1. The container material. The traditional box that works well for ambient and refrigerated therapies needs to be evaluated at cryogenic temperatures.

2. The container shape. Wrapping labels around the corners of a rectangular container while wearing protective gloves and keeping the box and label inside a CryoCart can be challenging and time-consuming. Given the amount of information required on the label, are the container and its shape optimal? How many containers are expected to be shipped in a single dry shipper?  

3. The container closure. Folding and closing the lid on a small box is easy at room temperature. However, this is not so easy while wearing bulky, loose-fitting insulated gloves and standing over a CryoCart. Test and experiment with lids that are easy to handle with protective gloves in a cryogenic environment.

4. Tamper-evident packaging or containers. The options for cryogenically frozen materials differ from those available at less extreme temperatures.

5. Standard vs. custom rack. Can the product containers not only be efficiently loaded in the rack, but also individually secured? Most standard racks must be completely filled, and then all the compartments are secured at once with a single wire retainer. The wire retainer may not be an issue when shipping out the product, but can create retrieval issues for clinical site staff. Custom-sized racks with individually secured compartments are often the best solution, but add time and cost.