Sample storage cassette for ultra-low or cryogenic temperatures

A system for holding sample tube storage racks and sample storage plates within a horizontal freezer operating at a temperature of −50° C. or below and for robotically transporting held storage racks and plates into and from the horizontal freezer, the system comprising:

• a horizontal freezer operating at a temperature of −50° C. or less and containing a plurality of cassette storage nesting tubes, each nesting tube comprising a vertically oriented rectangular tube to guide a storage cassette over substantially its entire length into the horizontal freezer compartment;
• an automated robot for lifting storage cassettes from and lowering storage cassettes into the horizontal freezer;
• multiple storage cassettes, each cassette including:
• a plurality of generally vertically spaced shelves, each for holding a sample storage rack or plate, the shelves being oriented generally vertical to one another;
• separate sidewall partitions made of thermally insulating rigid material located in between the shelves to form a plurality of compartments generally vertical to one another, each compartment containing at least one opening to allow storage racks or plates to be placed in the compartment on the respective shelf and removed from the compartment;
• shelf partition plates on which the respective shelves are located;
• a top plate and a bottom plate;
• a flexible wire for connecting the shelf partition plates and the vertically adjacent sidewall partitions to the top and bottom plates and allowing the storage cassette to bend sufficiently along its vertical axis in order to physically adjust and accommodate dimensional obstructions to avoid jams when being placed into or removed from one of said nesting tubes in the horizontal freezer by the automated robot;
• and
• a cap that is located above the compartments and has a retrieval catch adapted to be engaged by the automated robot for lifting and lowering the storage cassette.