Zacarian C-21™ Liquid Nitrogen Spray (a) cryospray unit which consists of a beaker-shaped plastic container with a flat bottom with 13 holes in it; the sides slope up to a narrower top with a screw attachment; on one side near the top is a cylindrical spray nozzle which decreases to a very small op…
Zacarian C-21™ Liquid Nitrogen Spray (a) cryospray unit which consists of a beaker-shaped plastic container with a flat bottom with 13 holes in it; the sides slope up to a narrower top with a screw attachment; on one side near the top is a cylindrical spray nozzle which decreases to a very small opening; (b) plastic and metal lid which screws into (a) and has two rubber rings to seal it on; the top of the lid has a flat piece of metal coming out of the centre which curves downwards to make a handle.
Number Of Parts
2
Part Names
a - unit - Size: Length 16.0 cm. x Width 14.6 cm. x Depth 10.1 cm.
b - lid - Size: Length 6.9 cm. x Width 5.6 cm. x Depth 8.3 cm.
Provenance
Owned by Dr. F. W. Danby.
Maker
Frigitronics Inc.
Dates
1965
1975
circa 1965-1975
Date Remarks
Unit manufactured in the early 1970's; sticker on unit has date of May 1972
Material
plastic: blue; purple; clear; off-white
metal: silver
rubber: orange-red
paper: white; green
Inscriptions
Label on unit reads, "ZACARIAN // C-21™ // Liquid Nitrogen Spray // FRIGITRONICS INC."; the bottom is stamped, "5090 172 32"; band on nozzle of unit is stamped, "B-D // MADE IN U.S.A."
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-A1-2 Row D
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
The plastic shows no chips, cracks or missing sections; the lid easily screws onto the cryospray unit
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Document
Research Facts
The Zacharian C-21 cryospray unit was manufactured in the early 1970's; this was one of the early commercial attempts to provide cryospray using liquid nitrogen.
Liquid nitrogen—LN2—is nitrogen in a liquid state at low temperature. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of about -195.8 °C (-320 °F; 77 K). It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is a colorless, low viscosity liquid that is widely used as a coolant.
Liquid nitrogen is a compact and readily transported source of dry nitrogen gas, as it does not require pressurization. Further, its ability to maintain temperatures far below the freezing point of water makes it extremely useful in a wide range of applications, primarily as an open-cycle refrigerant, including: in cryotherapy for removing unsightly or potentially malignant skin lesions such as warts and actinic keratosis; for the cryopreservation of blood, reproductive cells (sperm and egg), and other biological samples and materials to preserve tissue samples from surgical excisions for future studies.
Cryosurgery is a type of surgery that involves the use of extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissues, such as tumors. The surgery most often involves the use of liquid nitrogen, although carbon dioxide and argon may also be used. When liquid nitrogen has a temperature between -346 and -320°F, it instantly freezes nearly anything that’s in contact with it. In the case of human tissue, it can kill and destroy cells upon contact. This is important when the cells you want to kill are cancerous.
Cryosurgery is typically used for tumors or precancerous lesions found on your skin. However, some tumors inside the body can be treated this way as well.
Cryosurgery, also called cryotherapy, is similar to the technique used when doctors freeze off warts using liquid nitrogen spray.
Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy may be used to treat a variety of tissue lesions. The most prominent use of the term refers to the surgical treatment, specifically known as cryosurgery or cryoablation. Cryosurgery is the application of extremely low temperatures to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue and is used most commonly to treat skin conditions.
Cryotherapy is used in an effort to relieve muscle pain, sprains and swelling after soft tissue damage or surgery. It is commonly used to accelerate recovery in athletes post exercise for decades. Cryotherapy decreases the temperature of tissue surface to minimize hypoxic cell death, edema accumulation, and muscle spasms, all of which ultimately alleviate discomfort and inflammation. It can be a range of treatments from the application of ice packs or immersion in ice baths (generally known as cold therapy), to the use of cold chambers.
While cryotherapy is widely used, there is little evidence as to its efficacy that has been replicated or shown in large controlled studies. Its long term side effects have also not been studied. However, there is a study that concludes that cryotherapy has a positive impact on the short-term recovery of athletes. Cryotherapy helped manage muscle soreness and facilitate recovery within the first 24 hours following a sport-related activity. Athletes who use cryotherapy within the first 24 hours to alleviate pain recovered at a faster rate than athletes who did not use cryotherapy after their sport-related activity.