US 2017/0000109 A1 · MULTILAYER INSULATION OF BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES AND COOLING BY IMMERSING IN A CRYOGENIC LIQUID FOR CRYOPRESERVATION

Abstract

A container system and method for cryopreservation of sperm includes first containers having walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity. At least one layer of thermally insulating walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity is disposed around the at least one row of first containers. The first containers and thermally insulating walls are capable of being immersed from a range of about 5° C. to room temperature directly into a liquid cryogenic fluid below a surface thereof and freezing the sperm, without vitrification, at a cooling rate sufficient to maintain post-thaw quality of the sperm. The cooling rate is controlled solely by the thermal conductivity of the walls of the first containers, the layer(s) of thermally insulating walls and any substance between the walls of the first containers and the at least one thermally insulating container.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of cryopreservation of sperm comprising:

providing a liquid suspension of sperm to be frozen;
placing the liquid suspension of sperm in one or more first containers having walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity;
placing the one or more first containers in at least one insulating container having thermally insulating walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity, the first containers being arranged within the at least one thermally insulating container;
providing a liquid cryogenic fluid;
immersing the at least one thermally insulating container with the first containers containing liquid suspension of sperm from range of about 5° C. to room temperature directly into the liquid cryogenic fluid, the first containers being below a surface thereof;
and
freezing the sperm, without vitrification, at a cooling rate sufficient to maintain post-thaw quality of the sperm, the cooling rate being controlled solely by the thermal conductivity of the walls of the one or more first containers, the walls of the at least one thermally insulating container and any substance between the walls of the one or more first containers and the at least one thermally insulating container.

4 more elements

A method of determining optimal cooling conditions for cryopreservation of sperm comprising:

providing a liquid suspension of sperm to be frozen;
dividing the liquid sperm suspension into a plurality of different portions;
placing the liquid sperm suspension portions into a one or more first containers having walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity and positioned within thermally insulating walls of a desired thickness and thermal conductivity, each of the liquid sperm suspension portions having different degrees of thermal insulation in their respective first container within thermally insulating walls;
providing liquid cryogenic fluid;
immersing the liquid sperm suspension portions in their respective first container within thermally insulating walls from range of about 5° C. to room temperature directly into the liquid cryogenic fluid;
freezing the sperm suspension portions, without vitrification, until the sperm suspension portions are frozen, the cooling rate of the sperm suspension portions being controlled solely by rate of heat flow to surrounding liquid cryogenic fluid through the walls of its respective first container, the thermally insulating walls and any substance between the walls of the first container and the thermally insulating walls, the different sperm suspension portions being subject to a plurality of different cooling rates;
thawing the sperm suspension portions;
determining quality of the thawed sperm suspension portions;
for thawed sperm suspension portions determined to have desired quality, identifying the type of first container and thermally insulating walls used for the thawed sperm suspension portions determined to have desired quality;
and
placing additional sperm suspension to be frozen in first containers in the same type of first container and thermally insulating walls used for the thawed sperm suspension portions determined to have desired quality, and subjecting the additional sperm suspension to the same rate of cooling by immersing the additional sperm suspension directly into the liquid cryogenic fluid to freeze, without vitrification, such additional sperm suspension.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multilayer insulation of biological samples and cooling by immersing in a cryogenic liquid for cryopreservation

Life of this patent

Multilayer insulation of biological samples and cooling by immersing in a cryogenic liquid for cryopreservation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22