The deep-freezing and storing of cells is made possible by using liquid nitrogen (-196°). Under these circumstances the cells can be stored for a longer period of time, which does not have an impact on the viability and function of the cells. The following cells can be deep-frozen at our institute using specific preservation methods: 

• Sperm cells from the ejaculate, sperm cells from the epididymis, or from the testicle tissues
• Egg cells
• Egg cells in Vorkernstadium (for example in case of an overstimulation)
• Embryos between day 2 to 6 
• Ovarial tissue (for example for cancer patients)

1. Freezing sperm cells:

Sperm cells can be won  from the ejaculate, the epididymis, or from the testicle tissues. These sperm cells can be deep-frozen and used for a further treatment. They can be used for insemination, IVF or ICSI. Patients with a busy schedule can benefit from it. 

Especially for patients, who go through chemotherapy or radiation therapy it is useful to deep-freeze sperm in advance for a later treatment, since the testicule tissue is often severely damaged after radiation or chemotherapy.

Studies show that sperm cells that have been stored for almost 30 years do not suffer from restrictions in terms of quality. This also applies to men who wish to get sterilized. Sperm cells from donors can also be deep-frozen. Sometime after the preservation, the donor will get tested again for specific infection parameters; afterwards the stored cells can be used for heterologeous insemination. 

2. Freezing egg cells:

a) In some countries (for example Italy) a preservation of egg cells is necessary by law.

Because of socio-economic circumstances and the possibility of a reversed contraception (or also: because of the 21st century) women decide to start a family at a later time in life, meaning after they graduated from the university or finished their job trainings, or after stabilizing the financial situation, etc. Most of the time this happens after the age of 35.

b) Because of these facts and out of biological reasons (aged egg cells rarely lead to a pregnancy over the age of 40) we recommend to deep-freeze egg cells at a very young age (between 20 and 30 years of age) precautionary, in order to achieve a pregnancy later in life, since the chances to become pregnant are higher using your own young egg cells. 

We are offering this deep-freezing technique of egg cells on the highest technical level.

3. Deep-freezing of egg cells in the Vorkernstadium:

Egg cells in the Vorkernstadium are well qualified to be deep-frozen. The thawing-up rate and the further development-rate to the blastocyst stage are very good.

4. Embryos:

Embryos can be deep-frozen in every stage of their development (from day 2 to day 6). For this we are using two methods: slow deep-freezing and vitrification – depending on the stage of the embryo, we apply the best deep-freezing method. The remaining embryos can get preserved and used at a later time in life. 

Slow deep-freezing/Slow thawing-up
Ice-formation can be controlled by Seeding 
- special deep-freezing systems with  N2
- suitable for Pronuclei up to d3/d4-Embryos, the fewer cells, the higher the survival rate

Vitrification/Glazing
Liquids are being transferred directly in a firm condition without granulation
- Embryos in Cryomedium/Osmotic cushion
- shock-deep-freezing to  –196°C in liquid N2; Hemistraws
- especially suited for blastocysts (d5/d6, Blastozoel!)

5.Ovarian tissue:

If the ovaries get damaged due to an illness, which makes it harder or sometimes also impossible to become pregnant, there is a possibility to deep-freeze ovarian tissue instead of egg cells.  

Women, who did not find the right partner or who decide to put their career before starting a family can deep-freeze egg cells or ovarian tissue at the age of 25 to 30 for a later treatment.