Laboratory RFID
RFID Cryogenic Specimen Labels
LN2 −196 °C Rated
Quick answer
RFID cryogenic labels survive liquid nitrogen storage (−196 °C immersion + vapour phase), ultra-low freezers (−80 °C), autoclave (+121 °C) and 100+ freeze-thaw cycles — enabling automated tracking of biological specimens, biobank samples, cell lines, tissue samples and reproductive medicine specimens (embryos / oocytes / sperm) throughout decade-long storage lifecycles. NTAG213 or ICODE SLIX2 (ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity HF) reads through frost + ice + condensation that completely defeats barcode scanners. ISBER Best Practices 5th edition + ISO 20387:2018 biobanking + CAP biorepository + FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 HCT/P + UK HFEA reproductive-medicine + EU Reg 2024/1938 SoHO compliant.
- Rated to −196 °C — survives liquid nitrogen immersion, vapour-phase storage, ultra-low freezers (−80 °C) and autoclave (+121 °C / 15 min) sterilisation cycles.
- Cryo-adhesive — maintains permanent bond on frozen vials, tubes and cryoboxes through 100+ freeze-thaw cycles between LN2 (−196 °C) and 37 °C.
- Automated sample management — RFID reads through frost / ice / condensation that defeat barcode scanners; scan vials in / out of storage with 99.9% read success vs 8-15% barcode failure rate.
Used in these industries
Deployments where this product is referenced on our industry landing pages.
At a glance
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Chip silicon
NXP NTAG213 (NT2H1311G0DU) — NFC Forum Type 2, 144 B user memory NXP ICODE SLIX2 (SL2S2602) — ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity HF, 256 B + long-range inventory
Frequency + protocol
13.56 MHz HF carrier — optimal for vial-level identification ISO/IEC 14443 Type A (NTAG213) for NFC tap reading
Next step
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Request cryogenic label quote- Temperature performance
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- −196 °C LN2 immersion — full adhesion + readability
- −150 to −190 °C vapour-phase LN2
- −80 °C ultra-low freezer — standard operating
- −20 °C standard freezer + 2-8 °C refrigerator
- +110 °C / +121 °C autoclave / 15-min sterilisation cycle
- 100+ freeze-thaw cycles validated −196 °C to +37 °C
- Cryo-adhesive formulation
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- Cryogenic permanent — bonds at −196 °C
- Survives 100+ freeze-thaw cycles validated
- Apply to clean dry vial at room temperature before freezing
- Maintains permanent adhesion through immersion + vapour-phase
- Curved-vial conformable for 1.5 / 2.0 mL cryovial geometry
- Chemical resistance
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- DMSO 10% cryoprotectant solution
- Ethanol 70% / IPA / ProNova-style disinfection wipes
- Xylene + formalin (pathology adjacent workflow)
- Methanol + acetone for fixation
- Bleach 10% for biosafety decontamination
- Form factors + sizes
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- 25×12 mm — 1.5 mL cryovial wrap
- 30×15 mm — 2 mL cryovial wrap
- 20×8 mm — 0.25 / 0.5 mL IVF straw flag-label
- 50×20 mm — cryobox lid
- 70×30 mm — sample bag / shipping container
- Substrate + face stock
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- Synthetic polypropylene face stock — frost / ice tolerant
- Frost-readable printed surface — 1D / 2D barcode + text
- USP <661.1> pharmaceutical-grade compatibility
- Fits standard cryovial formats without extending above cap
- Compatible with Hamilton BiOS / LiCONiC / Brooks BioStore robotics
- Biobank LIMS + automation integration
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- LabVantage BioBanking + Hamilton BioStudio + BSI Systems
- Thermo Fisher Nautilus + OpenSpecimen + STARLIMS
- Hamilton BiOS + LiCONiC + Brooks BioStore picking robots
- Environmental monitoring: TempTrak + Cooper Atkins SensoScientific + Dickson DicksonOne
- RFID events interleave with freezer temp-monitoring data
- ISBER + ISO 20387 quality framework
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- ISBER Best Practices 5th edition (2023) — Sections G + J + K
- Section K.2: per-sample unique identifier human + machine readable
- Section J.3: chain-of-custody audit trail with timestamps + auth
- Section G.4: environmental-condition logging full lifecycle
