IVF Knowledge

  So you need cryogenic storage. Google sends you down a rabbit hole of specifications that might as well be written in Klingon. Here's the translation nobody provides. The Size Question Everyone Gets Wrong "How many litres do I need?" is the wrong question. The right question: "How many straws am I storing and how often do I access them?" A 20-litre dewar theoretically holds 800+ embryo straws. But if you're opening it eight times daily for IVF retrievals, you need the 30L or 47L models to maintain temperature stability. Constant lid-opening causes nitrogen boil-off beyond the static evaporation rate. Cryolab's calculator actually factors this in—you input daily access frequency and it adjusts capacity recommendations accordingly. Vitrification Carriers Aren't All Created Equal Tried buying "compatible" vitrification carriers on eBay? Yeah, don't. Cooling rate depends on minimal solution volume and precise geometry. Off-brand car...

Bovine semen preservation is a cornerstone of modern veterinary practice and livestock breeding in the UK. Veterinary laboratories and IVF clinics rely on high-quality bovine semen storage tanks to maintain sample viability for artificial insemination and research purposes. Liquid nitrogen storage vessels provide long-term protection, while dry shippers ensure samples can be transported safely between sites. Dry shippers retain nitrogen in a solid absorbent material, maintaining ultra-low temperatures without spillage, while LN₂ dewars, available in twenty-litre and fifty-litre capacities, offer reliable stationary storage. Cryogenic accessories, including gloves, face shields, cryovials, and storage racks, complement these vessels and ensure safe laboratory handling. By carefully selecting the appropriate storage tanks based on capacity, intended use, and safety features, UK laboratories can preserve bovine semen efficiently. For professional cryogenic storage solutions, visit Cryolab...

Most major shifts in medicine do not arrive with fanfare. They arrive in research papers, conference presentations, and careful laboratory work that takes years to reach the people it could help. In-vitro gametogenesis, known as IVG, feels like one of those shifts. The premise is remarkable in its simplicity. Take an ordinary adult cell, a skin cell or a blood cell, reprogram it into a stem cell, and then guide it through the biological processes that produce a mature egg or sperm. No surgical retrieval. No hormone stimulation. Just cells, carefully coaxed into becoming something extraordinary. Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi of the University of Osaka has stated that viable human eggs and sperm created this way could be a reality within ten years. His work and that of colleagues at the University of Kyoto has been among the most cited in this field. California-based Conception Biosciences, with investment from Sam Altman among others, is working toward the same goal from a commercial an...

Cryogenic equipment procurement in IVF tends to focus on the obvious: storage vessels and straws. The categories that get missed are often the ones that cause the most disruption when they run out or fail. Here are five areas worth reviewing in any IVF cryogenic equipment audit. 1. VESSEL SPECIFICATION BEYOND CAPACITY Most laboratories compare storage vessels by headline capacity. The two figures that actually determine day-to-day running cost are static evaporation rate and neck diameter. A 20l liquid nitrogen dewar with a narrow neck will need topping up far less frequently than a wider-neck model of the same nominal capacity. For larger programmes, CryoNest (XL, XXL, XXXL) and CryoCan (30-6, 47-6, 47-10) vessels from Cryolab offer configurations matched to different programme volumes. 2. INTERNAL ORGANISATION AS A CLINICAL RISK ISSUE A storage vessel without a consistent internal organisation system is a patient safety concern. CBS Daisy Goblets, canisters, cryocanes and visotubes a...

If you manage an IVF laboratory, here is the honest question: when did you last review your cryogenic PPE setup against what your staff actually handle day to day? Liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius is handled so routinely that the risk assessment can start to feel like a formality. It should not. Here is what a properly equipped IVF laboratory looks like for cryogenic safety: Gloves four lengths available for a reason. Wrist-length for brief tasks, mid-arm for filling procedures, elbow and shoulder-length for large open-neck dewar work and bulk transfers. Staff should have access to the right length for the task, not just whatever is on the shelf. Face shields not optional for open liquid nitrogen handling. Goggles cover the eyes. A face shield covers the whole face. Liquid nitrogen splashes in all directions, not just upward. Oxygen monitor the most frequently missing item in smaller laboratories. Nitrogen vaporisation depletes oxygen silently. A fixed monitor with an ...

This is a question that comes up regularly in laboratory procurement: do we need a liquid nitrogen dewar or a cryogenic storage vessel? The answer, for most IVF clinics and research laboratories, is both because they serve completely different purposes. A working dewar  such as a standard 20 litre liquid nitrogen dewar is designed for daily laboratory use. Staff handle it regularly, dispensing LN2 into storage tanks, preparing cryopreservation media, and keeping the lab's cryogenic workflow moving. It needs to be manageable in size, easy to pour from, and robust enough to withstand daily handling. At 20 litres, it sits at the sweet spot of capacity and practicality for most laboratory settings. A storage vessel is designed for something entirely different holding biological samples at -196°C for months or years with minimal intervention. These vessels prioritise insulation efficiency, sample organisation, and long static storage times over ease of handling. Cryolab's CryoCa...