Cryopreservation of platelets simplified: a modified glycerol-glucose method.

Platelets were prepared for freezing in liquid nitrogen by prediluting with 1 ml glycerol-glucose freezing solution, allowing the platelet concentrate to set for ten minutes at 29 C, and then adding an additional 8 ml glycerol-glucose freezing solution. A 3-mm thick cardboard holder was constructed and used to hold the platelet concentrate during immersion and storage in liquid nitrogen. The mean recovery of frozen thawed platelets was 79 per cent. Electron microsopic examination of the frozen thawed platelets showed that the platelets to be structurally intact. In vitro testing showed the platelets to be functional.