Long-term experience with operation of a cryobank basen on combination of cryogenic and clean-room technology
Abstract
The modern cryobank equipped with extra-large liquid nitrogen (LN2) containers for long term storage of human cells and tissues for clinical application and with programmable freezers usable for controlled rate freezing of cells and tissues placed in the clean-room of the grade C was opened in the University Hospital Hradec Králové in 2003. The main reason of its establishing was a need of cryotechnological support of the haematology-oncology bone marrow and/or peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation programme.
Since the beginning of the operation of the cryobank the authors have solved important issues connected with the requirements of the European Union Directives and harmonized legal norms of the Czech Republic that were issued subsequently in the years 2004 - 2008. As the new rules also limited the availability of fresh vascular allografts for surgical reconstructions the programme of cryopreservation of arterial and venous allografts for clinical transplantation has been established recently.