What Is a Temperature Data Logger and Does a Dry Shipper Need One?

A temperature data logger is an electronic device placed inside a dry shipper during transit that continuously records the internal temperature throughout the journey. For routine domestic transfers between well-understood clinic sites with short transit times, a data logger is a useful assurance tool. For international transfers, regulated materials, and any transfer where chain-of-custody temperature documentation is a regulatory or contractual requirement, a data logger is not optional.

Why a data logger adds genuine clinical value

The case for fitting a data logger on every significant transfer is straightforward. A dry shipper with an intact vacuum and correctly performed charging will maintain cryogenic temperatures for its rated hold time. But the rated hold time is a laboratory-controlled figure. Real-world transit involves handling by couriers, potential delays at airports, customs inspection periods, and conditions that the dispatching laboratory cannot monitor or control. A data logger provides a continuous record of what actually happened to the internal temperature during that specific journey.

A data logger does not protect samples during transit. It provides the evidence that temperature was maintained, or the documentation of the point at which it was not. Both outcomes have clinical and regulatory value.

When a data logger is required

For receiving clinics, a temperature log accompanying an incoming sample transfer provides assurance that samples arrived in viable condition before they are loaded into storage. For dispatching clinics, the log provides chain-of-custody documentation that satisfies HFEA requirements for the movement of human embryos and gametes. For research institutions, temperature logs are typically required by ethics committee approvals and institutional governance frameworks. CryoStork dry shippers are compatible with temperature data loggers and probes. For advice on data logger compatibility with specific CryoStork models, contact the Cryolab team or use CryoGPT. View the full CryoStork range here.