Cryo-Cell International: Updated Guide to Their Cord Blood Services

Cryo-Cell International, founded in 1989, offers private umbilical cord blood collection, processing, and cryogenic storage. The company emphasizes quality controls, courier and client services, and reports industry accreditations. Prospective clients should verify current accreditations, the company's transplant release history, and the exact terms of any guarantees or reimbursements before enrolling.

Overview

Cryo-Cell International is a U.S.-based company that offers private umbilical cord blood banking for families. The company began operations in 1989 and shifted its primary focus to cord blood storage in the early 1990s. Cord blood stem cells are used in hematopoietic stem cell transplants to treat certain blood and immune disorders, including some leukemias, lymphomas, anemias, and inherited immune deficiencies.

Services and operations

Cryo-Cell provides collection kits, processing, and long-term cryogenic storage of cord blood units. The company highlights its quality controls and staff training programs aimed at maintaining cell viability during processing and storage.

They also promote client services such as coordinated courier pickup at birth, and customer support for the collection and retrieval process. The company has previously cited additional customer benefits and guarantees in its marketing materials, including financial-quality guarantees and transplant-related reimbursements; these specific offers and their current terms should be confirmed directly with the company before relying on them.

Accreditations and facility

Accreditations and laboratory licenses are key when choosing a cord blood bank. Cryo-Cell reports holding industry accreditations and state or federal laboratory registrations that support its processing and storage practices. Exact current accreditations and the location of its active cryogenic facility should be verified, as credentials and facility details can change over time. ¹

Clinical use and track record

Cord blood from private banks like Cryo-Cell has been used in transplants for blood disorders and immune deficiencies. When evaluating banks, look for documented transplant use of stored units (publicly reported releases), established processing methods, and a transparent recovery process for when a unit is needed.

What to check before you choose

• Current accreditations (for example: AABB, FACT, CLIA or state licenses) and the scope of those accreditations. ²

• The company's published transplant release history or case reports. ³

• Exact terms for any advertised guarantees, reimbursements, or courier services (some offers are promotional or time-limited). ⁴

• Fees for initial processing and for annual storage, plus any fee increases or transfer policies.

Bottom line

Cryo-Cell is a long-running private cord blood bank that emphasizes quality controls and client services. If you are considering private cord blood banking, confirm the company's current accreditations, customer-service hours, contract terms, and any guarantees directly with Cryo-Cell before making a decision. ⁵

1. Confirm Cryo-Cell's current laboratory accreditations and licenses (e.g., AABB, FACT, CLIA or state-specific approvals).
2. Verify the current location(s) of Cryo-Cell's active cryogenic storage facility and whether it relocated to Florida in 2004.
3. Confirm whether Cryo-Cell still advertises any financial-quality guarantees or specific transplant-related reimbursements (e.g., $50,000 guarantee or $10,000 payment) and the exact terms.
4. Check Cryo-Cell's reported number of enrolled families/clients and any published transplant release history or documented clinical uses.
5. Verify customer service availability (24/7 support) and whether free bedside courier service is currently provided.