Dry Ice Medical Shipping & Courier Service

Why Dry Ice for Medical Transport

Dry ice (solid CO₂) sublimates at -78.5°C, providing ultra-cold temperatures without electricity or mechanical refrigeration. For medical materials requiring temperatures well below standard frozen (-20°C), dry ice is the most practical transport solution for local and regional courier delivery.

Dry ice is classified as a hazardous material (Class 9, UN 1845) by the DOT, requiring proper packaging, labeling, and trained handlers. carGO Health couriers are trained in DOT dry ice handling regulations and safety procedures.

Medical Materials That Ship on Dry Ice

Ultra-Cold Research Specimens: Cell lines, tissue samples, protein preparations, and research biologicals requiring -60°C to -80°C transport.

Frozen blood products: FFP, cryoprecipitate, and other frozen blood components for extended transport durations.

Frozen Clinical Trial Specimens: Protocol-specified specimens requiring ultra-cold transport to central laboratories.

Extracted Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA samples requiring deep-frozen transport to preserve integrity.

Certain Biologics & Vaccines: Some biologics and vaccines (notably mRNA vaccines) require ultra-cold transport achievable with dry ice.

Biorepository Transfers: Archived frozen specimens moving between biorepository facilities.

DOT Compliance for Dry Ice Shipments

Classification: Dry ice is Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods, UN 1845. carGO Health handles it per DOT 49 CFR regulations.

Packaging: Containers designed to vent CO₂ gas safely. Never sealed airtight—pressure relief is critical for safety.

Labeling: Proper Class 9 hazard labels and UN 1845 marking on outer packaging.

Trained Handlers: Couriers trained in dry ice safety: ventilation requirements, burn prevention, vehicle transport protocols.

Vehicle Ventilation: Transport vehicles ventilated per DOT requirements to prevent CO₂ accumulation.

Documenting Ultra-Cold Transport

Dry ice transport maintains approximately -78.5°C as long as dry ice remains present. Our documentation records dry ice quantity at packaging, estimated sublimation rate for transport duration, and confirmation of dry ice presence at delivery. For materials requiring continuous electronic temperature logging at ultra-cold ranges, we provide compatible monitoring solutions.

Applications and Compliance for Dry Ice Medical Shipping

Dry ice (-78.5°C) serves a critical temperature range between standard frozen transport (-20°C) and cryogenic shipping (below -150°C). Clinical trial biospecimens—plasma, serum, and tissue samples collected at investigator sites—are the most common materials shipped on dry ice. CAR-T cell therapy intermediates, certain biologic products, and research specimens destined for molecular analysis also require dry ice temperatures during transport.

Dry ice is classified as a DOT hazardous material (Class 9, UN 1845), which means couriers transporting it must comply with DOT marking, labeling, and documentation requirements. carGO Health's couriers are trained in DOT hazmat regulations for dry ice shipments, including proper package marking and vehicle placarding when quantities exceed regulatory thresholds. UN 3373 packaging requirements apply concurrently when dry ice is used to ship biological specimens. Our chain-of-custody system documents dry ice quantity at pickup to ensure sufficient cooling duration for the expected transit time.

carGO Health provides temperature-controlled transport across the full Northeast: NY, NJ, CT, MA, PA, DE, MD, VA, NH, VT.

Our temperature-controlled transport overview covers all five temperature ranges we manage.

Biologics cold chain transport frequently uses dry ice for materials requiring ultra-cold temperatures.

Clinical trial specimens are the most common materials requiring dry ice shipping.

Learn more about our comprehensive medical courier service in New York.