There is a number that reframes every conversation about cryogenic equipment procurement: the cryogenic equipment market generated USD 532.2 million in revenue in 2023 in the UK alone and is expected to reach USD 790.5 million by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.8%. Globally, the market was valued at USD 26.5 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 45.4 billion by 2033. That growth is being driven by the life sciences, healthcare, energy, and research sectors worldwide. The expansion of IVF treatment, biobanking, cell therapy, and biological research is creating sustained demand for cryogenic storage, transport, and refrigeration equipment of a quality and specification that the broader industrial market has rarely needed to prioritise.

This guide covers the cryogenic equipment landscape as it applies to IVF laboratories, research institutions, and fertility clinics – from understanding what each equipment category actually does, to knowing what specifications to interrogate before signing a purchase order.

What is cryogenic equipment and why does it matter for laboratories?

Cryogenic equipment is any device, vessel, or system designed to produce, store, transport, or apply materials at temperatures below -150°C. In an IVF laboratory or biological research context, this almost always means equipment that works with liquid nitrogen at -196°C – the standard cryogenic medium for long-term preservation of embryos, oocytes, sperm, stem cells, and tissue samples.

By product segment, tanks dominate the cryogenic equipment market with a revenue share of 32.8 per cent in 2025, and the storage application segment accounts for 56.2 per cent of market revenue. This dominance reflects the fundamental role that storage plays across every sector that uses cryogenic technology. In a laboratory context, it means that the storage vessel – the dewar, the cryogenic tank, the LN2 freezer – sits at the centre of the entire cryogenic programme.

What makes cryogenic equipment different from ordinary cold storage is the combination of temperatures involved and the passive mechanism by which those temperatures are maintained. A cryogenic storage vessel does not use compressors, refrigerants, or power circuits to stay cold. It uses vacuum insulation – a double-walled construction with a high vacuum between the walls that removes the medium through which heat would otherwise travel. The result is a system that can hold -196°C for weeks or months without any energy input, with no moving parts, and with no mechanical failure modes.

The cryogenic freezer: what it is and what it is not

The term cryogenic freezer is sometimes used loosely to describe any freezer operating at very low temperatures. In the context of biological sample storage, it specifically refers to a vacuum-insulated vessel using liquid nitrogen rather than a mechanical refrigeration system.

This distinction matters practically. A mechanical ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer reaches approximately -80°C. That is insufficient for long-term cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes, for which the critical biological preservation threshold is approximately -130°C. Below -130°C, cellular metabolism stops, enzymatic activity ceases, and biological material can be stored without degradation for extended periods. A ULT freezer at -80°C does not reach this threshold. A cryogenic freezer using liquid nitrogen at -196°C provides a 66°C safety margin below it.

The practical advantages of a cryogenic freezer over a mechanical ULT in a clinical setting are substantial. No power dependency means samples remain protected during power outages. No moving parts means no compressor failures. No refrigerant means no risk of refrigerant-related contamination or regulatory issues. And the passive nature of the insulation means that performance is predictable, consistent, and not subject to the variability that affects mechanical systems at the extremes of their operating range.

Cryolab’s CryoNest series of LN2 storage tanks is available in XL, XXL, and XXXL models with storage volumes from 95 to 175 litres, designed for busy IVF clinics handling large sample inventories, with advanced insulation systems and safety features including temperature monitoring and pressure relief mechanisms. View the CryoNest range.

Cryogenic tanks: types, specifications and selection criteria

Cryogenic tanks in a laboratory and clinical setting cover several distinct product categories, each with a different function in the cryopreservation workflow.

Laboratory storage dewars are open-necked, non-pressurised vessels used for the static long-term storage of biological material. They are the primary storage vessel in most IVF laboratories. Selection criteria include storage capacity, neck diameter, evaporation rate, racking system design, and vacuum integrity.

Evaporation rate is the specification that procurement decisions most consistently underweight. It determines how quickly the vessel loses liquid nitrogen under normal operating conditions, which in turn determines how long samples remain protected between top-ups and what safety margin exists if supply is disrupted. Cryogenic storage vessels are available from compact 1 to 3 litre bench-top units through to 500-litre-plus floor-standing vessels with automated liquid nitrogen supply, with the 20 to 100 litre range the most common in IVF clinics, veterinary practices, university laboratories, and hospital research.

Vapour phase storage tanks hold samples above the liquid nitrogen surface in the cold vapour layer, typically at temperatures between -140°C and -190°C depending on vessel design and LN2 level. The primary advantage over liquid phase storage is the elimination of cross-contamination risk through the liquid medium. For fertility clinics where regulatory audit trails for sample integrity are a material consideration, vapour phase storage is increasingly the preferred configuration.

Pressurised supply tanks and bulk storage vessels operate at higher pressures, typically 5 to 10 bar, and are subject to pressure system safety regulations. They serve a different function – dispensing and bulk storage of LN2 for filling laboratory vessels – rather than long-term sample storage.

