Shipping Embryos to Your Surrogate’s Clinic

Finding a Frozen Embryo Shipping Company

When transferring embryos to another clinic, your choice of professional matters. Although transferring your embryos from one clinic to another is possible on your own, working with a professional gives you the experience and expertise to ensure it’s done safely and properly.

An easy place to start when looking at professionals who can transfer embryos to another clinic is their standing with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There are a number of professional services that specifically handle the transfer of embryos to another clinic but registration with the FDA is required for any shipping services in the U.S. that has to do with the recovery, processing, storage, labeling, packaging, or distribution of human tissue and cells.

Here are three factors to consider when choosing who to ship your frozen embryos with:

Temperature Control

Vitrification is the process by which embryos are frozen.

Starting with a cryoprotectant agent that stops ice crystals that can damage the embryos from forming, the embryos are then frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at -321°F.

Vitrfication at -321°F halts all cellular activity, preserving fertility by enabling them to be thawed and used at an optimal time.

Shipping frozen embryos in “dry shipper” tanks offers protection to ensure that they stay at the necessary temperature.

Packaging

Transferring embryos to another clinic is done with dry shipper tanks because of how it protects the frozen embryos.

These tanks contain an inner absorbent material that retains the liquid nitrogen to keep a stable temperature during transport.

Inside the tanks, the frozen embryos are securely stored within a canister that prevents damage or movement. Inside that canister are vials or straws that contain the embryos.

Monitoring During Transit

Sensors and data loggers are ways to monitor the temperature while shipping frozen embryos.

Depending on the professional you work with, some couriers provide personal escorts that stay with the dry shipper tanks until delivery.

These attendants ensure the container remains upright while being able to promptly address any temperature issues that arise during transit.

They also take precautions to prevent damage to the frozen embryos from potential hazards during shipping, such as X-ray scans that could harm sensitive cells.