A system (1000) for use in warming, thawing, cooling, and reconstituting a cryopreserved biological sample (102) is disclosed, which includes a heating system (1100) including a container with an insulating wall defining a chamber to retain a cryogenic fluid (1104), and a receiving space to removably receive a receptacle configured and dimensioned to retain a warming solution (1106). The sample is movable from the cryogenic fluid into the warming solution in an interval of time that results in reduced air exposure and an increased warming rate. A cooling system (1200) is also disclosed for cooling the warmed sample to e.g. room temperature, which includes a repository (1202) that accommodates a series of containers (1204A-1204D) including respective solutions, which achieves simultaneous purging of cryoprotectant from the biological sample, and cooling of the biological sample. A retaining device comprising a tubular member (straw) and a perforated member is also disclosed.