- ISO 20387:2018 biobanking accreditation
- CAP Biorepository Accreditation Program checklist
- IVF + reproductive medicine framework
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- UK HFEA Code of Practice 9th edition — witnessed identification at handoffs
- FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 HCT/P regulations — gamete + embryo + tissue traceability
- EU Directive 2004/23/EC + EU Reg 2024/1938 SoHO (Substances of Human Origin)
- Vitrification: rapid 37 °C → −196 °C plunge in seconds + equally rapid warming
- RFID Witness System (CooperSurgical) + Matcher (IMT) two-sample identity match
- Compatible with 0.25 / 0.5 mL straw + 1.5 / 2.0 mL cryovial formats
- Application verticals
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- Biobanking — tissue samples, blood fractions, DNA / RNA extracts, cell lines
- Clinical trials — investigational drug + patient specimens + reference standards (GxP)
- Stem cell banking — cord blood, bone marrow, stem cell preparations
- IVF + reproductive medicine — embryos, oocytes, sperm with zero-error tracking
- Veterinary + animal research — biological materials chain-of-custody
- Pharmaceutical stability testing — drug substance + product accelerated / long-term storage
- Procurement
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- MOQ 1,000 labels (standard cryovial sizes)
- Lead time 15-20 business days
- Pre-encoded UID + sample identifier per buyer biobank LIMS
- Sample sets 50-100 labels for cryo-shock + freeze-thaw qualification
- Compatible with major automated biobank robotics on request
- RoHS / REACH compliant + USP <661.1>
Problems biobanks and research labs face identifying frozen specimens
- Standard adhesive labels peel from frozen vials at −80 °C and fail completely in liquid nitrogen (−196 °C). A single label failure in a cryobox of 81 vials means the entire box must be thawed and manually re-identified, risking irreplaceable specimens that may represent years of sample collection.
- Ink-printed labels become illegible from frost accumulation and condensation as soon as vials are removed from cold storage. Technicians routinely spend 5-15 minutes per box attempting to read frosted barcodes under magnification before resorting to a thaw-and-check approach.
- Barcode readers cannot scan through frost or ice. In biobank operations where thousands of vials are accessed daily, scan failures force manual logging that creates transcription errors at a rate of 1-3% per entry, introducing sample misidentification into research datasets.
- Manual inventory of ultra-low freezers containing 50,000-200,000 vials requires physically removing trays and boxes, with each retrieval causing temperature excursions that stress specimen integrity and trigger alarm responses requiring regulatory documentation.
- IVF and stem cell banking require zero-error identification with catastrophic consequences for mix-ups. Yet current barcode-based workflows still rely on visual label reading at the point of use, where a single digit transposition can result in a wrong-sample transfer.
How Proud Tek cryogenic RFID labels solve frozen sample identification problems
Standard adhesive label + ink barcode + manual transcription
- Standard adhesive peels at −80 °C, fails completely in LN2 (−196 °C)
- Ink barcode illegible after frost accumulation — 5-15 min/box manual decode
- Barcode scan failure 8-15% on frosted vials — forces manual logging
- Manual logging transcription error rate 1-3% per entry — research-data corruption
- Cryobox label failure → thaw entire box + manual re-identify (irreplaceable risk)
Cryo-adhesive RFID label + frost-immune RFID read + biobank LIMS auto-capture (this page)
- Cryo-adhesive permanent at −196 °C — 100+ freeze-thaw cycles validated
- RFID read through frost + ice + condensation — 99.9% scan success
- NFC 2-3 cm scan inside open cryobox — no individual vial removal
- Auto-capture into biobank LIMS — zero transcription error
- ISBER + ISO 20387 + CAP-accreditable chain-of-custody audit trail
- Cryo-adhesive rated to −196 °C maintains permanent bond on frozen vials, tubes and cryoboxes through 100+ freeze-thaw cycles from liquid nitrogen to 37 °C — the label stays on the vial for the entire storage lifetime without re-labelling.
