Provided is a cryopreservation jig fixture including: a base having an upper surface, side surfaces, and a bottom surface; and either a slit on the upper surface of the base or an insertion portion for inserting a cryopreservation jig on the upper surface of the base and a slit having one end opened at a lateral portion of the insertion portion. Also provided is a method of freezing and thawing a cell or tissue, which uses the fixture.

A port includes a conduit configured to receive a spike therein. The conduit includes a first portion, a second portion, and a septum fluidly separates the first portion and the second portion of the conduit. The septum is puncturable by the spike so as to allow the spike to be inserted into the second portion of the conduit. A removable snap portion extends from a break point to the tip of the port. The thickness of the break point is less than the thickness of the remainder of the conduit wall. The removable snap portion is configured to break away from the port at the break point such that the septum is accessible by the spike via the first portion of the conduit when the removable snap portion is broken away from the port. The port may include fluorinated ethylene propylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane, and combinations thereof.

A carrier for receiving a vessel includes a body that defines a well. The well is sized and dimensioned to receive a vessel including media. The body is configured to urge the vessel received in the well towards an external wall of the body to enhance thermal energy transfer into or out of the media within the vessel. A box assembly for supporting media during thermal changes includes a box, a vessel, and a carrier is also disclosed.

Disclosed is a biological sample storage and retrieval apparatus, comprising a storage device, with the interior thereof being a cryogenic environment for storing a biological sample, and the biological sample comprising cryogenic vials and a cryogenic shelf for holding the cryogenic vials; an operation device detachably connected to the storage device for receiving a transfer tank for holding the biological sample and performing storage and retrieval of the biological sample in the storage device by means of the transfer tank; and a sealing device, the sealing device being used for sealing the storage device when the storage device is detached from the operation device. A cryogenic storage and retrieval method is also provided.

Disclosed herein are cryostorage devices, systems, and methods for cryopreservation or vitrification of biological materials, such as oocytes and embryos. These cryostorage devices can include a capillary straw with the dual functionality for loading/unloading a sample. The devices can also include a self-sealing mechanism and an adapter for coupling with pipettes to enable loading of a predetermined volume of sample. The devices can also include a removable cap to protect the capillary during long-term cryostorage. Methods described herein relate to the manual or automated use of such devices.

The assembly comprises a ramp (4) and a straw transfer device (60) comprising two lateral pads and a straw (1) collector arranged between the two lateral pads, the freezer ramp (4) and the transfer device (60) being configured to allow a first end position, to allow a second end position, and such that, by sliding the transfer device (60) from the first end position to the second end position with the pads that slide on angled sections (19) of the ramp (4), the plurality of straws (1) initially arranged on the ramp (4) is recovered in the collector of the transfer device (60).

The invention relates to a device for the temperature monitoring of a cryopreserved biological sample, comprising a sample container (in particular a cryotube) having a holding space for holding a biological sample and comprising at least one chamber, the interior of which is not fluidically connected to the holding space and is filled only partially with an indicator substance, the melting temperature of which lies in a range of −20° C. to −140° C. In particular, the chamber can be formed by a container that is detachably or pivotably fastened to the sample container. Alternatively, the chamber is formed by a double-walled slide-on part or the holding space of the sample container is double-walled, wherein an intermediate space between the inner wall and the outer wall is partially filled with the indicator substance.

A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. Identification information is read from wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Visual mappings of the positions of the specimen container in the cassettes is provided. Presence and position of the specimen containers in the cassettes is verified, and alerts of inconsistencies provided along with corrective commands. Inventories of specimen container and even specific specimen holders are provided.

Provided is a cell preserving vessel which is protected against damage during storage. The cell preserving vessel 1 includes: a vessel body 10 which is made of a flexible resin member and has a cell accommodating part 11; a cell introducing tube 20 which is connected to the vessel body 10 and through which cells are introduced into the cell accommodating part 11; and a pair of tube protecting parts 40 which are arranged to hold the cell introducing tube 20 therebetween and which protect a vicinity of a joined portion of the cell introducing tube 20, the joined portion being joined to the vessel body 10. The tube protecting parts 40 are preferably constituted by sheet members 50 and 60 that form the vessel body 10.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) possess tremendous potential for tissue regeneration and banking hiPSCs by cryopreservation for their ready availability is crucial to their widespread use. However, contemporary methods for hiPSC cryopreservation are associated with both limited cell survival and high concentration of toxic cryoprotectants and/or serum. The latter may cause spontaneous differentiation and introduce xenogeneic factors, which may compromise the quality of hiPSCs. Here, sand from nature is discovered to be capable of seeding ice above −10° C., which enables cryopreservation of hiPSCs with no serum, minimized cryoprotectant, and high cell survival. Furthermore, the cryopreserved hiPSCs retain high pluripotency and functions judged by the pluripotency marker expression, cell cycle analysis, and capability of differentiation into the three germ layers. This unique sand-mediated cryopreservation method may greatly facilitate the convenient and ready availability of high-quality hiPSCs and probably many other types of cells/tissues for the emerging cell-based translational medicine.