Thermo Scientific Locator Series User manual

Locator®& Locator®Plus
Cryobiological Storage Vessel
and
Liquid Nitrogen Level Monitor
Operation Manual
and Parts List
Model Numbers
With lus Series
Level Monitor lus Series with Level Monitor
LOCATOR Jr. CY50925 CY50955 CY50925-70 CY50955-70
LOCATOR 4 CY50935 CY50965 CY50935-70 CY50965-70
LOCATOR 6 NA NA CY50985-70 CY50995-70
LOCATOR 8 CY50945 CY50975 CY50945-70 CY50975-70
LT509X1 • 7/25/08

MPORTANT NFORMAT ON
This manual contains important operating and safety information. The user must carefully read and under-
stand the contents of this manual prior to the use of this equipment.
Safety nformation ..............................................................................................................................................3
Alert Signals..................................................................................................................................................3
Please Read ................................................................................................................................................3
Warnings ......................................................................................................................................................3
General Specifications ........................................................................................................................................5
Unpacking ..........................................................................................................................................................6
Operation ............................................................................................................................................................7
Filling nstructions ........................................................................................................................................7
Measuring Liquid Nitrogen Quantity ............................................................................................................7
Storing Samples in Vapor Phase..................................................................................................................8
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Replacement Parts ..........................................................................................9
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Vessels and Covers ..................................................................................9
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Racks and Boxes ....................................................................................10
LOCATOR Accessories ..............................................................................................................................11
Cryo Accessories ........................................................................................................................................11
Accessory Liquid Nitrogen Level Monitor Operation ........................................................................................12
ntended Use ..............................................................................................................................................12
Function ......................................................................................................................................................12
nstallation ..................................................................................................................................................12
Level Monitor Remote Alarm ......................................................................................................................12
Liquid Nitrogen Level Monitorʼs Alarm Contact Specifications ..................................................................13
Connection to Remote Alarms....................................................................................................................13
Principles of Operation ..............................................................................................................................15
Operation of Level Monitor ........................................................................................................................16
Liquid Nitrogen Level Monitor Troubleshooting ................................................................................................17
Level Monitor Replacement Parts List and Accessories ..................................................................................18
Ordering Procedures ........................................................................................................................................19
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................20
2
Table of Contents

Your Thermolyne LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Series
have been designed with function, reliability and safety in
mind. For safe operation, please pay attention to the alert
signals throughout the manual.
Please Read
All cryopreservation vessels, regardless of who manufac-
tures them, use a vacuum to provide the super insulative
properties needed to keep nitrogen in a liquid form. They
are very similar, in fact, to the thermos vessels you may
have used to store coffee, soup or milk. Remember how
fragile they were? Since no vacuum is perfect or will last
forever, we suggest that you monitor the consumption of
liquid nitrogen used by your vessel on a regular basis, i.e.
every 1-2 days. By monitoring, you may be able to antici-
pate subtle changes in consumption and possibly react to
problems before they arise. You may opt to use a level
monitor for this purpose. (See page 7 for level monitor
operation.).
Also, if your samples are super critical, one-of-a-kind, or
irreplaceable, consider allocating your samples to 2 sepa-
rate vessels. Remember the old adage about placing all
your eggs into one basket….
Finally, because no vacuum will last forever, consider
having your vessel tested by a qualified cryovessel manu-
facturer every 7-10 years, regardless of any problems (or
lack thereof) you may have had in the past. This will help
insure your samples against sudden loss of nitrogen due
to vacuum failure.
Warnings
1. Liquid Nitrogen is extremely cold; it boils at -
196°C.
2. To avoid injury due to frostbite or ruptured vials
use extreme care whenever handling liquid
nitrogen, liquid nitrogen storage or transfer ves-
sels, or any objects which have come in contact
with liquid nitrogen.
3. Leave no areas of skin exposed.
3
Safety nformation
Caution
Cautions alert you to a possibility of
damage to the equipment.
Warning
Warnings alert you to a possibility of
personal injury.
Note
Notes alert you to pertinent facts and
conditions.
Alert Signals

