In the lab environment, as in the hospital, where safe storage of samples, specimens and medication is absolutely crucial, it is necessary that a good quality medical freezer or fridge be implemented. Medical cold storage devices come in several varieties, each one designed to fulfil a certain refrigeration function and, depending on what it is that needs storing, it's important to pick the correct one.
While domestic fridges and freezers are adequate in the household environment, they are not adequate in any medical or scientific research facility. Chiefly, this is because they simply don't get cold enough, but there are a few other functions that specially designed medical freezers and fridges have and ordinary ones don't.
To start with medical cold storage devices are infinitely more programmable than ordinary household appliances. While we can set our kitchen fridge to cold or icy, it is possible to tell a medical fridge precisely which temperature the user would like it to run at. This is because certain chemical and organic materials need to be stored at optimum temperature or they decay, disintegrate and generally go bad.
Another feature that certain medical fridges have is a built in dehumidifier. This system ensures that moisture levels in the air inside the fridge or freezer remain constant, and affords the user of the appliance absolute control over its internal humidity.
In short, a medical cold storage device, or one that is used for scientific purposes is a far more sophisticated machine than the average home refrigeration system. In fact, one of the only and key similarities is the fact that both domestic and laboratory style freezers come in one of two models: upright, to conserve space, or chest to maximise volume.