Sperm, Egg & Embryo Banking

Manhattan CryoBank provides sperm, egg and embryo banking as an option to preserve fertility for future use. According to the client’s specific wishes, these specimens can later be thawed and used in an attempt to conceive a child through therapeutic insemination or other assisted reproductive techniques. Our secure storage facility and flexible storage plans provide short-term and long-term banking options at competitive prices.

Why choose Sperm Banking (storage)?

•	To preserve semen for deferred inseminations when an intimate partner is temporarily absent, i.e. military service. Therapeutic insemination using their cryopreserved semen allows such couples a chance to follow their desired plan.
•	Some men discover they have diseases or must undergo treatment or surgery that will cause permanent sterilization or genetic damage. As cancer detection and treatment techniques improve, more cancer conditions are being detected at younger ages in men, with better and longer survival rates. Therefore, more men in their fertile years are now considering this option.
•	Some fertile men wish to have a vasectomy, but still desire to keep a possible option open to father children should their circumstances change in the future.
•	Some men are engaged in high-risk occupations, including at-work exposure to radiation or dangerous chemicals, and wish to ensure a future chance to father children.
•	Professional athletes who risk testicular injury.
•	A couple or a single woman may elect to use sperm from a directed (designated) donor to achieve a pregnancy. We quarantine the semen for a period of time while the donor is screened for infectious diseases.

Why choose Egg and/or Embryo Storage?

•	When fertility is at risk due to illness or surgery.
•	To delay childbearing until a later date.
•	Egg/Embryo storage gives women who have completed IVF (In vitro fertilization) treatment the option to preserve the unused embryos for potential use in the future.
•	Your IVF center has limited storage space.
•	Your IVF center is closing.

Is there a time limit to store specimens?
Proven, long-established techniques enable cryopreserved specimens to be stored indefinitely in liquid nitrogen. Based on current data, frozen sperm/embryos can remain viable for an indefinite period of time. Pregnancies with good outcome have been reported following thawing and use of frozen sperm/embryos for over a decade.

Where are the specimens stored?
Our storage facility is a New York State licensed tissue bank and FDA registered storage facility. The frozen specimens (vials, straws) are immersed in liquid nitrogen and stored in cryogenic tanks at a temperature of -196°C (-321°F). The liquid nitrogen is independent of any source of power. Embryo/Egg specimens are stored in cryogenic storage tanks that are separate than those used for sperm specimens.

What happens after the specimens are stored?
Our laboratory staff performs daily quality controls to ensure each cryogenic tank is in good condition. We monitor the liquid nitrogen level of each tank and replenish the liquid nitrogen as needed. The storage area is locked at all times and access is limited to authorized personnel only.

The laboratory staff will follow written standard operating procedures pertaining to the storage, maintenance, retrieval and transfer of frozen specimens to ensure cryogenic safety. Complete records are maintained on all stored tissues and activities pertaining to the stored specimens.

Manhattan CryoBank’s specialized staff is certified by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) and is highly experienced in Cryogenic Storage.

For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact our office.