- RFID uses radio waves rather than optics. Frost, ice and condensation that completely defeat barcode readers do not affect RFID read performance, enabling accurate vial identification immediately upon removal from cold storage.
- NFC reading requires only a 2-3 cm proximity scan. Technicians can scan vials inside open cryoboxes without removing individual vials, reducing handling-induced temperature excursions and specimen stress.
- Digital chip ID stored in RFID memory is immune to ink fading, label abrasion and condensation damage. The sample identity remains readable for the full storage lifetime regardless of label surface condition.
- Labels are sized to fit standard 1.5 mL and 2 mL cryovial formats without extending above the cap, ensuring compatibility with automated biobank picking robots and tube sorters.
Per-tap data published from a Proud Tek RFID cryogenic specimen label
- RFID UID: factory-burned + biobank-LIMS-mapped per-sample unique identifier.
- Scan-event log: timestamp + user-auth + reader-location into LIMS audit trail.
- Environmental interleave: freezer temp-monitor data joined with sample-access events.
- Frost-immune read: ISO/IEC 14443 / 15693 RF unaffected by ice + condensation.
- Auto-capture: zero manual transcription = zero misidentification incidents.
Cryogenic sample tracking challenges
Biobanks, research labs and clinical repositories manage millions of frozen specimens stored at −80 °C or −196 °C for years to decades. Sample identification at these temperatures is notoriously difficult: ink fades, adhesive labels peel off, frost obscures barcodes and manual logging is error-prone.
RFID cryogenic labels solve these problems: the chip stores the sample identity digitally (immune to frost and ink fading), the cryo-adhesive maintains bond at −196 °C, and RFID reading works through frost layers that would defeat optical barcode scanners.
Temperature and chemical resistance
| Condition | Exposure | Label performance |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) | −196 °C immersion | ✓ Full adhesion and readability |
| Vapour-phase LN₂ | −150 to −190 °C | ✓ Full adhesion and readability |
| Ultra-low freezer | −80 °C | ✓ Standard operating condition |
| −20 °C freezer | −20 °C | ✓ Standard operating condition |
| Autoclave | +121 °C / 15 min | ✓ Survives standard sterilisation |
| DMSO (cryoprotectant) | 10% DMSO solution | ✓ Chemical resistant |
| Ethanol / IPA | 70% ethanol wipe | ✓ Chemical resistant |
| Freeze-thaw cycling | −196 to +37 °C repeated | ✓ Tested 100+ cycles |
Applications
- Biobanking — track tissue samples, blood fractions, DNA / RNA extracts and cell lines from collection through long-term storage.
- Clinical trials — manage investigational drug samples, patient specimens and reference standards per GxP requirements.
- Stem cell banking — track cord blood, bone marrow and stem cell preparations through processing, testing and cryopreservation.
- IVF / reproductive medicine — track embryos, oocytes and sperm samples with zero-error identification.
- Veterinary and animal research — track animal tissue samples and biological materials.
- Pharmaceutical stability testing — track drug substance and product samples through accelerated and long-term stability storage.
RFID cryogenic-specimen timeline — from manual paper logbook to automated biobank LIMS
- 1990s — Manual paper-logbook biobank baseline
Biobank operations rely on paper logbooks + ink-printed labels — manual transcription error rates 1-3% per entry, frost-induced scan failures, sample misidentification a known but tolerated risk.
- 2008 — ISBER founded + Best Practices 1st edition
ISBER (International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories) publishes Best Practices for Repositories — first formal quality-management framework for biobank operations + sample identification + chain-of-custody.
- 2013 — NTAG213/215/216 family launches
NXP releases NTAG21x family — first NFC chips with cryogenic-temperature operation validated for biobank applications. ICODE SLIX2 ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity HF chip provides long-range inventory option.
