We are all probably aware that the transport of frozen embryos, sperm and other biological materials is a far more complex logistical challenge than the delivery of ordinary cargo, which is handled by postal operators such as DHL or FedEx. It is therefore not difficult to see that, to transport biological materials, one must engage a specialist company that provides cryogenic logistics services, that is, the transport of biological materials under the correct storage conditions, namely in a specialised environment that maintains the required temperature regime. It is precisely these services that are in high demand amongst clinics and medical institutions worldwide. For example, it is very often impossible to carry out laboratory analysis in the country where the patient is located, so the following approach can be taken: take a sample from the patient in their own country and send it for analysis to another.
In practice, this is a common occurrence in Eastern Europe, where, for example, in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Poland, patients have samples taken at their local healthcare facilities, and these biological samples are subsequently sent to Germany for analysis. This is just one example of how much in demand and widely applicable cryo transportation services can be.
The Challenges of Cryogenic Logistics
If you want to understand just how complex this is and whether it is worth trying to organise such a shipment yourself, we can tell you straight away that it is simply impossible, as such tasks require the involvement of professionals who have the experience and understanding of all the nuances, not only from a technical perspective, but also from a legal one. The international transport of any biological material – be it blood, embryos, semen or other biological samples, must be properly documented, otherwise, problems may arise with customs authorities, leading to delays at the border, which can be highly detrimental to the cargo.
Biological material must be stored under the correct conditions, i.e. at the required temperature, even the high-tech cryogenic containers used for this purpose cannot last indefinitely. Therefore, whilst allowing for a certain margin of autonomous operation, Ark. Cryo ensures that the paperwork is completed and the route is planned so that the cargo reaches the medical facility abroad for research as quickly as possible.
Author of the information article: Arkcryo.com