Vitrifying multiple embryos in different arrangements does not alter the cooling rate

Ostler, Timothy, Woolley, Thomas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6225-5365, Kaouri, Katerina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9850-253X, Swann, Karl ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4355-1449, Thomson, Andrew, Priddle, Helen, Palmer, Giles and Kaouri, Katerina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9850-253X 2021. Vitrifying multiple embryos in different arrangements does not alter the cooling rate. Cryobiology 103 , pp. 22-31. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.10.001

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Abstract

Vitrification is the most common method of cryopreservation of gametes in fertility clinics due to its improved survival rates compared to slow freezing techniques. For the Open Cryotop® vitrification device, the number of oocytes, or embryos, mounted onto a single device can vary. In this work, a mathematical model is developed for the cooling of oocytes and embryos (samples). The model is solved computationally, to investigate whether varying the number of samples mounted onto the Open Cryotop® affects the cooling rates, and consequently the survival rates, of vitrified samples. Several realistic spatial arrangements of samples are examined, determining their temperature over time. In this way we quantify the effect of spatial arrangement on the cooling rate. Our results indicate that neither the spatial arrangement nor the number of mounted samples has a large effect on cooling rates, so long as the volume of the cryoprotectant remains minimal. The time taken for cooling is found to be on the order of half a second, or less, regardless of the spatial arrangement or number of mounted samples. Hence, rapid cooling can be achieved for any number or arrangement of samples, as long as device manufacturer guidelines are adhered to.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Mathematics
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0011-2240
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	20 October 2021
Date of Acceptance:	19 October 2021
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 21:34
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/144954

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