Vessels and methods for cryopreservation

Abstract

An article including, either: a frame having an interior cavity, and a flexible liner situated within the interior cavity; or a deformable frame having an interior cavity, as defined herein. Either frame can receive a sample, such as liquid having suspended live cells, and cooling freezes the sample to a solid sample. The solid sample can be readily ejected from the article having either a frame with the flexible liner, or the deformable frame, without extensive thawing. The solid sample can be rapidly displaced from the article by the methods and apparatus disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article comprising:
 a frame having an interior cavity; and   a flexible liner situated within the interior cavity;   the frame has a first open end for receiving a sample into the flexible liner, and the frame has a second open end, for engaging a holster for the article, and for receiving an ejector to displace the flexible liner and the sample contents from a location within the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the frame is a hollow cylinder or hollow conic having first and second open ends. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising a closure member for reversibly sealing the received sample in the interior cavity, and the closure member comprises at least one of: a screw cap adapted to engage screw threads on the frame; a press fit plug having an optional strap to engage the frame, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the frame comprises a plurality of frames, the flexible liner comprises a plurality of flexible liners, the ejector comprises a plurality of ejectors, and the closure member comprises a plurality of closure members. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the ejector is: integral with the article; worn by an operator;
 attached to a stationary external support; attached to a robotic external support; or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising at least one ejector. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising at least one ejector integral with the article and the at least one ejector comprises at least one retractable member. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising at least one ejector integral with the article, the at least one ejector comprises a plurality of ganged ejectors aligned with and attached to a plurality of cryotubes separated by at least one spring member. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising a holster where the holster holds the article and permits the closure member to be removed with a single human hand or a single mechanical gripper. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 9  wherein the holster has a recessed volume that conforms to at least a portion of the base of the frame at the second end, and the holster has a detent feature to engage the frame to restrict rotational freedom of the frame. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the liner comprises a biodegradable releasable flexible liner. 
     
     
         12 . An article comprising:
 a deformable frame having an interior cavity, and the frame has a first open end for receiving a sample into the interior cavity, and the frame has a second closed end for engaging a holster for the frame.   
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 12  wherein the interior cavity has a hollow cylindrical geometry and the base of the cylinder is at the first open end, or has a hollow conical geometry and the base of the conic is at the first open end. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 12  wherein the second closed end for engaging a holster for the frame comprises an indentation in the wall of the frame. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 12  further comprising a closure member for reversibly sealing the received sample in the interior cavity and excluding liquid nitrogen from the interior cavity. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using the article of  claim 1  comprising:
 filling the liner in the interior cavity of the article with a sample; 
 sealing the article; 
 cooling the filled sealed article to freeze the sample; and 
 ejecting the frozen sample from the interior cavity of the article into a receiving vessel with an ejector. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein ejecting the frozen sample from the interior cavity of the article is accomplished without substantial intermediate thawing. 
     
     
         18 . A method of using the article of  claim 12  comprising:
 filling the interior cavity of the article having a deformable frame with a sample; 
 sealing the article; 
 cooling the filled sealed article to freeze the sample; and 
 ejecting the frozen sample from the article into a receiving vessel by manually or mechanically squeezing the exterior of the deformable frame. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein ejecting the frozen sample from the article is accomplished without substantial intermediate thawing, and wherein squeezing the exterior is accomplished with a human hand, a mechanical device, a robot, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A kit comprising:
 a cryopreservation article having either a rigid frame or a deformable frame, and having an interior cavity for holding a liquid or solid sample, and an optional closure for sealing the sample in the interior cavity of the article;   a holster for holding the article;   if the frame of the article is rigid, then an ejector for ejecting a frozen sample for the interior of the article; and   instructions for use of the article.