Transporting preserved foods and medicines might be a matter of training. However, shipping such fragile contents as sperms and eggs calls for extensive analyses.

‘Handle with care’ is perhaps one of the most frequent labels on a shipping container carrying fragile goods. Yet the question is how fragile the cargo can get. In the case of transporting frozen sperms and eggs, for instance, what safety measures must cold room shipping containers adhere to?

The use of special shipping containers

In the case of transporting frozen sperms and eggs, the use of special shipping containers is particularly widespread. For instance, a thermos-style container, known as dewar, is used for keeping embryos frozen at a constant temperature for over a week, if not more.

Liquid nitrogen is poured around the container, which is surrounded by foam to prevent an explosion. Most importantly, the presence of green light on the container is vital, since it signals the constancy in temperature. Should it go red, something has gone awry and needs to be probed.

A staggering degree of paperwork

You cannot be afraid of the paperwork that comes with shipping such fragile goods as frozen sperms and eggs. The use of a cryoshipper facilitates a degree of simplification of the process. In the case of cold room shipping containers, cryoshipping provides updated data at all levels.

More importantly, you should be able to track the container online every ten minutes. In the event of a possible misdemeanour, you should contact the concerned shipper for a quick check.

Are you insured?

It is crucial to keep in mind that most cryoshippers do not provide insurance for frozen biomaterials. In that case, it is all the more vital to contact a reliable and reputed cryoshipper.

What makes a lack of insurance dangerous is that, more often than not, one cannot tell if something considerable has gone wrong inside the container carrying the sperm or egg. The signal light is primarily sensitive to temperature changes and air pressure fluctuations. Yet, all kinds of issues might come up and go undetected. In such times, being insured is of big help.

Conclusion

As mentioned at the outset, the shipping of fragile goods calls for more than technical training. In the case of frozen sperms and eggs, which are highly valued biomaterials, care must be taken at all levels, keeping in mind the stakes involved.