A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

A sample insertion system (10) comprises a channel (12), a sealing element (16) and a vacuum device (18). The channel (12) has a port (14) connectable to a chamber such as a cryostat. The vacuum device (18) may decrease a pressure in the channel (12). The sealing element (16) is arranged in the channel (12) and seals off a volume (V) from the channel. The sealing element (16) comprises a carrier member to carry a sample. The sealing element (16) is configured to move the carrier member towards the port (14) in response to the pressure in the channel (12) decreasing below a pressure in the volume (V) sealed-off by the sealing element (16). This may help reducing an access time when inserting the sample into the chamber.

A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

A cryopreservation system for biological samples is provided. Tire cryopreservation system includes a cooling platform 100 with a 3D printing device that enables a “pick and print” method for processing biological samples 140 for cryopreservation. A syringe or syringes 110 in the 3D printing device picks up biological samples and prints them into a cryogenic environment. A sorting station 200 sorts vitrified samples from unvitrified samples. A warming platform 300 warms the samples using a laser warming system. The cryopreservation system with the sorting station and warming platform are configured for high throughput. Methods for cooling, sorting and warming the biological samples in a high throughput manner are also provided.

A system and method for concurrently and uniformly removing thermal energy from a specimen sample. A thermal insulating device is provided comprising an insulating material, the device having a plurality of chambers for receiving specimen samples, the device further includes a thermal ballast whereby the rate of thermal energy removal is controlled and influenced by the thermal ballast.

Aspects and embodiments relate to electron microscopy sample preparation apparatus; and a method of preparing an electron microscopy sample. Aspects and embodiments provide electron microscopy sample preparation apparatus. The apparatus comprises a support holder configured to receive an electron microscopy sample support, the electron microscopy sample support configured to receive a fluid sample. The apparatus comprising a gas outlet configured to direct a flow of gas towards a surface of the electron microscopy sample support to adjust fluid supported by the electron microscopy sample support. Aspects and embodiments recognise that in order to be successfully imaged, a specimen must be adequately prepared for imaging. Successful and reproducible preparation of an electron microscopy sample or specimen may be key to obtaining useful results from microscopy techniques. It will be appreciated that incorrect or unsuccessful preparation of a specimen for examination, may result in damage to a specimen, poor and/or irreproducible results.

The present disclosure provides cryogenic storage systems and methods of using the cryogenic storage systems. A cryogenic storage system of the present disclosure may comprise a cryogenic tank with an inner door and an outer door, and a robot apparatus located adjacent to the cryogenic tank. The cryogenic tank may store multiple racks such that at most a single rack is removable through the inner door or the outer door. The cryogenic tank may store the multiple racks in multiple groups of racks comprising a first group of racks located at a first radial distance and a second group of racks located at a second radial distance that is greater than the first radial distance. The robot apparatus may selectively open and close the inner or outer doors, and insert or withdraw the single rack into or out of the cryogenic tank through the inner door or the outer door.

Temperatures of cryo-electron microscopy samples are assessed based on images portions associated with high temperature superconductor (HTSC) areas or other thermal sensor materials that are thermally coupled to or thermally proximate the samples. Such thermal areas can be provided on sample mounts such as metallic grids, carbon films, or on sample stages. In examples using HTSCs, HTSCs having critical temperatures between −175° C. and −135° C. are typically used.

A sealed container having gloves attached thereto is provided as part of a physical properties measuring system (PPMS). The PPMS includes a sealed pressurized portion that is pressurized with a gas to purge out air from inside the sealed pressurized portion to reduce water vapor inside the sealed pressurized portion below a water vapor threshold. The system further includes a cryogenic tank having a cryostat disposed therein. The cryogenic tank contains a cryogenic liquid cooled to a cryogenic temperature. Test samples are placed inside the sealed pressurized portion in preparation of measuring physical properties of the test samples. One of the test samples is immersed in the cryogenic liquid to measure the physical properties. The test sample is removed from the cryogenic liquid and is exchanged for another test sample inside the sealed pressurized portion to prevent ice formation inside the cryostat.

The invention relates to a temperature-control element (4) for a multiwell plate (1), which comprises a plurality of cavities (2) arranged in rows and columns for freezing and/or thawing biological samples. The temperature-control element (4) comprises a base body (6) which is made of a thermally conductive material and is flown through by a temperature-control fluid; and a plurality of protruding temperature-control fingers (5) arranged in rows and columns on an upper side of the base body (6), which are connected in a thermally conductive manner to the base body (6), wherein a grid spacing of the temperature control fingers (5) corresponds to a grid spacing of the cavities (2) of the multiwell plate (1). The invention further relates to a device and method for freezing biological samples, in particular for cryopreservation, and/or thawing biological samples, in particular a cryopreserved sample.