How IVF Labs Are Reclaiming Space, Safety, and Control—Without Expanding a Single Square Foot
The Cryo Storage Problem
IVF labs are facing mounting pressure to expand cryo storage without expanding square footage. Many rely on equipment designed decades ago, not built specifically for human biological material. The most common tank in the field – the small, narrow neck portable dewars (like the MVE XC 47/11s or the Taylor-Wharton HC35/38s) - holds roughly 180 canes and requires manual refilling. In practice, labs often resort to stacking multiple tanks or improvising unsafe configurations that stretch manufacturer guidelines and compromise safety protocols.
Manual insertion and extraction of samples only compounds the problem. Without integrated digital tracking or witnessing at the point of entry, sample handling introduces a weak link in the chain of custody—leaving clinics vulnerable to human error, mislabeling, or worse.
IVF LABS ARE LOSING SPACE, TIME & CONTROL
Reclaim 200% More Cryo Capacity Without Adding a Single Square Foot
Here’s what you're up against:
Cryo tanks filled to unsafe levels
Manual sample handling prone to human error
No digital trail for chain of custody
Floor space stretched beyond capacity
Cryohexagon’s hexagonal grid racking system quadruples storage capacity within your existing footprint while enhancing safety, ergonomics, and access. See how other embryology labs are saving space while improving control and safety.
Unsafe Workarounds Multiply as Labs Run Out of Room
Space constraints are among the most cited frustrations from IVF lab directors, particularly as they try to accommodate increasing volumes of stored biological material. Many labs, short on expansion options, are using storage techniques that introduce risk—placing samples in tanks not under warranty or configuring them beyond their design intent. In some cases, labs have begun considering off-site storage, which introduces new operational challenges and cost burdens.
According to Cryohexagon’s internal field data, it is not uncommon for labs to avoid preventative maintenance altogether due to the risk and complexity of removing densely packed samples. In these cases, routine service becomes a tradeoff between safety and sample integrity.
10,000 Cycles, No More Floor Space
Dr. Roee Sela, former lab director at a leading Israeli IVF Center, managed over 10,000 treatment cycles annually and faced a mounting storage crisis with no additional floor space available. He had exhausted every option with conventional storage solutions, relying on square canisters that couldn’t be stacked and that lacked internal support structures.
Dr. Sela observed that removing a single canister could destabilize neighboring ones. With no lids or containment safeguards, an accident could send valuable samples plunging into the tank—creating high potential for loss. Accessing individual canes or goblets required leaning deep into the tank and working in suboptimal conditions. These risks and inefficiencies prompted him to co-develop a hexagonal grid system that independently supports each canister and creates a flat, ergonomic working surface submerged in LN2.
The Design Tweak That 5x’ed Sample Storage
While some labs have addressed storage demands by upgrading to larger cryogenic freezers, there is still considerable untapped potential within these units. By integrating CryoHexagon’s proprietary racking system, a standard entry-level cryogenic freezer can achieve up to 4x the storage capacity of generic racking solutions. This is made possible through the hexagonal grid generated by the custom frame and redesigned canisters, which together allow many of the larger cryogenic freezers to store the equivalent of several dozen portable dewar tanks.
To put this into perspective, when installed in smaller variants of these large freezers—models that occupy almost the same floor space as a single portable dewar tank and have the CryoHexagon system installed, can deliver storage capacity equivalent to 16 portable dewars. In an IVF lab, where every square meter is at a premium, this represents an exceptional leap in storage efficiency.
Dr. Roee Sela faced this challenge directly. With over 10,000 treatment cycles annually and no room left to expand, Dr. Sela helped develop the hexagonal structure to support canisters independently, preventing tipping and allowing embryologists to work at a safe, accessible height. Unlike conventional models, Cryohexagon’s solution creates a stable, flat working surface submerged in LN2, mitigating risk and improving ergonomics.
IVF LABS ARE LOSING SPACE, TIME & CONTROL
Reclaim 200% More Cryo Capacity Without Adding a Single Square Foot
Here’s what you're up against:
Cryo tanks filled to unsafe levels
Manual sample handling prone to human error
No digital trail for chain of custody
Floor space stretched beyond capacity
Cryohexagon’s hexagonal grid racking system quadruples storage capacity within your existing footprint while enhancing safety, ergonomics, and access. See how other embryology labs are saving space while improving control and safety.