The word "cryogenesis" evokes common science fiction scenarios in books and films such as bodies being frozen to undertake light-year space travel or to be awakened in the distant future.
An imaginary that has created a lot of confusion around the scientific reality of cryogenesis and the cryo chamber, spreading very polarized opinions such as: we can do as in the films / it's all nonsense.
In reality, cryogenesis is a technology that actually exists and is applied in numerous sectors, from medicine to scientific research, although it is (still) far from its fictional representation.
Today we see what a cryo chamber is, what temperature it reaches and what its applications are.
What is a Cryo Chamber?
Cryogenics comes from Greek and means generation of cold. This is why it is the name we use for all those technologies designed to produce extremely low temperatures.
Although the term alludes to the generation of cold itself, today it is used for all those devices that can generate temperatures that go below those of ultra-low temperature freezers. The commonly shared threshold is -145° or -230 F.
In fact, to overcome that threshold it is necessary to use cryogenic fluids, i.e. gases in a liquid state characterized by extremely low temperatures. Liquid nitrogen is generally used.
A cryo chamber is therefore a laboratory instrument specifically designed to reach these extreme temperatures with the aid of cryogenic fluids.
Cryo chambers are always environments hermetically isolated from the outside, inside which it is possible to reach these environmental conditions, but they can be of various sizes depending on the fields of application.
So, what is a cryo chamber for?
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What is a Cryo Chamber used for?
Generating environments with extremely low temperatures can have many uses which we can however divide into two main fields: cryotherapy and cryopreservation.
Cryotherapy is one of the best-known applications of cryo chambers, particularly in the field of sports medicine and wellness.
This technique consists of exposing the body or parts of it to extremely low temperatures for short periods, usually between -110°C and -140°C. During a cryotherapy session, the body reacts to the drastic reduction in temperature by reducing blood flow to the exposed area, which can reduce inflammation and pain. This treatment is highly regarded for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and muscle recovery benefits, accelerating healing and improving athletic performance.
Cryopreservation, on the other hand, concerns medical and scientific research. Those temperatures are in fact ideal for effectively preserving some types of biological samples, such as cells, tissues, embryos and other genetic materials.
At extremely low temperatures, biological activity stops almost completely, allowing long-term storage without degradation.
Cryo Chamber, Freezer or Ultra Freezer?
However, cryo chambers are not the only tool used by medical and scientific research for the preservation of samples. In fact, next to them we find freezers and ultra-freezers.
The former generally reach temperatures between -15° and -25°, while the latter even reach -80°.
As can be deduced from what we have already said, cryo chambers are by far the best performing of the three, reaching at least -145° to be defined as such and are the only ones to use liquid nitrogen as a cooling medium.
However, this performativity entails a high cost in terms of energy and raw materials and, consequently, also in economic terms.
For this reason, for most samples, research institutes use ultra-low temperature freezers, especially if the storage period does not need to be excessively long.
We talked about it in more depth here.
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