An analytical method to evaluate cooling rates during cryopreservation protocols for organs.

Area of Science:

• Cryobiology
• Biophysics
• Heat Transfer

Background:

• Accurate temperature monitoring is crucial for successful cryopreservation.
• Understanding heat transfer dynamics in biological tissues during freezing is complex.
• Current methods for estimating internal cooling rates can be cumbersome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward graphical procedure for estimating cooling rates within biological media during freezing.
• To enable determination of outer surface temperature corresponding to specific internal temperatures.
• To provide a versatile tool applicable to various biological compositions and cryoprotective agent concentrations.

Main Methods:

• Established a simple graphical procedure for thermal analysis.
• Utilized finite element numerical analysis to generate data.
• Validated the graphical method against numerical simulations.

Main Results:

• The graphical procedure accurately estimates cooling rates at any specified location and temperature.
• The method allows for the determination of outer surface temperature at a given internal temperature.
• Results are applicable across a range of biological media and cryoprotectant concentrations.

Conclusions:

• The developed graphical procedure offers a practical approach to managing freezing rates in cryobiology.
• This method can enhance the optimization of cryopreservation protocols.
• The findings support broader applications in preserving biological samples with varying compositions.