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 engage the side wall of the vial to removably close the opening at the first end of the vial;   an elongated specimen holder having a distal end to carry a specimen and a proximate end, the elongated specimen holder extending from the cap; and   a first wireless transponder having a first antenna, at least one of the first wireless transponder or the first antenna fixed to the cap.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the elongated specimen holder is permanently fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2  wherein the first wireless transponder and the first antenna are both fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2  wherein the elongated specimen holder comprises a spatula, the distal end thereof having a flat surface to carry frozen biological tissue samples. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the elongated specimen holder and the cap are a single unitary piece structure. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5  wherein the elongated specimen holder comprises a spatula, the distal end thereof having a flat surface to carry frozen biological tissue samples. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 5  wherein the first wireless transponder and the first antenna are both fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the vial or the cap includes one or more ports to provide ingress of liquid into the interior cavity of the vial from the exterior and one or more vents to provide egress of gas from the interior cavity to the exterior. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the vial or the cap includes one or more ports to provide ingress of liquid into the interior cavity of the vial from the exterior and one or more vents to provide egress of gas from the interior cavity to the exterior. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the vial includes one or more vents at least proximate the first end of the vial to provide egress of gas from the interior cavity to the exterior. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the vial includes one or more ports at least proximate the second end of the vial to provide ingress of liquid into the interior cavity of the vial from the exterior. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the vial includes one or more vents at least proximate the first end of the vial to provide egress of gas from the interior cavity to the exterior. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the vial includes one or more ports at least proximate the second end of the vial to provide ingress of liquid into the interior cavity of the vial from the exterior. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the cap includes one or more vents to provide egress of gas from the interior cavity to the exterior. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14  wherein the vial includes one or more ports at least proximate the second end of the vial to provide ingress of liquid into the interior cavity of the vial from the exterior. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the elongated specimen holder comprises a spatula, the distal end thereof having a flat surface to carry frozen biological tissue samples. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder and the first antenna are both fixed to the cap. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first wireless transponder is integral with the cap when the cap is molded.