Table 2.

Summary of heart valve processing protocols used by HVBs in North America.

Bank number	Processing media	Antibiotic regimen	Incubation protocol	Cryopreservation method	Storage condition and duration
N1	Heart recovery, transport, and dissection solution: Ringer's lactate Antibiotics media: DMEM with Hepes Cryopreservation media: DMEM + 7.5% DMSO	Vancomycin: 50 ug/mL Gentamicin: 80 ug/mL Cefoxitin: 240 ug/mL	Until the 28th of June 2010: 1°C–10°C, 22–26 hours Present: 33°C–38°C, 18–26 hours	Controlled rate freezing	No response provided
N2	Antibiotics media: RPMI-1640 Cryopreservation media: X-VIVO-10 + DMSO	Cefoxitin, colymycin-M, vancomycin, lincomycin	4°C, 24 hours	Controlled rate freezing	Liquid nitrogen vapour phase: 5 years
N3	Transport and storage solution: Hanks solution Dissection solution: saline Cryopreservation media: 10% DMSO	Gentamicin: 80 mg/mL Cefazolin or Kefzol: 1 mg/mL	4°C, 24 hours	Controlled rate freezing	Ultralow temperature (−140°C): 5 years
N4	Transport and processing solution: Ringer's lactate Cryopreservation media: saline + RPMI-1640 + RPMI 1640 with 10% FBS + DMSO	Cefoxitin: 240 ug/mL Polymyxin B: 100 mg/mL Vancomycin: 50 ug/mL Lincomycin: 120 ug/mL (soon to use gentamicin)	1°C–10°C, 22–26 hours	Controlled rate freezing	Liquid nitrogen vapour phase: 5 years
N5	DMEM Cryopreservation media: cardiac tissue—DMEM + DMSO + FBS vascular tissue—DMEM + DMSO + chondroitin + FBS	Two-stage process: 1st cocktail to achieve primary decontamination, 2nd cocktail to support tissue	Warm solutions, >24 hours	Controlled rate freezing	Liquid nitrogen vapour phase: 5 years
N6	RPMI-1640	Vancomycin: 50 ug/mL Colymycin M: 75 mg/mL Cefoxitin: 100 mg/mL Lincomycin: 300 mg/mL	4°C, 24 ± 2 hours	Controlled rate freezing	Liquid nitrogen vapour phase: 5 years