Cryoprotectant agent characterization via acoustical and optical analyses

In the field of cryopreservation, there exists a class of substances known as cryoprotectant agents (CPAs), which display an ability to vitrify. These CPAs are used to prevent cellular damage during the preservation of human tissues. In a vitrified state, cells exist in a glass-like state, meaning there is no formation of mechanically damaging ice crystals during cryogenic freezing and thawing. Although a CPA’s ability to vitrify increases with concentration, its toxicity limits viable levels of use. This work seeks to find a correlation between acoustic properties of various CPAs and their concentrations via analyses of cavitation noise and cavitation jets, to accompany future studies on CPA toxicity. Four common CPAs, namely, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and formamide were investigated at various concentrations in aqueous mixtures and compared to pure water. The acoustic spectra of each CPA show an observable dependence on concentration levels and provide a potential way to probe the hydrogen bonding dynamics within the mixtures. [This is a SAWIAGOS project.]