CRYOLIFE

CRYOLIFE, established in 1996, is the first family cord blood bank in Asia, and also the first bank in the world to offer a Deferred Payment Storage Plan. As an experienced cord blood bank with a longer history comparing to Japan, Singapore, Mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia, CRYOLIFE leads the local and Asian cord blood storage industry. We are committed to providing premium umbilical specimen storage services and take quality control seriously including collection of sample, running of tests, inventory management and on-going biannual quality assurance program.

Labs and Locations

CRYOLIFE is the first and only cord blood bank in Hong Kong and mainland China to attain AABB accreditation for 14 years in a row. AABB is the highest professional standard recognized by blood banks worldwide. It provides the most advanced infrastructure on blood collection, processing and cryopreservation. Being the largest Hong Kong cord blood bank, CRYOLIFE's laboratory is equipped with advanced backup facilities including power supply and critical equipment, 24-hour security system and clean room.

Business Experience

CRYOLIFE is established and dedicated to the cord blood banking industry since 1996. The company adopts the most advanced storage and processing equipment, to ensure the life-long storage of customers' stem cells. CRYOLIFE offers cord blood stem cells, cord tissue, and placental amniotic membrane cells banking services. The company has the largest stem cell inventory in Hong Kong with 22 cryopreservation tanks.

Collection Kit

CRYOLIFE provides personalized collection kits for clients upon enrollment. The main components of the kit are:

Sterile, single use, enclosed cord blood collection bag (inclusive of JMS blood bags with anticoagulant CPDA-1, and vacutainers etc.).
Povidone Iodine swabsticks for antiseptic preparation of the umbilical cord's surface prior to collecting the cord blood, to reduce chance of contamination.
Balanced salt solution based transport medium for cord tissue collection.

Transportation container

CRYOLIFE's container is thermal-insulated to provide stable storage conditions. A data logger is used to monitor the temperature throughout the transportation process to ensure the cord blood sample maintains a constant temperature. A dedicated and QA accredited courier team to look after the end to end transportation process and guarantee the pick-up time to within 12 hours in HK and within 24 hours in Macau.

Shipping Info

For designated hospitals in the Hong Kong and Macau region, CRYOLIFE staff provides free-of-charge samples collection services upon notification.

Processing Method

CRYOLIFE uses a specialized, FDA-cleared stem cells processing system: AXP™ AutoXpress™ Platform from Thermogenesis. AXP™ consistently retrieves 98.7% MonoNuclear Cells (MNC) and 96.2% Total Nucleated cell (TNC), which is about 18% higher than other systems. Having a functionally closed design system, it offers effective contamination control, stable performance and high collection volume.

Components Stored

Final product stored is the nucleated cells in "buffy coat" fraction (mainly white blood cells and stem cells) with most red cells and plasma removed. CRYOLIFE is the only bank to provide a photo of the stored sample to client for their record.

Storage Method

CRYOLIFE also uses FDA-approved multi-compartment storage bags; either dual-compartment or 4-compartment CRYObags. Each CRYObag has two integrally attached segments to be used for future unit testing. In addition, each CRYObag is sealed inside an overwrap layer as an extra protection against possible cross contamination. The cord blood units are stored in a MVE vapor phase storage system; this means units are suspended above a pool of liquid nitrogen that creates a vapor-phase environment, with temperature of about -190℃ as cold as the cryogenic liquid. All MVE storage tanks are manufactured in the U.S and accredited by CE, and are free from any reliance on electricity for storage. This protects stem cell samples from any problem arising from electricity outages or mechanical failures.

Licensing & Accreditation

Accreditation: CRYOLIFE is the 1^st and only cord blood bank in Hong Kong and mainland China to attain AABB accreditation for 14 years in a row. Apart from basic AABB and ISO accreditations, CRYOLIFE has achieved Q-mark certification from Federation of Hong Kong Industries. CRYOLIFE also participates in a number of quality assurance programs, like CAP, IQAP etc. These are proofs that the techniques, quality, and storage service meet the stringent standard of authoritative organizations.

Professional team: CRYOLIFE is the only cord blood bank in HK with both a Lab Director who holds a Research Doctoral Degree and a Medical Director to be stationed locally in HK.

Quality assurance tests: CRYOLIFE runs quality assurance tests twice a year on randomly selected cord blood of various storage years, and the viability results are published publicly. CRYOLIFE has total confidence in our processing and storage techniques. We are the only cord blood bank in Hong Kong to conduct biannual QA Viability and CFU tests and publish the certified results openly as part of quality assurance to all our clients.

Clinical Experience

CRYOLIFE was the first cord blood bank in Hong Kong to release a private sample for therapy: In 2009, CRYOLIFE released a cord blood sample for treatment of a little girl with cerebral palsy at Duke University. Her sample was kept in perfect condition and was specially couriered to US from HK for autologous cord blood infusion. The cord blood unit, upon thaw, was inspected and rigorously tested. It was found to have over 95% recovery of cord blood stem cells, with its viability far exceeding International standards. After months of post-transplant observation, the little girl not only had her cognitive ability improved significantly, but also without any adverse side effects.

Insurance

CRYOLIFE is the first company in the region to offer StemCellCare protection that is underwritten by Chubb International Insurance Co. StemCellCare guarantees HK$ 380,000 medical insurance coverage for client to undergo stem cell treatment worldwide using cord blood stored with CRYOLIFE.

Community Service

CRYOLIFE gives due consideration to all expectant parents' needs and hopes to provide the opportunity for umbilical cord blood storage without having to worry about financial implications. We offer an exclusive 2-Year Deferred Payment Plan, which allows parents to register now for 18 years of cord blood storage service, and make the decision to continue with the storage service before their baby's 2nd year birthday. This flexible plan has no additional hidden terms tied to it and is designed to ease the expectant parents' financial burden during pregnancy. It is important to treasure the one and only chance to secure and store the baby's umbilical cord blood for the family's medical future at the time of their child'a birth, as the alternative means discarding this important medical resource as medical waste.