Selecting a Cryo-Courier: 5 Critical Questions Clinics Must Ask

Why These Questions Matter

As a fertility clinic, selecting the wrong embryo courier puts your patients' samples at risk and exposes your clinic to liability. These 5 questions cut through marketing claims to reveal the courier's true capabilities.

Question 1: IATA Certification

"Are you IATA certified for dangerous goods? Can you show me your certificate?"

What to Look For:

• Certificate number and expiration date (must be current)
• Category B Biological Substances (UN 3373) training
• Annual recertification (not expired)
• ALL couriers certified (not just company)

Red Flags:

• ❌ "We're working on certification"
• ❌ Certificate expired >6 months ago
• ❌ Only owner/manager certified, not field couriers
• ❌ Refuses to provide certificate copy

Question 2: Temperature Excursion Rate

"What percentage of your transports experience temperature excursions above -145°C?"

Acceptable Answers:

• ✅ <0.5% excursion rate with data to back it up
• ✅ Detailed incident reports available
• ✅ Root cause analysis performed on every excursion

Warning Signs:

• ⚠️ "We've never had an issue" (no one has perfect record)
• ⚠️ Doesn't track excursion rates
• ⚠️ >1% excursion rate (too high for reproductive tissue)
• ⚠️ Blames excursions on equipment/clinics (not taking ownership)

Question 3: Insurance Coverage

"What are your liability limits? Can you add our clinic as additional insured?"

Minimum Requirements:

• General Liability: $5M (prefer $10M)
• Professional Liability: $2M minimum
• Biological Specimen Rider: Specific coverage for reproductive tissue
• Certificate of Insurance (COI): Must be able to provide within 24 hours

Critical Test:

Ask: "Can you add our clinic as an additional insured and provide a COI?"

• ✅ "Yes, we do this for all partner clinics" = Good
• ❌ "That will cost extra" = Red flag
• ❌ "We don't typically do that" = Walk away

Question 4: Emergency Protocol

"Walk me through your exact protocol if temperature rises above -145°C mid-transport."

What You Want to Hear:

1. Automated alert within 60 seconds
2. Courier immediately checks dry shipper seal
3. If seal intact: continue monitoring, assess at next checkpoint
4. If seal compromised: Deploy backup shipper or divert to nearest clinic
5. Notify all parties (origin clinic, destination clinic, patient) within 1 hour
6. Complete incident report and root cause analysis

Inadequate Answers:

• ❌ "That's never happened" (doesn't answer the question)
• ❌ "We'd figure it out" (no written protocol)
• ❌ "Temperature checks only at start and end" (can't detect mid-transport issues)

Question 5: Fertility Clinic References

"Can you provide contact information for 3 fertility clinics you currently serve?"

What to Ask References:

• How many transports have they done for you?
• Any incidents or temperature excursions?
• Response time for urgent/same-day transport?
• Quality of communication and coordination?
• Would you recommend them? Why or why not?

Red Flags:

• ❌ Can't provide any references
• ❌ Only provides 1 reference
• ❌ References are from 3+ years ago
• ❌ References aren't fertility clinics (general medical transport)

Bonus Questions (If Time Permits)

Question 6: Equipment Maintenance

"How often do you service your dry shippers? Can you show maintenance records?"

• ✅ Every 6 months by manufacturer or certified service center
• ✅ Complete maintenance logs available
• ✅ Validation testing before each use

Question 7: Success Rate Data

"What percentage of your embryo transports result in successful delivery with no incidents?"

• ✅ >99.5% success rate
• ✅ Tracks and can provide data
• ✅ Defines "incident" clearly

Question 8: TSA Coordination

"What is your success rate for avoiding X-ray screening at airports?"

• ✅ >98% success rate
• ✅ Pre-coordinates with TSA 24-48 hours before
• ✅ Has backup plan if visual inspection denied

Evaluation Scorecard

Question	Pass	Fail
1. IATA Certification	☐	☐
2. Temperature Excursion Rate	☐	☐
3. Insurance & COI	☐	☐
4. Emergency Protocol	☐	☐
5. Fertility Clinic References	☐	☐

Scoring:

• 5/5 Pass: Excellent candidate - proceed with trial transport
• 4/5 Pass: Good candidate - address failed question before contracting
• 3/5 Pass: Marginal - significant concerns, seek alternatives
• <3/5 Pass: Do not use - too risky for your patients

Related Articles:

• Complete partner selection guide
• IATA certification explained
• Temperature monitoring standards