University of Missouri

Cryocrate LLC

Xu Han

Peter Koulen

John K Critser

Henry W White

A cryoprotective device protects an aqueous biological material from mechanical damage due to ice formation during cryogenic freezing and/or cryostorage by preventing direct contact of the biological material with cell-damaging large ice crystals, the cryoprotective storage device having a housing with an internal cavity. The housing is configured to receive a freezable medium with the biological material within the internal cavity. The housing includes a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is impermeable to ice crystals that are larger than an average pore size of the membrane to prevent such ice crystals from passing into the internal cavity from outside the housing, such that ice crystals formed in the medium within the housing have a smaller crystal size from ice crystals formed in the medium outside of the housing. As such, the biological material is protected from mechanical damage generated by direct contact with large ice crystals.

Efficient cryopreservation device preventing the direct contact between samples and extracellular ice

An improved ultra-fast cooling system is disclosed for cryopreservation of biomaterials. The ultra-fast cooling system is designed to uniformly vitrify or partially vitrify biomaterials, including but not limited to, human biomaterials, proteins, peptides, cells, stem cells, antibodies, neurons, human tissue, organs, cornea, skin, retina, eggs, sperm, embryos, body fluids, blood, serum, lymph fluid, animal tissue, plant biomaterials, plant tissue, germ plasma, pollen, plant sap, and bioengineered tissue, without cryoprotectants or with a low concentration of cryoprotectants. Cooling rates are sufficient to uniformly cryopreserve biomaterials, and can be used in diagnostic cytology and biological cryofixation applications. Other materials also can be cooled uniformly, such as inorganic materials for processing.

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MO, United States of America

Xu Han