Vacuum insulated cryogenic storage tanks: the engineering behind the performance

The vacuum jacket in a cryogenic storage tank is not merely a design feature – it is the entire basis of the vessel’s performance. Heat can travel by conduction through solid materials, by convection through gases and liquids, and by radiation through any medium. The vacuum jacket eliminates the solid and gaseous conduction and convection pathways almost completely. A multilayer reflective inner surface addresses radiant heat transfer. Together these mechanisms reduce the effective thermal conductivity of the vessel wall to a small fraction of what any solid insulation material could achieve.

The quality of the vacuum is the most critical manufacturing variable. A dewar with compromised vacuum – from mechanical damage, manufacturing defect, or simply age-related degradation of the vacuum seal – will show characteristic external signs: frost or condensation forming on the outer shell, and an abnormally high LN2 evaporation rate. Either sign requires immediate removal of the vessel from service, transfer of contents to a serviceable unit, and quarantine pending competent person inspection.

The neck design of a vacuum insulated cryogenic tank is a secondary but significant engineering consideration. The neck is the primary route through which heat enters the vessel from the ambient environment – via conduction down the neck tube and convection and evaporation through the open aperture. Narrow neck designs minimise both routes of heat ingress but restrict access. Wide neck designs improve ergonomics during sample loading and retrieval but accept a higher evaporation rate as a trade-off.

Cryogenic refrigeration vs mechanical refrigeration: the key differences for laboratory procurement

The decision between cryogenic refrigeration and mechanical ultra-low temperature refrigeration is one that faces many laboratories setting up or upgrading their storage programmes. The comparison is not straightforward because the two approaches do not overlap at the same temperature range.

Mechanical ULT freezers reach -80°C. For applications where -80°C is sufficient – certain reagent storage, some tissue samples, and short-term biological material – they are a practical choice. They do not require LN2 supply, and their temperature is actively controlled and monitored by the refrigeration system.

For long-term embryo, oocyte, and sperm storage, -80°C is not sufficient. The -130°C biological preservation threshold requires liquid nitrogen-based cryogenic refrigeration, and there is no mechanical alternative that reliably and cost-effectively achieves this in a laboratory setting.

Cryogenic facilities: what laboratories need to comply

A compliant cryogenic facility in a laboratory or fertility clinic requires ventilated storage space, fixed oxygen depletion monitoring, documented emergency procedures, and a temperature monitoring system with out-of-hours alarm notification. The regulatory framework varies by country but the core safety principles are consistent: adequate ventilation to prevent oxygen depletion, fixed monitoring with audible alarms, and documented emergency procedures.

Ventilation is the requirement most frequently under-specified. The room must be ventilated to ensure that a complete spill of the largest vessel in the room cannot drive atmospheric oxygen below the critical asphyxiation threshold of 19.5 per cent. Liquid nitrogen expands to approximately 694 times its volume when it returns to gas at room temperature, meaning even a modest spill in a confined space can rapidly create dangerous oxygen depletion conditions with no sensory warning.

The cryogenic industry and what the market means for laboratories

The global cryogenic equipment market was estimated at USD 21.4 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow from USD 22.5 billion in 2026 to USD 37 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 5.7%, driven by adoption of advanced LNG liquefaction systems and increasing integration of automated valve assemblies to enhance low-temperature operations.

For laboratory professionals, the relevant implication of cryogenic industry growth is twofold. First, sustained investment in manufacturing and technology development across the sector benefits end users through improved product performance, better instrumentation, and longer vessel lifetimes. Second, global supply chain pressures affecting specialist materials and manufacturing capacity can influence availability and lead times for specific products, particularly at the higher specification end of the biological storage market.

Cryogenic gas industries: which gases matter for IVF and research

The cryogenic gas industries produce liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid argon, liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, and LNG. For IVF laboratories and biological research, liquid nitrogen at -196°C is the relevant cryogenic gas in almost every storage and cryopreservation application. Liquid oxygen is used in medical gas supply. Liquid hydrogen is an emerging energy carrier with growing global infrastructure investment.

The Europe cryogenic equipment market alone is projected to reach USD 5.95 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2025, with key players including Air Liquide, Wessington Cryogenics, Sulzer, Air Products, and Parker Hannifin operating in the region.

How Cryolab supports laboratories worldwide with cryogenic equipment

Cryolab has supplied cryogenic equipment to IVF clinics, fertility units, sperm banks, and research institutions for over 40 years. ISO 9001:2015 certified and based in Chichester, the business supplies the full range of cryogenic storage and laboratory equipment needed by fertility and research programmes globally: vacuum-insulated storage vessels, dry shippers, vitrification kits, cryogenic canes and sleeves, safety wear, and sperm analysis equipment.

The Cryolab team works directly with embryologists, laboratory managers, and procurement professionals to specify equipment suited to the programme, facility, and regulatory requirements of each customer. Use CryoGPT, Cryolab’s AI assistant for cryogenic and IVF laboratory questions, contact the Cryolab team directly, or browse the full storage vessel range.