4. Always wear proper safety attire over clothing:
face shield, cryogenic gloves, cryogenic apron.
5. Do not tightly seal liquid nitrogen containers or
prevent nitrogen gas from escaping.
6. Always handle ampules with tongs. They may
explode when removed from the vessel.
7. Use extreme care to prevent spilling and splash-
ing liquid nitrogen during transfer and removal of
storage contents and holders.
8. mmediately remove any clothing or safety attire
on which liquid nitrogen has been spilled or
splashed.
9. Get immediate medical attention for any frostbite
injuries due to liquid nitrogen.
10. Never overfill liquid nitrogen vessels. Liquid
nitrogen level should never be above the tops of
the racks inside the vessel. The excess weight
will crack the neck and result in vacuum failure.
11. When inserting or removing racks be careful not
to come in contact with the neck tube area of
the vessel. Remove or insert racks slowly in a
vertical manner. Scratches on the neck tube
area can cause premature vacuum failure.
12. Do not tamper with or remove vacuum port (cov-
ered by a black plastic cap on side of vessel);
this will void warranty.
13. Do not spill liquid nitrogen on vacuum port - this
can cause vacuum failure.
14. Always keep liquid nitrogen vessel in an upright
position.
15. Do not use this Locator vessel for transport.
4
SAFETY INFORMATION
Caution
• Never overfill liquid nitrogen
vessels. Liquid nitrogen level
should never be above the
tops of the racks inside the
vessel. The excess weight
will crack the neck and result
in vacuum failure.
• When inserting or removing
racks be careful not to come
in contact with the neck tube
area of the vessel. Remove
or insert racks slowly in a
vertical manner. Scratches
on the neck tube area can
cause premature vacuum
failure.
• Do not tamper with or
remove vacuum port (cov-
ered by a black plastic cap
on side of vessel); this will
void warranty.
• Do not spill liquid nitrogen on
vacuum port - this can cause
vacuum failure.
• Always keep liquid nitrogen
vessel in an upright position.
• Do not use this Locator ves-
sel for transport.

LOCATOR Type 4 4 PLUS 6 PLUS 8 8 PLUS JR. JR. PLUS
Height ( ncluding lid)137.5” 40” 38” 37.5” 40” 27.5” 30”
(95.25 cm) (101.6 cm) (96.5 cm) (95.25 cm) (101.6 cm) (69.85 cm) (76.2 cm)
Diameter 22” 22” 26” 22” 22” 22” 22”
(55.8 cm) (55.8 cm) (66 cm) (55.8 cm) (55.8 cm) (55.8 cm) (55.8 cm)
Vessel Volume 110L 111L 165L 110L 111L 50L 51L
LN2Capacity, 111L 91L 134L 111L 91L 51L 41L
Liquid hase Storage
Vapor hase 25L 26L 39L 25L 26L 20L 21L
LN2Capacity
Static LN2.99 .80 .80 .60 .58 .85 .80
Evaporation Rate-
L/Day
Liquid hase 2916 * 3240* 4860 1800 2000 1296* 1620*
Capacity (in ampules) or 3600** or 4000** or 6000** or 1600** or 2000**
(Ampules actually
submerged
in liquid nitrogen.)
Vapor hase 2268* 2592* 3888* 1400 1600 972* 1296*
Capacity (in ampules) or 2800** or 3200** or 4800** or 1200** or 1600**
(Ampules are kept
slightly above the
level of liquid nitrogen.)
1The liquid nitrogen level monitor will add 1 inch to these heights. The transportation cart will add 4 inches to
these heights.
*Using Nalgene cryoboxes with a 9 x 9 ampule configuration.
**Using Nalgene System 100™ cryoboxes with a 10 x 10 ampule configuration. (Nalgene System 100™
ampules or equivalent are needed.)
5
General Specifications