- 2018 — ISO 20387:2018 biobanking accreditation
ISO publishes ISO 20387:2018 — General requirements for biobanking. Establishes international accreditation framework that complements ISBER Best Practices for biobank quality systems.
- 2018-2020 — Hamilton BiOS + LiCONiC automated biobank robotics
Hamilton BiOS + LiCONiC + Brooks BioStore launch automated biobank storage / retrieval systems — RFID cryogenic labels become default tracking-layer compatible with picking-robot workflows.
- 2021 — CAP Biorepository Accreditation Program
CAP (College of American Pathologists) launches dedicated Biorepository Accreditation Program — formal accreditation pathway aligning ISBER Best Practices + ISO 20387 + CAP audit framework.
- 2024 — EU Reg 2024/1938 SoHO + ISBER 5th edition
EU Regulation 2024/1938 on Substances of Human Origin replaces Directive 2004/23/EC tissues + cells; ISBER Best Practices 5th edition published with refined sample-identification + chain-of-custody requirements.
- 2026 — Today: RFID cryogenic specimen tracking standard practice
Reference operating practice across academic-research-biobank, clinical-trial-imp, ivf-clinic-cryostorage, stem-cell-cord-blood-bank and pharmaceutical-stability-testing programmes converge on NTAG213 / ICODE SLIX2 + cryo-adhesive + biobank LIMS auto-capture as the default architecture.
Useful next pages
Use these linked product, guide and comparison pages to keep the next click specific and practical.
Related laboratory products
Other RFID solutions for healthcare and laboratory.
FAQ
Does the label stay attached in liquid nitrogen?
Yes. Our cryogenic adhesive is specifically formulated for extreme cold bonding. The label maintains permanent adhesion at −196 °C in both immersion and vapour-phase liquid nitrogen storage. The adhesive also maintains bond through repeated freeze-thaw cycles (tested 100+ cycles from −196 °C to +37 °C). For best results, apply the label to a clean, dry vial at room temperature before freezing.
Can the RFID chip be read through frost?
Yes. RFID uses radio waves, not optics, so frost, ice and condensation on the vial surface do not affect read performance. This is a major advantage over barcode labels, which become unreadable when obscured by frost. The NFC reader must be within 2-3 cm of the vial for reliable reads through frozen containers.
Is the label compatible with automated biobank systems?
Yes. Our cryogenic RFID labels are compatible with major automated biobank storage and retrieval systems (Hamilton BiOS, LiCONiC, Brooks BioStore). The labels are sized to fit standard cryovial formats (1.5 mL, 2 mL, 5 mL) and do not interfere with automated picking mechanisms. Contact us with your specific system model for confirmed compatibility.
How does RFID cryogenic labelling support ISBER best-practice biobank quality management?
ISBER (International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories) Best Practices (currently 5th edition, 2023) Section G on Facility Storage, Section J on Inventory Management and Section K on Sample Identification establish the quality-system framework that ProudTek cryogenic labels are designed to satisfy. Specifically: (a) per-sample unique identifier that remains human-readable AND machine-readable through the specimen's storage lifetime (Section K.2) — the RFID layer satisfies machine-readable, the printed 1D / 2D barcode on the same label face satisfies human-readable; (b) chain-of-custody audit trail capturing every custody transfer and storage-location change (Section J.3) — the RFID reader events are timestamped and user-authenticated into the biobank LIMS (LabVantage BioBanking, Hamilton BioStudio, BSI Systems, Thermo Fisher Nautilus, OpenSpecimen); (c) environmental-condition logging for the sample's entire lifecycle (Section G.4) — the RFID events interleave with the freezer's temperature-monitoring data (TempTrak, Cooper Atkins SensoScientific, Dickson DicksonOne) to build the complete audit record. The combined ProudTek label + biobank LIMS + environmental monitoring stack is typically presented to CAP and ISO 20387 accreditation inspectors as the documented quality-system proof.
Do the labels survive the IVF and reproductive medicine workflow requirements including HFEA / FDA Part 1271 traceability?
