EVES (Egg Vitrification Egg Storage) Technique
Did you know that an egg is the largest cell in the human body? As a result, it is the most difficult to freeze and then thaw without damage. In fact, before the EVES technique became available, only about half of any group of eggs would survive the freeze-thaw process. This was because of sharp ice crystals forming during the freezing process which damaged the egg.
Now however, we have the benefit of an entirely new technique called Vitrification, which literally means ‘turning to glass’. In this, the eggs are first dehydrated to get rid of as much water content as possible. Then, they are plunged rapidly into liquid nitrogen at almost -200°C. This step is performed so quickly that prevents ice formation and results in a glass-like state.
Over 85% of eggs undergoing the EVES super-fast freezing technique survive the freeze-thaw process and a high proportion of these are capable of undergoing fertilisation.
