Method and apparatus for use in low-temperature storage

A method used in low temperature storage of biological specimens, comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a multiplicity of biological specimens within a predetermined low temperature range in a cryogenic storage unit;
• selecting at least one of said biological specimens for removal from said storage unit;
• determining a thaw period and at least one thaw rate for the elected specimen;
• automatically retrieving said selected specimen from said storage unit at a removal time in accordance with the respective determined thaw period;
• and
• automatically thawing said selected specimen at the respective thaw rate, said step of thawing including the steps of automatically depositing said selected specimen in a thawing chamber and operating said thawing chamber to warm said selected specimen at the respective determined rate.

A low-temperature storage system comprising:

• storage means for maintaining a plurality of biological specimens within a predetermined low temperature range;
• a plurality of freezing chambers;
• cooling means for implementing a temperature change in each of said chambers independently of temperature changes in each other of said chambers;
• servomechanism means for retrieving a predetermined specimen from a respective selected one of said chambers and transfering the retrieved specimen to said storage means;
• and
• control means operatively connected to said cooling means and said servomechanism means for operating said cooling means to control a rate of temperature change in said selected one of said chambers and for activating said servomechanism means to transfer said predetermined specimen from said selected one of said chambers to said storage means.

A method used in low temperature storage of biological specimens, comprising the steps of:

• depositing a biological specimen in a freezing chamber;
• determining a freezing period and at least one freezing rate for the deposited specimen;
• automatically retrieving the deposited specimen from said freezing chamber at a removal time in accordance with the respective determined freezing period;
• automatically transfering the retrieved specimen from said freezing chamber to a cryogenic storage unit;
• and
• storing the retrieved and transfered specimen together with a multiplicity of other specimens in said cryogenic storage unit.