Dry shippers are specialized containers for transporting temperature-sensitive materials across various industries. They maintain ultra-low temperatures, preserving the integrity of delicate biological samples. These shippers offer a secure and reliable method for moving valuable specimens requiring cryogenic conditions, without the risks of free-standing liquid coolants. This technology is important for maintaining sample viability during transit.
Understanding Dry Shippers
Dry shippers function as cryo-shippers that utilize an internal adsorbent material, such as silica gel or activated carbon. This material acts like a sponge, soaking up liquid nitrogen (LN2) and holding it securely within its porous structure. Instead of containing free-standing liquid nitrogen, these shippers create a vapor-phase cryogenic environment. This design allows them to maintain extremely cold temperatures, typically below -150°C, without any liquid nitrogen sloshing around. This absence of free liquid is a key characteristic, ensuring stability and safety during transportation.
Primary Benefits of Dry Shipper Technology
Dry shipper technology offers an enhanced safety profile. Because there is no free-standing liquid nitrogen within the container, risks of spills, splashes, or cryogenic burns are virtually eliminated for handlers. This design also prevents pressure buildup, making them safer for both personnel and the samples they carry.
Dry shippers offer benefits in regulatory compliance and ease of transport. They are classified as non-hazardous for transport under regulations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations and 49 CFR 173.120(b). This classification simplifies shipping logistics, reduces paperwork, and often lowers overall shipping costs compared to traditional liquid nitrogen dewars.
Dry shippers provide extended holding times. These devices can maintain ultra-low temperatures for prolonged periods, frequently exceeding 20 days, without requiring a refill of liquid nitrogen. This extended capacity is important for long-distance or international shipments, where transit times can be unpredictable.
Maintaining sample integrity is important when transporting biological materials. The stable, ultra-low vapor-phase environment protects sensitive biological samples, including cells, tissues, DNA, and vaccines, from thermal degradation. This ensures the viability and quality of samples are preserved from origin to destination.
Dry shippers are lighter in weight compared to traditional liquid nitrogen dewars. This reduced weight contributes to lower shipping expenses and makes containers easier to handle and maneuver. Many dry shippers are also designed for reusability, providing a cost-effective and environmentally conscious option over multiple shipments.
Diverse Applications of Dry Shippers
Dry shippers are used across a wide range of scientific and medical fields. In the biopharmaceutical industry, they are routinely used for the safe transport of clinical trial materials, including investigational vaccines and therapeutic cells. This ensures the integrity of sensitive drug components from manufacturing sites to clinical trial locations.
Research and academic institutions rely on dry shippers for moving delicate samples between laboratories or to collaborating researchers worldwide. This facilitates inter-institutional studies and the sharing of valuable biological resources. Biobanking facilities also utilize these shippers for the long-term storage and secure transfer of biological specimens, maintaining their viability for future research or clinical use.
The field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) uses dry shippers for the secure transportation of cryopreserved eggs, sperm, and embryos. This allows for the safe movement of genetic material between fertility clinics, supporting procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Dry shippers are also employed in veterinary medicine for shipping animal genetics and in forensic science for transporting sensitive evidence that requires temperature control.