How to organize Storage Browser? - LabCollector

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How to organize Storage Browser?

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SUMMARY:

The “storage browser” and “manage storage” options in LabCollector help the user to store the location of each record in a precisely defined place. Research labs deal with several samples, chemicals, etc. that they need to store in a specific location with specified temperatures, etc. All this can be done using the storage browser.

You can define the rooms, storage equipment, and boxes/racks/drawers/bags, etc. using the manage lab storage.

Follow these steps to configure the storage for your lab:

1. Setup storage 

2. Organize Storage Tree

  • Tips for organizing Freezers
  • Tips for organizing FFPE blocks storage
  • Tips for organizing Cupboards
  • Tips for organizing Nitrogen canisters with cane

    3. Rules/Tips of organization

    1. Setup storage 

    Tips for organizing Freezers

    • For example, we have created a equipment (Freezer) in facility (Storage Room).

    • Note: When facility location is “No facility assigned” the equipment then goes to “Main location” in the storage tree.
    • To give an example please consider the below image and we have created the drawers, racks, boxes according to the below example.
      Images from: https://profilab24.com/fr/laboratoire/refrigerateur-systemes-de-refroidissement/congelateur-de-laboratoire-national-lab-labstar-sirius-lssi-7525-avec-porte-vitree
    • Example below is created as follows:
      • Facility:Room A
      • Equipment name | Type: Freezer -80°C | Freezer/Fridge
      • Drawers/Shelves/Racks/Stage: Stages A,B,C and D | Rack 1,2,3,& 4
      • Box Type: “box with grid”


    Tips for organizing FFPE blocks storage

    • Sometimes, you have high density storage cabinets or FFPE blocks, that you need to organize in a LIMS.
    • LabCollector allows you to have a storage organizer that can help you store the same.
    • It is better to first analyze and organize the equipment you have and how you could name them in Storage browser.
    • Below random example of high density FFPE storage block will allow you to organize your cabinets.
    • Example below is created as follows:
      • Facility: Room 1
      • Equipment name | Type: FFPE Cabinet | Freezer/Fridge
      • Drawers/Shelves/Racks/Stage: Stages 1,2,3 and 4 | Rack 1,2,3,& 4
      • Box Type:”box with grid”

    Tips for organizing Cupboards

    Tips for organizing Nitrogen canisters with cane

    • You can organize your canisters with storage browser like below example.
    • Example below is created as follows:
      • Facility:Room_3
      • Equipment name | Type: Nitro-Tank-01 | Shelf
      • Drawers/Shelves/Racks/Stage: Canisters 1,2,3 & 4
      • Box Type:”box with grid”

    2. Organize Storage Tree

    • We have created an example based on above freezer.
    • To see the freezer created above, go to ADMIN -> TOOLS -> STORAGE BROWSER.
    • To create Stages/Racks and boxes simultaneously in Freezer click on .
      *Read our KB on add new drawer or rack with the box.
    • Now you can create Boxes inside the racks. See section 3 before creating racks.
      *Please read our KB to know more about how to create a box.

    • Like the same way above, you can create different facilities (rooms) and different equipment and racks and boxes inside them.

    3. Rules/Tips of organization

    • Storage browser arranges racks and boxes according to alphabets and name size (number of characters including spaces). Make sure to name the racks, boxes keeping this rule in mind.
      *NEW: In LabCollector v6.01 automatically replaces spaces with underscore.
    • If you assign position to your racks then they will be arranged according to the position and not alphabetically or name length.
      *Box with no position are considered as 0 hence they are assigned first, but according to their name/numerical in the name.

    • Storage tree takes into account the character length. Small names are arranged first and bigger latter.
      *Characters counting include spaces, numbers, alphabets and special characters.

    • Take care not to create boxes inside racks before carefully adding all racks. Because once the boxes are added the racks/drawers cant be deleted.
      In the below image the rack with no drawers has a delete button but racks or drawers with boxes have a lock button and cannot be deleted.
      *It is possible delete boxes and then delete racks.

    Tips/Hints

     – It is better to replace the spaces by underscore _ or a dash – sign. Stage_A-Rack_01
     *In LabCollector v6.01 automatically replaces spaces with underscore.
     – Avoid using special characters in the front of the name of racks or drawers or boxes. For example,  *Rack 1.
    – If you have 100 racks in your lab then its better to start from Rack 001, as it will keep all your rack/drawers/boxes number in double digits and the length of the characters same throughout. 
     – First add all the racks to see if they are arranged properly and then add boxes inside racks.

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