Before using your new LOCATOR or LOCATOR Plus ves-
sel, carefully inspect the vessel prior to use. Check for
signs of damage which may have occurred in shipment. t
is advisable to fill (See Filling nstructions) all new units
with liquid nitrogen and watch liquid nitrogen loss rate for
a few days. f there are any problems, call Customer
Service as soon as possible.
The Warranty Registration card enclosed with the vessel
must be completed and returned to the factory within 30
days to make warranty effective. This information must
include the serial number, which is located on the label on
the vessel.
6
Unpacking
Note
The most prevalent cause of failure of
liquid nitrogen storage vessels is
mechanical. The vessel neck tube
supports the full weight of the inner
shell and all the liquid nitrogen it con-
tains. A side blow to the vessel causes
the inner shell to swing in a pendulum-
like motion causing the neck tube to
be damaged. Any storage vessel
which has been in an accident, has
been dropped or lowered to hit on its
side will tend to fail more rapidly than
one which has not.
Note
f you must transport samples under
cryogenic conditions, consider the
Arctic Express line of Dry Shippers
found in the Thermolyne catalog.
Caution
Exercise caution when moving your
LOCATOR or LOCATOR PLUS vessel.
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus cryobi-
ological storage systems are not trans-
portation vessels. Transport carts are
designed for mobility within the lab or
lab to lab only. Moving full vessels
long distances, over cracks in floor,
thresholds, on inclined ramps or in ele-
vators can cause premature vacuum
failure.

Filling nstructions
To avoid damage to your LOCATOR or LOCATOR Plus
cryogenic storage vessel which may result in premature
vacuum loss, it is important that the following procedure
be used when adding liquid nitrogen to a warm vessel:
1. Add only a small amount of liquid nitrogen (5-10
liters) to a new or warm vessel.
2. Allow this small amount of liquid nitrogen to sit
in the covered vessel for a minimum of 2 hours.
This will limit stress caused by the sudden tem-
perature change associated with adding liquid
nitrogen to a warm vessel.
3. Add an additional 15 liters of liquid nitrogen to
the vessel.
4. Allow vessel to sit for 48 hours and monitor liq-
uid nitrogen consumption with a wooden yard-
stick or Level Monitor.
5. Fill LOCATOR or LOCATOR Plus as indicated.
(See Caution on this page.) Remember to allow
for displacement of liquid nitrogen when racks
and boxes are inserted.
6. nsert and remove racks slowly. Allow liquid
nitrogen to run out of boxes and off of racks.
Measuring Liquid Nitrogen
Quantity
1. Use a wooden yardstick to measure liquid nitro-
gen level. Never use a hollow tube or plastic
dipstick to measure the liquid nitrogen level.
2. Level will be indicated by frost line which devel-
ops when dipstick is removed.
3. Level Monitor can be used for constant meas-
urements.
7
Operation
Caution
• Never overfill your LOCA-
TOR or LOCATOR Plus ves-
sel with liquid nitrogen. The
liquid nitrogen level in your
tank (with racks inserted)
should never be above 20
inches (50 cm) for LOCATOR
4 and LOCATOR 8, 10 inch-
es (25 cm) for LOCATOR Jr.,
22 inches (55.8 cm) for
LOCATOR 4, 6 and 8 Plus
and 12 inches for LOCATOR
Jr. Plus. Filling the tank up to
or above the bottom of the
neck tube may cause imme-
diate or premature vacuum
failure to occur.
• When inserting or removing
racks, be careful not to come
in contact with the neck tube
area of the vessel. Remove
or insert racks slowly in a
vertical manner. Scratches
on the neck tube area can
cause premature vacuum
failure.
• Do not spill liquid nitrogen on
vacuum port (covered by a
black plastic cap on side of
vessel) - this can cause vac-
uum failure.

