Technology.  A single-use container for cryopreservation of sperm, somatic cells, or tissues allowing post-thaw exchange of the medium around thawed cells without dilution of the contents, while the container remains sealed in respect to bacteria.

Potential Industry Applications. Tissue banking; especially, storage and distribution of cell suspensions or sheets of tissue. Allows facile use of best cryoprotectants at concentrations inappropriate for placement into the recipient.

Design Advantages of APD Life Science’s Detector Component. Containers fabricated with major faces of "gated-pore membrane", a capillary-pore membrane with pores filled and sealed with polymers selected to release under predefined conditions [e.g., duration of exposure to water]. Designed to allow, after thawing, transmembrane transfer of product-enhancing post-thaw medium to bath contents and transmembrane discharge of cryopreservation medium. Control solute/solvent gradient between cells and medium.

Product Development. Gated-pore membrane containers designed to hold 5-, 2, 1- or 0.5-mL are available for inspection, together with a device providing a controlled-rate thaw and two versions of a device to replace cryoprotectant medium with post-thaw medium without opening the container. Advantages of controlled-rate removal of cryoprotectant from cells, enabled by these devices, on post-thaw function was demonstrated in extensive studies with sperm [fertility higher when used for artificial insemination].

Patent Protection. Technology is based on five patents licensed from BCSI, for all fields of use other than blood [first patent was issued in 1991 and others in 1993, 2000, 2000, and 2002].

Regulatory. The container can be fabricated entirely using FDA-approved materials. Each sub-licensee would need to gain clearance for their device configuration and use, consistent with evolving regulations on tissue banking and use.

Who is APD Life Science? A successor to BioPore, Inc., and formed in 2003 by Roy H. Hammerstedt, PhD, an Emeritus Professor at Penn State University with 40 years of experience in chemistry/physiology. Poised to license five technologies to end-users on behalf of BioPore and/or APD Life Sciences. Developed and completed two NIH Phase-II SBIR grants [cryostorage of cells and tissues, and detection of bacteria in platelet containers].

APD Life Science’s Business Model. Sub-license of core technology to sub-licensees, starting in the tissue banking and tissue engineering industries. Provision of application-specific consulting on an "as requested" basis. See the APD Life Science standard sub-licensing term sheet for key features to be negotiated.

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