For IVF clinics, fertility research units, and cell banking operations in the UK, the gold standard in large liquid nitrogen storage is a high-capacity, racked vessel with low LN2 evaporation, an organised internal system that allows fast sample retrieval, and full UKCA compliance for clinical environments. The vessel needs to do more than hold nitrogen. It needs to support a clinical workflow where multiple people may be accessing samples throughout the day, where the organisation of hundreds or thousands of individual straws, vials, and goblets must be immediately navigable, and where a failure of any kind has consequences that extend well beyond the cost of the equipment itself.

What makes a large LN2 dewar suitable for IVF?

IVF laboratories have specific requirements that set them apart from general research or industrial cryogenic storage. Samples are irreplaceable – embryos, oocytes, and sperm cannot be recreated if lost due to vessel failure or poor organisation. The vessel must maintain a consistent storage temperature of −196°C with minimal fluctuation. The internal organisation system must allow any individual sample to be located and retrieved quickly without disturbing other stored material. And the vessel must be UKCA and CE certified for use in a UK clinical or NHS environment.

  • Stable −196°C storage with low evaporation rate and minimal temperature fluctuation
  • Organised internal system: rack or canister-based for fast, disruption-free sample retrieval
  • Capacity matched to programme size — a growing IVF clinic should not be refilling every few weeks
  • UKCA + CE certification for NHS and private clinical compliance
  • Vacuum and parts warranty for operational confidence

Cryolab CryoNest® Series: purpose-built for IVF

The Cryolab CryoNest® Series is designed specifically to meet these requirements. Available in three sizes — the XL (95 litres), XXL (145 litres), and XXXL (175 litres) — the CryoNest® range uses a proprietary internal rack system providing between 24 and 30 organised compartments per vessel. All three models share a footprint of 678mm wide, meaning high capacity does not translate into a disproportionate demand on laboratory floor space.

Advanced vacuum insulation keeps LN2 evaporation low and hold times long, reducing refill frequency and operational cost. The rack system is designed for fast retrieval: samples are accessible without the need to disturb adjacent material, which matters significantly in high-access environments where time is a clinical variable. Every CryoNest® vessel is UKCA and CE marked and carries a 5-year vacuum warranty and 2-year parts warranty.

CryoNest® Series is trusted by NHS hospitals, private IVF clinics, fertility research facilities, and biobanks across the UK and internationally — supplied by Cryolab, a specialist cryogenic supplier with over 40 years of experience in the IVF sector.

Choosing the right CryoNest® model

  • CryoNest® XL (95L, up to 24 compartments): Suitable for established IVF programmes with moderate to high sample volumes and regular access.
  • CryoNest® XXL (145L, up to 30 compartments): Ideal for busy multi-clinician fertility units or growing biobank operations where refill frequency needs to reduce.
  • CryoNest® XXXL (175L, up to 30 compartments): The highest-capacity option for high-volume NHS fertility centres, private clinics with extensive patient lists, or research institutions managing large biological sample inventories.

To discuss your clinic’s storage requirements, request a quote, or speak directly with a cryogenic specialist, contact Cryolab at info@cryolab.co.uk or visit cryolab.co.uk/product-category/storage-vessels/