Sample Rack Assembly
Cryogenic Sample Rack and Vial Holder System
Aluminum sample rack assemblies with indexed cryovial holders, RFID tag interfaces, and thermal anchoring providing organized, high-density, robotically accessible storage for 6.7M species' biological samples
Purpose
Organize biological samples in a spatially indexed, thermally uniform, and robotically retrievable rack system that maximizes storage density while maintaining individual sample traceability and thermal contact with the dewar cold bus
Context
Racks are modular units that slide into dewar mounting rails. Each rack holds hundreds to thousands of standardized cryovials in spring-loaded holders with embedded RFID readers. Racks are thermally anchored to the cold bus via aluminum conduction straps, ensuring all sample positions remain within ±1°C of the 77 K setpoint. The rack system must support robotic extraction of individual vials without disturbing adjacent samples.
Principles
- ▸High-conductivity aluminum (6061-T6) ensures rapid thermal equilibration across all rack positions
- ▸Spring-loaded vial holders maintain positive contact for thermal conduction and mechanical retention
- ▸RFID tags at each position enable automated inventory tracking without physical inspection
- ▸Modular rack units allow removal as complete assemblies for emergency transfer between dewars
- ▸Rack geometry must balance storage density against robotic access clearance requirements
Typical implementations
- ▸Brooks BioStore rack systems with 2D-barcoded cryovials in SBS-format boxes
- ▸Thermo Fisher CryoExtra racks with spring-loaded tube holders and RFID integration
- ▸Custom high-density aluminum honeycomb racks for maximized packing fraction
- ▸Rack-level thermal anchoring via copper braid straps to cold bus manifold
Lunar considerations
- ▸1/6 g reduces gravitational seating force — spring retention must be designed for reduced gravity
- ▸Rack extraction in low gravity requires guide rails with positive engagement mechanisms
- ▸Thermal contraction of aluminum racks (~4mm/m from 300K to 77K) requires clearance in mounting rails
- ▸Rack materials must have low outgassing rates to preserve dewar vacuum quality
- ▸Robotic gripper interfaces must accommodate cryogenic temperature operation
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Provide organized, indexed, thermally uniform, and robotically accessible sample storage positions |
| inputs | Biological samples in standardized cryovials from L1-GEN, Cold bus thermal anchor from L3-CRY-TANK-DEW, Rack position data to L2-CRY-INV inventory system |
| outputs | Indexed sample positions with RFID identification, Thermal uniformity across all vial positions (±1°C), Retrievable sample vials on robotic command |
| total positions | sufficient for 6.7M species (multiple vials per species) |
| temperature uniformity c | ±1°C across all positions within a rack |
| vial format | 2 mL standard cryovial (compatible with Earth biobank formats) |
| rack extraction time minutes | <5 per rack module |
| sample retrieval time minutes | <2 per individual vial |
| design life years | 100 |
Physical
| dimensions | TBD — modular units fitting dewar internal diameter |
| materials | Aluminum 6061-T6 (rack frames, shelves), Beryllium copper (spring clips for vial retention), Copper braid (thermal anchor straps to cold bus), RFID tags (cryogenic-rated, passive UHF) |
| operating temperature k | 77 |
| atmosphere | Nitrogen vapor or vacuum within dewar |
| vibration | Isolated from Stirling cooler vibration by dewar mounting |
Operational
| power consumption w | 5 |
| thermal range c | -196, -180 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Physical indexed positions for cryovial storage with positive thermal and mechanical retention
- RFID tag reads providing real-time sample position and identity information
- Standardized vial extraction geometry compatible with robotic gripper end-effectors
Requires
- Internal dewar mounting rails and guide tracks for rack insertion and retention
- Cold bus thermal connection maintaining rack temperature at 77 K
- Commands specifying which rack positions to access for retrieval or storage operations
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Sample Rack Assembly" (L3-CRY-TANK-RACK). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-CRY-TANK-RACK
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.