SOP: Installation of min/max thermometers with the glycerol tube for fridges and freezers

Transcription

1 Department of Clinical Sciences/ Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Département des Sciences Cliniques / Unité de Laboratoire de Médecine Tropicale SOP: Installation of min/max thermometers with the glycerol tube for fridges and freezers Type: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Status: draft Written by: vhermans Create Date: Reviewed by: Save Date: OBJECTIF This SOP describes the installation of an electronic minimum / maximum thermometer of the company VWR and provides the instructions on how to create the glycerol tube for the probe of the thermometer. 2. PRINCIPE The thermometer is a device used for the daily temperature monitoring of fridges and freezers. The temperature is measured every 10 seconds. The thermometer uses a separate probe attached to the device by a 3 meter long cable. It is advisory to fix this probe in a glycerol tube to avoid temperature fluctuations when opening the fridges/freezers door. 3. MATERIALS - Thermometers min/max -50/+70 C with fridge sensor (VWR) - Battery: 1, 5 volt, size A76 or equivalent x1 piece - Glycerol (87%) - Plastic tube 10ml - Drop counter - Stopper - Silicones - Rack - Tape - Scissors - Sharp knife - Tweezers - Needle - Tissues Glycerol: amount needed to fill one plastic tube for each thermometer Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 1 2/22/2010

2 Stopper Drop counter Plastic tube, 10ml Silicones 4. PROCEDURE A. INSTALLATION THERMOMETER 1. Pull down the battery cover. 2. Install the battery with correct polarity positioning: + side up. 3. Check if thermometer works: - Thermometer will have a full segment display for about 3 seconds - After 3 seconds normal fridge sensor temperature will be displayed The thermometer is normally always enabled. If nothing appears on the display, replace the battery. 4. Peel off the adhesive tape cover sheet on the sensor holder. 5. Put the sensor inside a glycerol tube to limit temperature fluctuations when opening the fridge/freezer door (see chapter B on how to attach the sensor in the glycerol tube). Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 2 2/22/2010

3 6. Firmly attach the tube with the sensor inside the fridge/freezer. The best place to attach the tube is in the middle of the fridge/freezer. Use strong tape to attach the tube in an upwards position. 7. Pull the cable and the thermometer through the opening of the rubber sealing of the fridge/freezer door. 8. Attach thermometer outside the fridge/freezer by using the magnets on the back of the device. 9. Press [ C/ F] button to select temperature unit [Celsius or Fahrenheit]. 10. Print the registration form. The template is added below in chapter 5. If there is no printer available, ask the responsible person of the quality service to provide enough registration forms. 11. Fill in the correct information in the header of the registration form. Example for the registrations of January 2010 for fridge N 1 in the Parasitology Department: 12. Paste the registration form on the fridge/freezer. Make sure the form is clearly visible. Figure 1: Paste the registration form on the fridge/freezer. Make sure the form is clearly visible Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 3 2/22/2010

4 B. GLYCEROL TUBE 1. Use the knife to make an incision in the stopper. The incision has to be big enough so the cable of the thermometer can go through it. Figure 2: Make an incision in the stopper so the sensor an the cable of the thermometer can pass through it. 2. Pull the sensor and the cable through this incision in the stopper. Figure 3: Pull the sensor and the cable through this incision in the stopper. 3. Take the scissors and cut off the tip of the drop counter. Figure 4: Cut off the tip of the drop counter. Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 4 2/22/2010

5 4. Take the needle and make a small hole in the reservoir of the drop counter so air bubbles can escape. Figure 5: Make a small hole in the reservoir of the drop counter as shown on the picture. 5. Pull the sensor and the cable through the drop counter. Tweezers can be used to facilitate this job. Figure 6: Pull the sensor and the cable through the drop counter 6. Fill the plastic tube with glycerol. Fill it so the stopper can be put on without spilling too much glycerol. Place the tube in a rack in upwards position. Figure 7: Fill the plastic tube with glycerol. Don t fill the whole tube, so there is still space to put on the stopper. Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 5 2/22/2010

6 7. Fill up the stopper with silicones. This is necessary to prevent leakage of the glycerol when the tube is not in the upwards position in the fridge or freezer. 8. Push the sensor with the drop counter and the stopper in the plastic tube until it fits. Figure 8: Push the sensor with the drop counter in the plastic tube until it fits. While pushing the stopper, make sure air bubbles disappear through the hole in the reservoir of the drop counter 9. Place this construction in an upwards position and let it dry for 24 hours. 10. After 24 hours, check if the silicones have dried overnight by holding the tube upside down. Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 6 2/22/2010

7 11. Use tape to firmly attach the stopper on the plastic tube. Figure 9: Use tape to firmly attach the stopper on the plastic tube. This is next to the silicones an extra protection against leakage of glycerol. 12. Return to Chapter A, point 6 to continue the installation of the thermometer in a fridge or freezer. Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 7 2/22/2010

8 5. REGISTRATION FORM: example Laboratoy FRIDGE / FREEZER N MONTH/YEAR N DATE HOUR T ( C) MIN ( C) MAX ( C) REMARKS Unit of Tropical Laboratory Medicine Page 8 2/22/2010