Apparatus to preserve and identify biological samples at cryogenic conditions

Abstract

A container includes a vial, cap, and one or more wireless transponders secured to the cap, the vial or a jacket to store and identify samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures (e.g., vitrified biological samples), for instance held by cryopreservation storage devices. A specimen holder may be extend from the cap. The vial and/or cap includes ports or vents. A carrier includes a box, thermal shunt, thermal insulation to store and identify arrays of containers that hold cryopreservation storage devices with samples of biological material at cryogenic temperatures. Various apparatus include wireless transponders positioned and oriented to enhance range, and allow interrogation while retained in a carrier. Various apparatus can maintain the biological material at or close to cryogenic temperatures for prolonged period of times after being removed from a cryogenic cooler, and can allow wireless inventorying while maintaining the biological samples at suitably cold temperatures.

1 . A container for cryogenic storage of biological materials, the container comprising:
 a vial having a first end, a second end, and a side wall, the second end opposed from the first end across a length of the vial, the side wall extending between the first and the second ends to delimit an interior cavity of the vial from an exterior thereof, the vial having an opening at the first end thereof;   a cap sized and shaped to removably close the opening at the first end of the vial;   the vial and the cap each including one or more through-holes to provide ingress and egress between the interior cavity of the vial and the exterior while the cap is secured to the vial; and   a first wireless transponder having a first antenna, the first antenna having a beam axis aligned with a main lobe of a radiation plot of the first antenna, the first wireless transponder positioned with the beam axis thereof extending parallel to the length of the vial, the first wireless transponder operable to withstand temperatures of approximately negative 150° C. and to wirelessly transmit a unique identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an elongated specimen holder having a distal end to carry a specimen and a proximate end, the elongated specimen holder attached to the cap at the proximate end of the elongated specimen holder.   
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2  wherein the elongated specimen holder is permanently fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2  wherein the elongated specimen holder and the cap are a single unitary piece structure, and the elongated specimen holder comprises a spatula, the distal end thereof having a flat surface. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4  wherein the first wireless transponder is fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a jacket secured to an exterior of the vial, wherein the first wireless transponder fixed to the jacket, and the jacket secures the first wireless transponder to the vial.   
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6  wherein the jacket includes a terminus end that is at least proximate the second end of the vial when the jacket is secured to the exterior of the vial, and the first wireless transponder is positioned at the terminus end of the jacket. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 5  wherein at least one of the through-holes extends through the side wall of the vial at least proximate the second end of the vial. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first antenna is fixed at least proximate the second end of the vial. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the vial is tubular. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the opening of the vial is circular. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the second end of the vial is a flat surface, the flat surface perpendicular to the length of the vial, and the first antenna of the first wireless transponder extends parallel with the flat surface of the bottom of the vial. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the second end of the vial is a flat surface, the flat surface perpendicular to the length of the vial, and the first wireless transponder is a radio frequency identification button cell that has a pair of major surfaces opposed across a thickness of the radio frequency identification button cell from one another and which extend parallel with the flat surface of the bottom of the vial. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the container is sized to store sample cryopreservation storage devices with the biological materials retained by the sample cryopreservation storage devices, and further comprising:
 a fixed thermal mass located in the interior cavity of the vial, the fixed thermal mass having a larger thermal mass than a thermal mass associated with the sample cryopreservation storage devices and the biological materials. 
 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14  wherein the fixed thermal mass is a piece of non-ferrous metal or a metal impregnated polymer. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 14  wherein the fixed thermal mass is located along the length of the vial spaced from the first wireless transponder by at least a minimum defined distance. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 14  wherein the fixed thermal mass is located along the length of the vial spaced from the first wireless transponder by at least a minimum defined distance of 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one passive temperature sensor carried by the vial, the passive temperature sensor operable to withstand temperatures of approximately negative 150° C. and to subsequently or concurrently provide a signal representative of a temperature in the interior compartment of the container.   
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18  wherein the at least one passive temperature sensor is integral to the first wireless transponder, and the first wireless transponder is a passive radio frequency identification transponder that encodes at least one unique identifier. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one machine-readable symbol carried by the vial, the at least one machine-readable symbol encoding a unique identifier.   
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is fixed to a portion of the vial via an epoxy. 
     
     
         22 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is encapsulated in a portion of the vial. 
     
     
         23 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is an integrated circuit passive radio frequency identification transponders that stores at least one unique identifier in a memory of the integrated circuit. 
     
     
         24 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is a mechanical transponder that employs mechanical vibration to encode at least one unique identifier in a response signal. 
     
     
         25 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         26 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a jacket secured to an exterior of the vial, wherein the first wireless transponder fixed to the jacket, and the jacket secures the first wireless transponder to the vial.   
     
     
         27 . The container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the through-holes extends through the side wall of the vial at the second end of the vial. 
     
     
         28 . The container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the through-holes extends through the second end of the vial. 
     
     
         29 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is integral with the vial or the cap when the vial or the cap is molded.