Abstract: A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

Abstract: A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

Abstract: A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

Abstract: A technique for tracking, for example, the temperature of one or more sample vials containing biological material stored in a low-temperature shipping vessel. Each sample vial has vial electronics that senses temperature and transmits temperature data to the reader head of a reader device, which has a controller that is not at the low temperature. In some implementations, the shipping vessel has a cap with a recess that houses the controller and a hollow plug that houses a cable that connects the controller to the reader head that is located in the vessel's cold interior sufficiently close to the sample vial to enable interaction with the vial electronics. In some implementations, the reader head transmits electrical power to the vial electronics. By tracking the temperature of individual sample vials rather than the temperature of the vessel interior, more-relevant temperature data is available.

Abstract: A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.