Evaluation of the TMRW vapor phase cryostorage platform using reproductive specimens and in vitro extended human embryo culture

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of shipment and storage of sperm, oocytes, and blastocysts in vapor phase nitrogen compared with static storage in liquid phase nitrogen. Design: Prospective cohort-matched study. Setting: Multiple in vitro fertilization laboratories in an in vitro fertilization network. Patient(s): Fifty-eight human embryos, 32 human oocytes, 15 units of bovine semen. Intervention(s): Vapor vs. liquid nitrogen. Main Outcome Measure(s): The postwarming survival of oocytes, sperm, and blastocysts, and the developmental potential of blastocysts during in vitro extended culture. Result(s): Custom-designed labware, for use with the TMRW platform, enables continuous temperature monitoring during shipment and/or storage in the vapor phase robotic storage system. The highest temperature recorded for specimens shipped to a domestic laboratory was À180.2 C with a mean AE SD of À190.4 AE 0.5 C during shipment and À181.1 AE 0.6 C during storage. Likewise, specimens shipped internationally had a high of À180.2 C with a mean AE SD of À193.5 AE 0.6 C during shipment and À181.2 AE 0.7 C during storage. Results from the extended culture assays have revealed no deleterious effect of shipment and storage in nitrogen vapor. The viability of mammalian gametes and embryos was equivalent between the vapor phase and liquid phase storage. Conclusion(s):The evaluated system did not have any deleterious effects on the postwarming survival of sperm, oocytes, and blastocysts. The postwarming developmental potential of human blastocysts during in vitro extended culture was unaffected by storage and handling in the vapor phase nitrogen TMRW platform when compared with static liquid phase nitrogen storage. Our results suggest that the vapor phase cryostorage platform is a safe system to handle and store reproductive specimens for human assisted reproductive technology. (Fertil Steril Sci Ò 2021;2:268-77. Ó2021 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

A comprehensive review and update on human fertility cryopreservation methods and tools

“…This device is similar to the Cryotop device, differing in the possession of a porous Evaluation of the data TMRW showed that this system does not have any deleterious effects on the survival rate of sperm, oocytes, and blastocysts. In addition, the storage of embryos in the TMRW vapor phase platform did not have any impact on the post-developmental potential of human blastocysts (72). Modern high-efficiency vapor phase tanks, such as the Chart MVE 1500, allow the storage of specimens in the vapor phase at temperatures below −150 • C (73).…”