The performance of a small-scale automated cryopreservation and storage system 
(Mini-BioArchive system) used in the banking of umbilical cord blood (UCB) units 
was evaluated. After thawing the units, the viability and recovery of cells, as 
well as the recovery rate of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) such as CD34+ 
cells, colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), and total CFU were 
analyzed. Twenty UCB units cryopreserved using the automated system and stored 
for a median of 34 days were analyzed. Mean CD34+ cell viabilities before 
freezing were 99.8+/-0.5% and after thawing were 99.8+/-0.4% in the large bag 
compartments and 99.7+/-0.5% in the small compartments. The mean recovery values 
for total nucleated cells, CD34+ cells, CFU-GM, and total CFU were 94.8+/-16.0%, 
99.3+/-18.6%, 103.9+/-20.6%, and 94.3+/-12.5%, respectively in the large 
compartments, and 95.8+/-25.9%, 106.8+/-23.9%, 101.3+/-23.3%, and 93.8+/-19.2%, 
respectively in the small compartments. A small-scale automated cryopreservation 
and storage system did not impair the clonogenic capacity of UCB HPCs. This 
cryopreservation system could provide cellular products adequate for UCB banking 
and HPC transplantation.