The goblet and canister system is the organisational architecture of your liquid nitrogen storage vessel. It is how thousands of individual patient samples are kept not just cold, but identifiable, accessible and traceable in a regulated clinical environment.
How the System Works
A canister is a cylindrical container that sits within the neck of your storage vessel. Each canister holds a number of goblets. A goblet holds the visotubes or cryodevices containing individual samples. The hierarchy is: vessel holds canisters, canisters hold goblets, goblets hold visotubes, visotubes hold straws or carrier devices. Each level corresponds to a level of patient identification and sample grouping.
How to Configure the System for Your Lab
A common approach in UK IVF labs is to assign one canister per patient cohort for active treatment cycles, or one canister per patient for long-term storage. Goblets within the canister separate sample types – embryos in one goblet, gametes in another. Colour coding at the goblet and visotube level provides a rapid visual identification layer that is particularly valuable when the vessel is accessed in time-pressured clinical situations.
Cryolab supplies CBS goblets and canisters in multiple sizes and colours, compatible with the CryoNest range, along with visotubes and cryocanes for complete canister configuration.
The Traceability Imperative
HFEA requires that every sample in storage can be positively identified at any point during its storage period. The goblet and canister configuration you choose is your primary traceability system. A logical, consistently applied configuration that is documented in your laboratory procedures will satisfy HFEA inspectors and, more importantly, will protect your patients.
For configuration advice specific to your vessel and programme, contact the Cryolab team or use CryoGPT.
