Comparison of 4 Methods for Scalable Kinetic (Fast) Vitrification of Cells: From Theoretical Considerations to Feasibility and Practicality

Abstract

Kinetic (very rapid) vitrification (K-VF) is a promising approach for cryopreservation (CP) of cells but existing methods are not scalable due to the Liedenfrost effect (LFE), which substantially impedes the rate of cooling. Here, we compare 4 emerging approaches that discuss scalability and ultra-fast cooling, namely, cryogenic oscillating heat pipes (COHP), microstructured evaporation in thin films, K-VF in nanodroplets and thin film evaporation in microstructured with our methods of hyperfast cooling KrioBlastTM. We show that only KrioBlastTM can ensure hyper-fast rates of cooling by elimination of the LFE. The logistics and other aspects of practicality of 4 methods are also discussed.