Yes. IVF and reproductive medicine have the most demanding specimen-traceability requirements in any cryo workflow because misidentification is catastrophic and regulator-unforgiving. Our labels are qualified against the specific IVF workflow stress points: the vitrification step (rapid plunge from 37 °C to −196 °C in seconds, with warming equally rapid), repeated LN2 immersion over 10-30+ year embryo storage horizons, ethanol / ProNova-style disinfection wipes, and the small 0.25 mL / 0.5 mL straw format that dominates reproductive cryopreservation (in addition to the larger 1.5 / 2.0 mL cryovial formats). UK HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) Code of Practice 9th edition, FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 HCT / P regulations and EU Directive 2004/23/EC on tissues and cells (replaced by EU Reg 2024/1938 SoHO) all require continuous per-sample chain-of-custody with witnessed identification checks at every critical handoff — RFID supplements (does not replace) the witnessed visual check at transfer, thaw and embryo transfer steps. For the highest-risk workflow moments we recommend pairing the RFID cryo label with a second independent identifier (e.g. RFID Witness System from CooperSurgical or Matcher from IMT Matcher) that performs an automatic two-sample identity match before any gamete / embryo handling step proceeds.
Sources & references
Primary standards, OEM datasheets and regulatory documents cited by this article. All URLs were verified on the access date shown below.
- ISBER Best Practices for Repositories (5th edition, 2023) — the international biobank quality-management reference framework
ISBER Best Practices 5th edition — Sections G (Facility Storage), J (Inventory Management), K (Sample Identification). Foundational quality-system framework for biobank operations.
- ISO 20387:2018 — Biotechnology — Biobanking — General requirements for biobanking
ISO 20387:2018 — international biobanking accreditation framework. Complements ISBER Best Practices for formal accreditation pathway.
- CAP (College of American Pathologists) Biorepository Accreditation Program checklist requirements
CAP Biorepository Accreditation Program — US accreditation pathway aligning ISBER Best Practices + ISO 20387 + CAP audit framework. RFID cryo labels presented as quality-system proof.
- NXP NTAG213/215/216 NFC Forum Type 2 product page and datasheet (NT2H1x11G0DU) — HF chip family used in cryogenic NFC labels
NTAG21x family chip silicon — primary HF chip option for cryo-NFC labels. Cryogenic-temperature operation validated for biobank applications.
- NXP ICODE SLIX2 (SL2S2602) product page and datasheet — ISO 15693 HF chip used for cryogenic biobank applications requiring long-range inventory
ICODE SLIX2 — ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity HF chip. 30-60 cm read range enables biobank inventory through cryobox lid without removing individual vials.
- ISO/IEC 15693 — Identification cards — Contactless integrated circuit cards — Vicinity cards (the HF air-interface standard for ICODE SLIX2 cryogenic labels)
ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity HF air-interface — extended read range vs ISO/IEC 14443 proximity. Foundation for ICODE SLIX2 long-range biobank inventory.
- FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 — Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/P) regulations governing IVF and reproductive tissue traceability
FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 HCT/P — US regulatory framework for IVF + reproductive tissue + stem cell traceability. Per-sample chain-of-custody requirements satisfied by RFID cryo label.
- UK HFEA Code of Practice (current edition) — Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority standards for reproductive medicine including sample identification and witnessing
UK HFEA Code of Practice 9th edition — UK reproductive-medicine framework with witnessed identification at critical handoffs. RFID supplements (does not replace) witnessed visual check.
- EU Regulation 2024/1938 on Substances of Human Origin (SoHO)
EU Reg 2024/1938 SoHO — replaces Directive 2004/23/EC on tissues and cells. Modernised framework for human-origin substance traceability + chain-of-custody.
- Hamilton BiOS automated biobank storage system
Hamilton BiOS automated biobank storage / retrieval system. RFID cryogenic labels qualified for picking-robot compatibility on standard 1.5 / 2.0 / 5.0 mL cryovial formats.
Proud Tek is a Shenzhen-based RFID & NFC manufacturer supplying hotel chains, transit operators, event venues and retail brands worldwide. Every order includes free samples, RF testing and dedicated project support.
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