Device for Selective Partitioning of Frozen Cellular Products

Cryopreservation using liquid nitrogen frozen polyvinyl bags allows for storing cellular materials for extended periods while maintaining their activity and viability. Such bags are commonly used in the clinic to store blood products including blood cells, plasma, hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical cord blood for future uses including transplantation. These materials, typically obtained in limited quantities, may be of great therapeutic value, as is the case of stem cells or cord blood derived cells which can be used to potentially treat a number of diseases. Currently, even if only a small portion of the cryopreserved sample is needed the whole bag must be thawed, wasting much of the sample or rendering the remaining sample susceptible to contamination since it cannot be effectively refrozen or sterilized. The present device meets an unmet need for retrieving a portion of a frozen sample stored in polyvinyl cryopreserved bags, resealing the remainder of the sample and preserving the cryopreserved state and integrity of the rest of the cellular product without compromising viability and sterility.