New Hope Fertility Center uses the newest method, vitrification, for freezing eggs (ocytes), sperm, embryos and ovarian tissue. Vitrification is a flash freezing method that prevents the formation of ice crystals, which can damage the egg, sperm, embryo or ovarian tissue under other conventional freezing techniques.

When eggs are frozen, they are brought from a temperature of 98.6°F (37°C) all the way down to -320°F (-196°C) instantaneously. Vitrification dehydrates the cells prior to freezing using protectants to remove as much water as possible (thus preventing harmful ice crystals from forming). Survival rates during the thawing process for vitrification are 98% versus the 55% for traditional freezing methods because the combination of cryoprotectants and flash freezing/thawing have a better chance of safely restoring the cell back to its original state.

Eggs are one of the largest cells in the human body and are comprised of two main parts: the zona pellucida (a glycoprotein envelope) and the ooplasm (the nucleus, containing mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi system). Because they are the largest cells in the body, they are particularly susceptible to damage from ice crystal formation.

For the purposes of freezing, oocytes are usually taken during the fully mature MII phase of meiosis (the multi-step process through which an oocyte prepares for recombination with male sperm). Retrieving oocytes and subsequently freezing them at their mature, pre-ovulatory stage means that when they are unfrozen, they will be ready to fertilize – egg recipients won't have to wait any longer than necessary hoping the egg continues to develop healthily.