Visotubes and goblets are cryogenic storage accessories that sit within the sample chain between the straw or cryo tube and the cryocane. A goblet is a small holder that accepts a straw or visotube and clips onto the cryocane, keeping the sample secure and correctly positioned within the canister. A visotube is a transparent cryogenic storage tube that allows visual inspection of the sample without removing it from the storage vessel.
Why are visotubes used instead of standard straws?
Visotubes offer a key operational advantage: the sample inside can be visually confirmed through the transparent tube without the tube being removed from the goblet, and in some configurations without the cryocane being fully removed from the vessel. This reduces the time a sample spends outside cryogenic temperature during inspection, and reduces the risk of inadvertent warming. In a busy IVF laboratory storing samples from hundreds of patients, the ability to confirm sample location and condition without breaking the cold chain is a meaningful safety advantage.
Are goblets and visotubes interchangeable between manufacturers?
Goblet sizing is not standardised across manufacturers. A goblet designed for one cryocane system may not seat correctly on a cane from a different supplier, creating fit problems that allow the sample to shift position during storage or retrieval. Visotubes must be dimensionally compatible with the goblets in use to sit correctly and allow accurate visual inspection.
The practical consequence is that visotubes and goblets must be verified as compatible with the cryocane system in use – they cannot be assumed to be interchangeable simply because they appear similar in size.
How do visotubes contribute to traceability in a licensed setting?
In an HFEA-licensed laboratory, every sample must be uniquely identifiable at every point in the storage chain. Visotubes, because they allow visual inspection without full retrieval, support traceability by enabling confirmation of sample identity within the vessel rather than at the bench. This reduces handling events and the associated risk of mix-up or temperature excursion.
Visotubes and goblets are not interchangeable commodities. Specifying them as a compatible system with your cryocanes is the only way to ensure they perform their traceability function reliably at -195.8 degrees C.
Cryolab supplies visotubes and goblets specified for compatibility with the cryocane systems in its range. Full details at cryolab.co.uk/ivf-consumables/.
