A tube laser marker is used for cryovials because it gives permanent, machine‑readable IDs that survive cryogenic conditions while removing the failure modes and labor of adhesive labels or handwriting.
Core advantages for cryovials
- Permanent, cryo‑resistant marking: Laser‑etched codes do not peel, smudge, or fall off in liquid nitrogen, ultra‑low freezers, or through repeated freeze–thaw cycles, unlike many labels and inks.
- High readability and traceability: You can etch human‑readable text, 1D barcodes, and 2D Data Matrix codes with high contrast, enabling robust tracking in LIMS and automated storage systems.
- No consumables or adhesives: There are no labels, ribbons, or inks to buy or qualify; this reduces ongoing cost, consumable stock management, and sources of labeling failure on frosted or curved cryovial surfaces.
- Automation and throughput: Modern tube laser markers can process on the order of hundreds of tubes per hour, often directly in SBS/ANSI racks, significantly reducing manual labeling time and error risk.
- Flexible code content: Codes are generated from PC or LIMS data, so you can change layouts on the fly (study ID, subject ID, time point, etc.) and link side‑wall codes to existing 2D bottom codes for redundant traceability.
- Sample and compliance security: Durable, unambiguous IDs support chain‑of‑custody, audit trails, and regulatory expectations for sample identification in biobanking and clinical or pharmacogenomic workflows.
Why it’s preferable to labels/handwriting on cryovials
- Labels can lift or crack on small‑diameter cryovials, especially under LN₂ and high moisture; laser markings avoid the adhesive failure altogether.
- Handwriting is slow, operator‑dependent, and often illegible once frosted; etched alphanumeric and barcode content remains consistently readable by scanners and humans.
- For high‑throughput or long‑term storage collections, the higher capital cost of a laser system is often offset after a few years by lower consumable use and reduced relabeling or sample‑loss events.
Typical application pattern
- Use molded 2D‑coded cryovials or rack‑based tubes for bottom‑reading automation, then add side‑wall laser marking with study‑specific and human‑readable information to support bench‑level handling and redundancy.
The Bottom Line
In laboratory research, precision is everything. It only takes one missing label to throw off an entire experiment. If a label falls off or no one can read it, you will have to redo the experiment. That equates to wasted samples, wasted reagents and wasted time.
Through our partnership with LVL Technologies we offer Laser Marker (TLM 864). With the TLM, you can replace paper labels with durable laser-etched markings, as well as customize logos and labels while processing up to 500 tubes per hour. Illegible handwriting, sticky tubes, and untraceable sample tubes are now a thing of the past
If you’re interested in learning more and setting up a demo, get in touch. Our team is here to help your lab become more efficient.