An Ultra-fast Cooling Device for Vitrification and Cryopreservation of Cells and Tissues

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Storage and maintenance of valuable genotypes of animal model species as live animal lines would be wholly impractical However traditional cryopreservation techniques will be soon found to be inefficient for providing economic approach for cryopreservation of cells and tissues from millions of new animal models being developed Efficient cryopreservation of clinically valuable tissues including cornea tissues ovarian cortical strips skins blood vessels and many others will invaluably benefit corresponding transplantation technology and basic biomedical research using animal model or human tissues Our overall goal is to develop an ultra fast cooling device cooling rate andgt K min to achieve vitrification of thin approximately microns tissues or samples without or with very low concentration of permeating cryoprotectants We will achieve this by producing the prototype of an ultra fast cooling device with an application of cutting edge engineering techniques including cryogenic thin film evaporation and jet impingement cooling To improve its practical efficiency the device will be designed as a close operating system that prevents samples from direct contact with liquid nitrogen or its vapor To achieve those goals the plan for phase I periods is proposed design a novel ultra fast cooling device combining thin film evaporation and jet impingement cooling techniques determine optimal design parameters for subsystems produce the device and test its thermal efficiency and the tested device will be used for porcine and human corneal tissue cryopreservation and the cryopreserved efficiency will be assessed according to biochemical and histological tests on the post thaw tissues At the end of Phase I the proposed device will be produced under appropriate engineering design control and validated through biological tests PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Efficient cryopreservation of animal model and human tissues and cells is of critical importance for biomedical research The overall goal of this proposal is t develop an ultra fast cooling device to achieve vitrification of thin tissues or cell samples withot using high concentration of cryoprotectants The device is inexpensive and simple to use The device will significantly improve the efficiency of cryopreservation and transportation of animal model and human tissues and cells and its application will invaluably benefit the biomedical research activities using animal models