# US 10,306,882 B2 · Biological sample vitrification carrier and usage thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,306,882 B2 - Document ID: US10306882B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/783,562 - Filed: 2014-04-09 - Published: 2016-03-03 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-04-09 - Applicants: Wei Lou; Yanping Kuang - Inventors: Wei Lou; Yanping Kuang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10306882B2 ## CPC - A01N 1/144: for temperature control, e.g. refrigerators or freeze-drying apparatus - A01N 1/145: Stationary or portable vessels generating cryogenic temperatures, e.g. liquid nitrogen baths - A01N 1/147: Carriers for immersion in cryogenic fluid for slow freezing or vitrification - A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ## Abstract A biological sample vitrification carrier and a method for freezing a biological sample are provided. Specifically, the carrier comprises a main body and a sealing cap that form a sealed frozen sample placing region. Frozen liquid circulating in a liquid circulating channel in the main body contacts with an outer surface of the frozen sample placing region and cools a biological sample in the frozen sample placing region. The biological sample vitrification carrier and the method in the present invention have the advantages of safety, nontoxicity and high vitrification and rewarming operation efficiency and have wide application prospects in the field of biological sample freezing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vitrification carrier for a biological sample, wherein said vitrification carrier includes a body and a sealing cap, the body having a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the body and a bottom of the sealing cap are sealed together to form a sealed placing area for the biological sample, and wherein a placing platform for the biological sample is included in said sealed placing area for the biological sample, and wherein a coolant circulation channel is included on said body, and wherein a flow-through pore is included on said sealing cap, wherein the coolant circulation channel and the flow-through pore are configured to enable a coolant in the coolant circulation channel to contact with an outside surface of the sealed placing area for the biological sample when the biological sample is subjected to cryopreservation, thereby cooling the biological sample, and wherein fluid communication between the coolant circulation channel and an inside volume of the sealed placing area is closed such that the biological sample in the sealed placing area is isolated from the coolant in the coolant circulation channel, and wherein the second end is a distal end of the body, said coolant circulation channel has a distal opening located on the distal end of the body and a side opening located on a side wall of the body, and said distal opening communicates with said side opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein said placing platform for the biological sample is a flat surface with a size configured for placing the biological sample; and (a) is located on a top of the first end of the body, or fixed on the top of the first end of the body; or (b) is located on the bottom of said sealing cap; or fixed on the bottom of said sealing cap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein the second end is a distal end of the body, and an engaging part located between the first end and the distal end of the body for sealing and engaging with the sealing cap, wherein a surface of the engaging part has an active fastener for engaging with the sealing cap, and wherein the active fastener is selected from the group consisting of a screw fastener, a socket fastener, and a buckle fastener. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vitrification carrier according to claim 3, wherein the active fastener is a screw fastener. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the placing platform is 1-15 mm; and/or a thickness of the placing platform is 0.06-0.15 mm; and/or a height of the sealed placing area for the biological sample is 0.5-5 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a freezing rate of the biological sample in the vitrification carrier is at least 10000-20000° C./min. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein the body, the placing platform and the sealing cap comprise identical material or different materials. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the distal end of the body is 6-15 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least two side openings and the sealing cap comprises at least two flow-through pores. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method for sealed vitrification of a biological sample, comprising the steps of: a) providing a vitrification carrier according to claim 1, and placing a biological sample on the placing platform of the vitrification carrier, so as to form a carrier body containing said biological sample; b) engaging and tightening the carrier body containing said biological sample obtained in step a) with the sealing cap, so as to form a sealed carrier containing the biological sample; c) marking sample information on a marking area of the sealed carrier containing the biological sample obtained in step b); and d) subjecting the sealed carrier marked with biological sample information obtained in step c) into a coolant for preservation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A combined device for biological sample cryopreservation, wherein said combined device comprises i) one or more vitrification carriers according to claim 1; ii) liquid nitrogen; and iii) a liquid nitrogen storage device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The vitrification carrier according to claim 3, wherein said coolant circulation channel has a distal opening located at the distal end and a side opening located on a side wall of the body, and said distal opening communicates with said side opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The vitrification carrier according to claim 3, wherein a surface of the engaging part has active fasteners for engaging with the sealing cap. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The vitrification carrier according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of said sealing cap is an inner bottom surface of the sealing cap. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The vitrification carrier according to claim 7, wherein the identical material is a polymer or a metal and the different materials are a polymer and a metal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the distal opening is 2-10 mm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a size of the side opening is 1-3 mm×1-3 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The vitrification carrier according to claim 1, wherein a size of the flow-through pore of the sealing cap is 2-5 mm×2-5 mm.