Shipping Containers to CTRC

Initial Considerations:

When creating a ‘CONTAINER’ shipment, all specimens hosted within said container(s) will be shipped.
When containers are shipped, all specimens within the container remain active in your protocol and will be transferred to other freezers at a different location, such as the CTRC Biorepository. A transfer event will be noted for each specimen in the container.
You will be able to see these specimens, but you will not be able to edit or manipulate those specimens until they are received back to your lab.

Instructions:

(1) CTRC must be added as a ‘site’ within your specific collection protocol, if it is not already there.

The ‘Administrator’ user role can perform this in your CP, otherwise request this action be performed by submitting a (OS) General Support Request

(2) Create a query identifying the container names to be shipped to CTRC, view below:

NOTE: the purpose of building a query is to obtain an exportable list of your container names, which will then have to be pasted into the container shipment in step (3)

Steps:

Access “queries” from your left-hand menu.
Click to ‘create’ new query.
1. Select the collection protocol in which the specimens are stored that will be shipped to CTRC.
2. Select Specimen section > type in ‘container name’ > select the ‘container name' under ‘container details’. (Note that there are multiple subsections where you can find Container Name, so ensure you select the one under 'Container Details’.)
  1. Click operator ‘ALL’.
  2. Select to ‘parameterize’.
3. Click ‘Add’.
Add any other filters that will help you to limit the number of boxes that you might want to display, such as ‘Specimen Type’.
Click ‘View Records’
Click ‘Actions’ > ‘Columns’
1. De-select any unwanted fields. At a minimum, include ‘Specimen Labels’ and ‘Container Details’ > ‘Container Name’.
2. In the ‘Aggregates’ step, click ‘Count’ under Aggregate Functions, Choose to count ‘Specimen Labels’ by clicking on the ‘0' to the right (it will become a '1’).
3. Click ‘Done'
This will display all containers that meet any criteria that you described.
Save Query by clicking ‘Actions’ > ‘Save’ > title your query accordingly.
View Records will display all of your Containers with the count of the number of specimens in each box.
Select the boxes to be shipped using the Container Name filter and then choose ‘Export’ from the Actions button to produce a .csv file of the container names.
Proceed to Step 3 below to create your shipment!

(3) Create your shipment, view below:

Navigate to ‘Shipments’ using the hamburger menu on the OpenSpecimen homepage.
Choose ‘Containers’ from the ‘Create’ button.
Complete the required fields:
1. Name, will auto populate
2. Sending Site = (Site name for the applicable freezer)
  1. If you’re unsure of the freezer’s name, navigate to your container menu to verify
  2. You will find the Site name associated with the freezers where your samples are stored. This is the ‘Sending Site’.
3. Receiving Institute = ‘University of Utah Health’
4. Receiving Site = 'Cellular Translational Research Core'
5. Notify Users = your CTRC contact
  1. NOTE: while this field is not marked as ‘required’, if you do not input the appropriate notifying user, the CTRC will be unaware of your shipment!
Click ‘Next’
1. Paste/Input container names copied/exported from step 2 and click ‘Add’.
2. After clicking ‘Add’ the confirmation of shipments will appear for review. Confirm accuracy!
3. Click ‘Ship’ to finalize shipment
The shipment record is created! Proceed with sending the samples to the new location. The individuals specified in ‘Notify Users’ will receive an email with this information and they can then access and receive your containers when they arrive at the new location.