The right size liquid nitrogen storage vessel depends on three things working together: how many biological samples you store, how often you and your team access the vessel during the working day, and how much floor space your laboratory or clinic can realistically dedicate to cryogenic storage. Getting the balance wrong in any of those three areas has real consequences either you are refilling too frequently, your LN2 evaporation rate is too high due to constant access, or you have committed valuable lab space to a vessel far larger than your workflow justifies.
Understanding the capacity options
As a starting point, most IVF clinics and biological research facilities storing between 500 and 2,000 straws or vials operate effectively with a vessel in the 30–47 litre range. Smaller practices managing fewer than 500 samples can often work with a 20–30 litre dewar, provided the vessel has good vacuum insulation and a static hold time of at least 60 days. Larger units — busy IVF programmes, NHS fertility centres, biobanks, or research institutions with high sample turnover will benefit significantly from a high-capacity vessel in the 95–175 litre range, where fewer refills, better organisation, and lower long-term cost per sample stored make the investment straightforward to justify.
Compact vessels: CryoCan Series (30–47 litres)
For labs where space and budget efficiency are priorities, Cryolab’s CryoCan Series offers three models: the CryoCan 30-6 (30 litres, six canisters), CryoCan 47-6 (47 litres, six canisters), and CryoCan 47-10 (47 litres, ten canisters). All three are manufactured from high-strength, lightweight aluminium alloy with ultra-low LN2 consumption and market-leading hold times — the CryoCan 30-6 achieves approximately 70 days of static hold time. The canister-based internal system keeps samples organised and accessible. Roller bases are available for all models.
High-capacity vessels: CryoNest® Series (95–175 litres)
For larger operations, Cryolab’s CryoNest® Series is available in three configurations: the CryoNest® XL (95 litres, up to 24 compartments), the CryoNest® XXL (145 litres, up to 30 compartments), and the CryoNest® XXXL (175 litres, up to 30 compartments). Despite their capacity, all three models share a footprint of 678mm wide — remarkably compact for the volume they hold. Advanced vacuum insulation keeps LN2 evaporation low, and the proprietary rack system means fast, organised sample retrieval even in high-access clinical environments.
Quick decision guide
- Under 500 samples, infrequent access: CryoCan 30-6 (30L, six canisters)
- 500–2,000 samples, moderate access: CryoCan 47-6 or 47-10 (47L)
- High-volume IVF clinic or growing biobank: CryoNest® XL, XXL or XXXL (95–175L)
- NHS hospital or multi-clinician environment: CryoNest® XXL or XXXL with rack system
Both series carry UKCA and CE certification, a 5-year vacuum warranty, and a 2-year parts warranty. If you are still unsure which capacity is right for your workflow, the Cryolab team can help you specify based on your actual sample numbers and access patterns. Contact us at info@cryolab.co.uk or visit cryolab.co.uk
