Method of cryopreserving biological material and related apparatus

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method of cryopreserving biological material (such as spermatozoa from aquatic species) in a plurality of dimensionally stable containers, each having two parallel walls defining between them a storage space having a uniform thickness. The method comprises the steps of: at least partially filling the storage space with the biological material via an opening; closing the opening; and freezing the biological material enclosed in the containers to a cryogenic temperature. According to the method, the containers are racked in substantially parallel planes and the freezing step includes bringing the racked containers to a first reservoir (365) and fully immersing the containers in a first freezing agent held therein at a first temperature, and circulating the first freezing agent between the racked containers (e.g. using a rotor or pump). The first temperature may be non-cryogenic, wherein the freezing step further includes bringing the racked containers to a second reservoir (360) and immersing them in a second, cryogenic freezing agent held therein. The disclosure also relates to a related cryopreservation apparatus (300).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.