlled medications. Glass doors support easy visual inspections of patient samples and internal storage conditions (including frost levels).

Shop Refrigerators Drawer Styles

Shop Lab Refrigerators and Freezer by Size

• 6 to 12 cubic feet
• 18 to 24 cubic feet
• 9 - 15 cubic feet
• <6 cubic feet
• >24 cubic feet

Where Can I Buy Laboratory Refrigerators Online?

Shop Lab Refrigerators at Laboratory-Equipment.com for carefully selected lines of laboratory instruments and equipment from sector-leading manufacturers such as Haier Biomedical, Marvel Scientific, Helmer Scientific, and Thermo Fisher. Configure accessories and customize your product design for almost any storage application including clinical, research or cleanroom environments. Many products are stocked and available for immediate shipment.

Laboratory-Equipment.com is a laboratory specialty division of Terra Universal. Terra Universal is the leading US manufacturer of critical environment equipment with a diversified product line including cleanrooms, desiccators, hoods, glove boxes, cleanroom furnishings and similar equipment.

Contact a laboratory equipment sales specialist for a same-day quote via web chat, email, or phone.

A - Vortexer Format - Single-Tube, Multi-Tube, Microplate Vortexers
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A1 - Single-Tube Vortexers

Single-tube vortexers, such as Benchmark Scientific’s Vornado Mixer, include touch-activated cups designed to accommodate sample tubes up to 50 ml in size. The cup head is sealed to prevent accidental spills from entering the housing and damaging the vortex shaft or motor.

A2 - Multi-Tube Vortexers

Multi-tube vortexers, such as Benchmark Scientific’s BenchMixer XL, include a 7” x 12” platform designed to accommodate a variety of different sample tube racks for high-volume mixing. Interchangeable tube racks are designed to house 50 x 2.0 ml micro-tubes, 15 x 50 ml culture tubes, or 3 x 96-well microplates. Multi-tube vortexers include precise motor balancing to minimize vibrations and ensure accurate, reproducible speeds across the platform.

A3 - Microplate Vortexers

Microplate vortexers, such as Benchmark Scientific’s Incu-Mixer MP, include a pre-installed plate deck capable of accommodating up to 4 microplates. The Incu-Mixer MP features a heated lid to prevent sample condensation during mixing runs. As opposed to single-tube vortexers, which can maintain mixing speeds up to 3,400 revolutions per minute (rpm), microplate vortexers, given the size of the plate deck, maintain lower speeds (up to 1,200 rpm).

B - Maximum Vortexer Shaking Speed
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Standard laboratory vortexers maintain shaking speeds between 100 rpm and 3,000 rpm, but specialty vortex mixers can achieve shaking speeds up to 3,400 rpm. As the force produced by the electronic drive shaft is dispersed among the samples placed on the vortexer, single-tube vortexers are capable of maintaining higher shaking speeds than multi-tube or microplate vortexers, which house multiple samples within plate decks or sample racks. Although most laboratory vortexers feature controllers capable of adjusting shaking speeds, certain vortex mixers are designed to shake at a fixed speed.

C - Digital vs Analog Vortexer Controller
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C1 - Analog Vortexer

Benchmark Scientific’s BenchMixers feature analog controllers with on/off switches, speed control dials, and touch-start/manual-start toggles.

C2 - Digital Vortexer

Benchmark Scientific’s Multi-Therm mixers feature digital controllers with speed adjustment, temperature control, run timers, pulse duration control, and stored, user-defined programs.

D - Vortexer Voltage
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120-volt connections are suitable for standard laboratory power outlets in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. 240-volt connections, common in Mainland Europe and throughout Asia, require less current (amperage) and smaller conductors than equipment designed to operate at 120-volt.

E - Special Vortexer Features
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E1 - Incubated Vortexer

Benchmark Scientific’s Incu-Mixer MP models include a heating coil to maintain temperatures up to 70°C for cell culture sample mixing.

E2 - Refrigerated Vortexer

Refrigerated vortexers, like Benchmark Scientific’s Multi-Therm, include a cooling coil to maintain temperatures down to -20°C for mixing of sensitive samples. A built-in temperature safety sensor alerts the user when conditions fall outside of setpoint.

E3 - European Vortexer Power Plug

Certain 240-volt vortexers include EU-approved or Schuko plugs for installation into laboratories located in Europe or Asia.