Hypothermic tooth transport system

A method for transporting teeth and maintaining viability of cells located therein, comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a tooth within a protein, sera free nutrient solution adapted for cellular osmosis of teeth and being chemically compatible with a cryopreservant;
• containing the nutrient solution and any tooth therein within a first closable vial;
• locating the first vial within a second closable vial;
• and
• locating the first and second vials within an insulating container having an open chamber, and at least partially laterally surrounding the first and second vials by chilled thermal material.

An apparatus for transporting teeth and maintaining viability of cells located therein, comprising:

• a closable first vial adapted for holding a tooth in a nutrient solution;
• a second closable vial adapted for containing the first vial;
• and
• a biasing mechanism adapted for supporting the first vial within the second vial to cause the first vial to move upwardly and to slightly protrude from the second vial when the second vial is open.

An apparatus for transporting teeth and maintaining viability of cells located therein, comprising:

• a soft, porous fabric container adapted for suspending a tooth within a nutrient solution;
• a first closable vial adapted for holding a tooth in a nutrient solution;
• a second closable vial adapted for containing the first vial;
• a biasing mechanism adapted for supporting the first vial within the second vial to cause the first vial to move upwardly and to slightly protrude from the second vial when the second vial is open;
• and
• an insulating container adapted for holding the first and second vials within an open chamber, and further adapted for holding chilled thermal material at least partially laterally surrounding the first and second vials.

An apparatus for transporting teeth and maintaining viability of cells located therein, comprising:

• a protein, sera free nutrient solution adapted for cellular osmosis of teeth and being chemically compatible with a cryopreservant;
• a first closable vial adapted for containing enough nutrient solution to cover a tooth;
• a second closable vial adapted for containing the first vial;
• and
• an insulating container adapted for containing the first and second vials within an open chamber, and at least partially laterally surrounding the first and second vials by chilled thermal material.

A method of establishing an effective source of multi potent stem cells comprising:

• harvesting teeth, portions of teeth and related oral cavity tissue of a mammalian host;
• promptly after such harvesting providing all or a portion of the harvested material with a hypothermic, sterile environment free of sera and protein for transport/storage;
• providing a cryogenic, sterile storage environment;
• transforming the material from the hypothermic environment to cryogenic storage environment with minimal breakdown of viability of cells within the material,
• upon demand retrieving the material from the cryogenic environment with a similar transition to a cell utilization environment with minimized breakdown of viability of cells within the material,
• implanting material or cells extracted therefrom in a mammalian host,
• the said step of hypothermic environment provision including suspension of harvested material in a fluent matrix environment containing nutrients accessible to the surface and interior of the harvested material and providing a cooling means spaced from the suspended material and further including provision of thermal insulation also spaced from the harvested material, to establish and maintain a thermic environment temperature of about 34-50 degrees Fahrenheit, in any event above freezing point of aqueous contents of the harvested material, for up to 82 hours under common diverse challenges of ambient conditions of storage or transport and wherein said matrix material of the hypothermic environment is selected for compatibility with the subsequent cryogenic storage step,
• whereby the conditions of the steps of hypothermic transport/storage maintain cellular viability and autonomously prepare the harvested material for subsequent cryogenic freezing in vitro.

A hypothermic storage/transport apparatus for mammalian cellular material comprising:

• a dual walled vessel for containing the material, comprising:
• (i) primary, water tight receptacle capable of 95 kPa (0.95 bar, 13.8 lb/in2) in the range of −40° C. to 55° and (ii) secondary, water tight containment receptacle capable of the same pressure limits;
• a fluent matrix material in the vessel;
• means for suspending the mammalian cellular material in the matrix within the vessel without touching its walls;
• an air space surrounding the vessel and enclosed by insulating barriers which do not touch the vessel walls, in turn surrounded by exterior surfaces to complete a storage/transport package;
• and
• means for cooling the air between the vessel to and maintaining its temperature at about 34-50 degrees Fahrenheit.