Locking vial

A locking vial assembly comprising:

• a main vial with an aperture member formed along an outer surface thereof;
• a cap for securely closing the vial, the cap also having an aperture member, with the apertures of the cap and the vial being positioned for mutual alignment while the cap securely closes the vial;
• and
• a locking pin which includes a head, a conical nose, and a shaft connecting the head and the nose, the head of the pin being sized larger than the apertures, the pin being sized for one-way insertion through the apertures while the apertures are mutually aligned, the cap being removable from the main vial only by severing the shaft to separate the conical nose of the pin from the head of the pin and an enclosed cavity for receiving the severed conical nose of the locking pin, the severed conical nose of the pin being irremovably retained in the cavity to prevent insertion of a second pin through the apertures.

A locking vial assembly for use in storing semen samples on a mounting member immersed in liquid nitrogen comprising:

• a vial having a threaded top portion;
• a cap having a threaded bottom portion for engaging with the vial to securely mount to and close the vial;
• a first apertured member extending from a side of the vial and forming a depending hook for insertion through and secure engagement with a slot formed in the mounting member and thereby preventing the vial from being accidentally detached from the mounting member;
• a second apertured member extending from a side of the cap, the apertured members being disposed with adjacent apertures while the cap is securely mounted to the vial;
• and
• a locking pin for extending through the apertures, the pin having a head larger than the second apertured member, a connecting shaft, and an opposing conical nose having a maximum diameter larger than the first apertured member, the conical nose being resilient to allow one-way insertion through the apertured members, the conical nose being received within an enclosed cavity in the first apertured member, the locking pin being removable from the apertured members only by severing the shaft to separate the conical nose from the head, and the severed conical nose of the pin being irremovably retained in the cavity to prevent insertion of a second pin through the apertures.