Storing Samples in Vapor
Phase
1. Remove the 2 bottom-most cryoboxes from
each rack.
2. Measure the height of 2 cryoboxes stacked on
top of each other.
3. Fill vessel with liquid nitrogen to the height
obtained from step 2 using a yardstick to meas-
ure liquid level in vessel.
4. Place racks into vessel without the 2 bottom-
most cryoboxes.
— Samples are now above the liquid nitrogen and are
stored in the vapor phase.—
mportant—A level monitor should always be used when
you store your samples in the vapor phase because of
the already low levels of liquid nitrogen. Please refer to
page 12 for the correct level monitor for your system.
8
OERATION

Model # Description
CV509X12A Replacement cork and glue for LOCATOR 4, LOCATOR 4 Plus, Jr and Jr. Plus
CV509X11A70 Replacement cork and glue for LOCATOR 8 and LOCATOR 8 Plus.
CV509X41A Replacement cork and glue for LOCATOR 6 Plus.
ADX31 Glue for corks.
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Vessels and Covers
TYPE TANK ONLY STANDARD COVERS W/LEVEL MON TOR
No racks COVERS 240V 120V 100V
or covers
Locator Jr. CS509X11 CV509X10 CN509X1 CN509X3 CN509X2
Locator Jr. Plus CS509X20 CV509x10 CN509X1-70 CN509X3-70 CN509X2-70
Locator 4 CS509X12 CV509X10 CN509X4 CN509X6 CN509X5
Locator 4 Plus CS509X21 CV509X10 CN509X4-70 CN509X6-70 CN509X5-70
Locator 6 Plus CS509X22 CV509X40-70 CN509X11-70 CN509X10-70 CN509X12-70
Locator 8 CS509X13 CV509X9 CN509X7 CN509X9 CN509X8
Locator 8 Plus CS509X23 CV509X9 CN509X7-70 CN509X9-70 CN509X8-70
All level monitors listed operate on 16 volts (DC) 0.2 amps and 3.2 watts.
9
Locator and Locator Plus
Replacement Parts
Note
LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus
vessels include racks and covers.
However, these items may also be
ordered separately.
Note
Cork and glue cannot be replaced on
covers with level monitor or level mon-
itor will malfunction. Contact Customer
Service for return authorization to
send cover in for repair.

LOCATOR and LOCATOR Plus Racks and Boxes
Type Standard Rack(1.8 ml vials) Special Rack (5.0 ml vials)
Rack 1.8 ml 1.8 ml Rack 5.0 ml
Part No. 81 or 100 25 ampule box Part No. 81 ampule box
ampule box
Locator Jr. HR509X15A CS509X15 X HR509X19A CS509X10
4/VESSEL 16/VESSEL 4/VESSEL 8/VESSEL
4/RACK 2/RACK
Locator Jr. lus HR509X15A-70 CS509X15 X HR509X19A-70 CS509X10
4/Vessel 20/Vessel 4/Vessel 8/Vessel
5/Rack 2/Rack
Locator 4 HR509X2A CS509X15 X HR509X20A-70 CS509X10
4/Vessel 36 Vessel 4/Vessel 20/Vessel
9/Rack 5/Rack
Locator 4 lus HR509X2A-70 CS509X15 X HR509X20A CS509X10
4/Vessel 40/vessel 4/Vessel 20/Vessel
10/Rack 5/Rack
Locator 6 lus HR509X31A-70 CS509X15 X HR509X32-70 CS509X10
6/Vessel 60/Vessel 6/Vessel 30/Vessel
10/Rack 5/Rack
Locator 8 HR509X1A X CS509X16 XX
8/Vessel 72/Vessel
9/Rack
Locator 8 lus HR509X1A-70 X CS509X15 XX
8/Vessel 8/Vessel
10/Rack
10
LOCATOR AND LOCATOR LUS RE LACEMENT ARTS