You can create containers with or without using the container types. Using types, you can create a whole hierarchy at once, i.e. the freezer, rack, and boxes all at once or individually.

1 Create Container Types
2 Create Container Hierarchy Using Types
3 Create Single Container
4 Create Multiple Containers
5 Create Dimensionless Container
6 Create Sized Containers Under Dimensionless Container
7 Create Containers In Bulk
8 Edit Containers
9 Delete Containers
- 9.1 Delete multiple containers
- 9.2 Delete container from any level

Create Container Types

The container type is a 'template' used to create containers. Refer to the wiki page for creating container types.

Create Container Hierarchy Using Types

You can create containers in a hierarchy using the newly created or default container types.

Click on 'Containers' from the homepage.
Click on the 'Create' button.

3. Select the 'Container Hierarchy' option.

4. Under the 'Type' field, select type of container you wish to create, for example, "-80 Freezer."

5. Enter mandatory details as mentioned below:

6. Click on the 'Create' button.

7. You will be able to see your container in the list. This will create the whole freezer with all racks and boxes with names auto-generated based on the format specified at the container type level.

Create Single Container

You can create a single container with or without using the container types.

Go to containers list page and click on 'Create' button
Select option 'Single Container' of the 'Create' field

3. Enter all the mandatory details and click on 'Create' button

Create Multiple Containers

You can create multiple containers of the same properties with or without using the container types.

Go to containers list page and click on 'Create' button
Select the option 'Multiple Containers' of the 'Create' field

3. Enter all the mandatory details, specify the number of containers to be created and click on 'Create' button

Field Title	Mandatory	Description
No. of containers	Yes	This will create multiple containers of with same dimensions.
Used for	Yes	Specifies whether the container created will be used as only storage container or a temporary storage container to store distributed samples
Type	No	Type of container you wish to create for your repository.
Display Name	No	Display Names of containers (from v10.0.RC2 onwards)
Name	Yes	Comma separated values of unique names for containers (if container type is not selected) (from v10.0.RC2 onwards)
Barcode	No	Comma separated values of unique names for containers (from v10.0.RC2 onwards)
Site	Yes	The site where the physical container exists.
Parent Container	No	The parent container under which the container has to be created.
Dimension	Yes	The size of the container in rows and columns. For example, Freezer has 5 shelves, each shelf having 4 racks, dimensions will be 5 and 4.
Position Labeling	Yes	Within the container map, the user can choose how the positions should be displayed - 'Linear'(1,2,3,....81) or 'Row and Column'(1,1;1,2;1,3.....)
Position Assignments	Yes	The position assignment of the container, e.g. Horizontal, top down, left to right etc.
Approximate Capacity	No	This is automatically calculated by default. The user can also manually specify in case the whole freezer is not created at once. Based on this the utilization presentation is shown.
Temperature	No	The temperature of the container.
Store Specimens	No	It depends on the type of container that directly holds the sample. e.g. a freezer or a rack does not store specimens, whereas a box stores specimens.
Display in Map	No	Within the container map, the user can choose to display specimens stored by their PPID (participant protocol ID of the participant) or specimen label.
Collection Protocol	No	To dedicate a container to specific collection protocol.
Specimen Types	No	To restrict the container to hold only specific types of samples.

Parent Container is used only when you are creating sub-containers.
You can create single or multiple containers without selecting any container type.
Create containers in the top-down hierarchy. I.e. Freezer->Rack→Box.
Restrictions set based on Collection Protocol and Specimen Types on any container is carried forward to all child containers below it by default. Restrictions can be set at any level.

Create Dimensionless Container

A dimensionless container is a container with no fixed size. This is useful if you use a temporary ‘hold’ freezer or automated freezers.

Refer 'Dimensionless containers' to create dimensionless containers

Create Sized Containers Under Dimensionless Container

You can create sized containers under any dimensionless container. Refer 'Creating sized containers under dimensionless container' section of the page 'Dimensionless Containers' for more details.

Create Containers In Bulk

You can create multiple containers in bulk, refer 'Create/Update Storage Containers' for more details.

Edit Containers

You can edit the details of the container you created at any time by selecting each level and then clicking on 'Edit' button.

Changes made at the parent level affect all lower levels, unless the child level restrctions have been updated individually.

Delete Containers

OpenSpecimen supports deleting multiple containers or at particular level.

Delete multiple containers

To delete multiple containers:

Go to containers list view page
Select the container to be deleted. The search filters can be used to search for the container to be deleted.

Click on the 'Delete' tab. A delete confirmation tab will pop up.
Enter the 'DELETE ANYWAY' words in the pop-up window and click on 'Yes.'

Delete container from any level

You can delete the container of any level:

Go to container overview page.
Select the container you want to delete.

Click on 'DELETE' icon. A delete confirmation tab will pop up.
Enter the 'DELETE ANYWAY' words in the pop-up window and click on 'Yes.'

When deleting a container with specimens, the system displays delete confirmation with the specimen count.

Creating storage containers