Frequently Asked Questions

SteadyCube is an active, battery-powered transport device. It maintains temperature-sensitive samples and liquids at a constant temperature of 37°C (±1°C) whilst in transit. Continuous PID control automatically compensates for fluctuations – even without a grid connection. This ensures that temperature-sensitive samples arrive at the laboratory in the same condition as when they were collected.

Note: SteadyCube is CE-marked (EMC, RoHS) and registered under the WEEE Directive. It is not a medical device within the meaning of the MDR and is intended for research purposes.

SteadyCube actively heats six sample chambers and continuously controls the temperature using PID control. The setpoint remains consistently within the range of 37°C (±1°C). The device is therefore more than just a box that stores heat – it actively maintains the temperature.

SteadyCube is designed for operation at ambient temperatures of up to approximately +30°C. The device should be protected from direct sunlight and external heat sources. This ensures that the temperature remains within the specified range – even in cooler environments.

Yes. SteadyCube runs on a replaceable battery and maintains a stable temperature for up to 10–12 hours. Once at your destination, it can simply be plugged into the mains. This means the device is self-sufficient throughout the entire journey – from the collection point to the facility.

SteadyCube offers space for up to six standard sample tubes in the integrated chambers. The device measures 25 × 25 × 26 cm and weighs 4.2 kg (including battery).

Yes. Before use, SteadyCube should be switched on, preferably using the mains adapter, so that the chambers can heat up to the target temperature of 37°C. Only when the temperature is stable should the samples be inserted. This ensures that the sample is kept at body temperature from the moment it is placed inside — a break in the warm chain is avoided.

The scope of delivery includes the device itself, a replaceable Bosch 18 V battery with charger, a mains charging cable and an SD card for recording. Optionally available is a larger battery that guarantees up to 24 hours of operation. If required, individual configurations can be discussed — simply contact us via our quote request.

We recommend wiping it with 70% ethanol. Moisten a cloth and wipe the surface; do not soak the surface and do not leave any liquid standing on it.

Not autoclavable; the housing is heat-resistant up to approx. 80°C. Not suitable for immersion; do not use acetone-based products. Your samples are transported in sealed containers — therefore the housing does not need to be sterile.

SteadyCube automatically and continuously logs the temperature in a CSV file – every minute, throughout the entire journey. This means it can be verified at any time that the sample was maintained at 37°C at all times. The recording takes place without any manual intervention.

No. SteadyCube is not a medical device under EU-MDR, but an active transport device for biological samples and fluids. The device is CE-compliant (EMC 2014/30/EU, RoHS 2011/65/EU) and WEEE-registered.

SteadyCube is designed for laboratories and organisations that need to transport biological samples and liquids whilst maintaining a stable temperature. Typical users include laboratories, research organisations and logistics partners where samples need to be transported at a constant temperature of 37°C.

You can obtain a no-obligation quote directly via our booking link or by email. We will get back to you shortly with details of availability and terms.

Statutory warranty applies. In the event of a defect, we will promptly provide a replacement device so that your transport operations are not affected. You have a direct contact person.

For certain conditions, blood contains proteins that clump or precipitate below body temperature – so-called cryoproteins (cold agglutinins, cryoglobulins, cryofibrinogen). If the sample cools on the way to the laboratory, these proteins react inside the tube. The result is falsified or unusable readings – for example, falsely low cell counts or cryoproteins that can no longer be detected. In order for the test result to reflect the actual situation in the body, the sample must be kept at approximately 37°C – i.e. body temperature – from collection through to processing. The current DGHO guideline (Onkopedia, Röth et al., 2026) states that plasma separation for cold agglutinin disease must be carried out strictly at 37°C.

Cryoglobulins are immunoglobulins that reversibly precipitate at temperatures below body temperature and redissolve upon warming. If a blood sample cools before the serum is separated, the cryoglobulins precipitate and are lost with the blood clot – the result is then false negative or the cryocrit is too low. For the determination to be reliable, the entire pre-analytical phase – collection, transport, clotting and centrifugation – must be carried out continuously at 37°C until the serum is separated from the cells (Sargur et al., 2010).

The current Onkopedia guideline "Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemias (AIHA)" from the DGHO (Röth et al., 2026) describes that cold agglutinins cause agglutination of the erythrocytes – particularly if blood is not collected directly into pre-warmed containers – and that plasma separation for cold agglutinin disease must be carried out strictly at 37°C. In addition, the specialist medical review by Röth et al. (2025) requires samples to be stored and transported at 37–38°C until plasma or serum is separated from the cells. This means that 37°C transport is not merely a recommendation but a prerequisite for a valid test result.

The sample must be maintained at approximately 37°C throughout the entire pre-analytical phase – collection, intermediate storage and transport – without cooling in between. In practice, simple insulation is often insufficient: a passively insulated box only delays heat loss but does not actively maintain the temperature – over longer transport routes it drops below the critical threshold. The only reliable approach is continuous active heating to body temperature with traceable temperature control, so that it can be documented that 37°C was actually maintained. The fact that correct warm keeping frequently fails in practice is also shown in the literature (Vermeersch et al., 2008: only around one-third of laboratories used a standardised approach).

Cryoglobulin determinations are requested for a range of conditions – including hepatitis C infection, autoimmune diseases and lymphoproliferative disorders. In an evaluation of 13,439 patient samples over six years, 1,675 were positive (Kolopp-Sarda et al., 2019). Precisely because many samples are negative, a false-negative result due to cooling is particularly treacherous: it often goes unnoticed because a negative result appears plausible. Only a continuously maintained and documented transport at 37°C ensures that a negative result is truly negative – and not the consequence of a pre-analytical error.

A continuous "warm chain" is crucial: blood should ideally be collected into pre-warmed tubes and then transported without any drop in temperature at approximately 37°C until plasma or serum is separated from the cells in the laboratory. The specialist medical review by Röth et al. (2025) recommends storing and transporting samples at 37–38 °C until this separation has taken place. If the sample cools in the meantime, the red blood cells clump together due to the cold agglutinins, and the test result is falsified. Public laboratory analysis directories therefore explicitly request "whole blood (warm)" and "transport at approx. +37°C" (e.g. Labor Dr. Fenner & Kollegen, as of 2026).

Best practice is an unbroken warm chain: blood is collected into pre-warmed tubes, transported at 37°C, allowed to clot and centrifuged before the serum is separated (Sargur et al., 2010). Any drop in temperature prior to serum separation can cause cryoglobulins to precipitate and lead to a false-negative result. In practice, this requirement is frequently not met: in one study, only around 36% of laboratories used a standardised, temperature-controlled procedure (Vermeersch et al., 2008).