Energy Efficient Biological Freezer With Vial Management System
AssigneeGlobal Cooling, Inc.
InventorDavid M. Berchowitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated, ultra-low temperature freezer having multiple structural features that reduce heat transfer into the freezer, protect its internal mechanical devices against low temperature mechanical binding of their movements, allow defrosting and autoclaving as a result of only minimal changes to the conventional CO2 emergency backup system. A group of freezers are arranged so they can simultaneously provide an HVAC function. A vial management system allows biological samples or vials to be automatically placed in and recovered from the freezer and associates the temperature history with each sample or vial that it was subjected to during its storage.
Claims35
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer comprising:
- (a) a thermosiphon connected to the refrigerating apparatus and containing a two phase refrigerant, the thermosiphon comprising a tube wound along the interior side of the thermal insulation;
- (b) a plurality of rotatable trays within the cabinet and inwardly of the thermosiphon for supporting contents stored in the freezer;
- (c) one or more cavities formed in and surrounded by the thermal insulation, the cavities being located exteriorly of the thermosiphon and interiorly of the exterior side of the thermal insulation;
- and
- (d) a plurality of tray drives, each drive including a controlled position motor mounted in a said cavity, each motor being drivingly linked to a rotatable tray for driving the tray in rotation to a selected angular displacement;
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side, a refrigerating apparatus and an access portal through the surrounding wall having a door as a closure for the portal, the freezer comprising:
- (a) a plurality of trays stacked within the cabinet for supporting containers stored in the freezer;
- (b) a vertical plenum formed into the thermal insulation, the plenum having a back wall recessed into the insulation, sidewalls and opening along one side into the enclosed cabinet toward the trays;
- and
- (c) a trolley robot slidable along a vertical track mounted within the plenum, the trolley having a reach arm driven by a motor into extension from the trolley robot and the reach arm having an attached picker for attaching to or releasing a container stored on a tray, the trolley robot being pivotally mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a motor for pivoting the trolley robot so that its reach arm can extend into the cabinet or radially outwardly from the cabinet, the trolley robot further having a motor for driving the trolley robot vertically along the vertical track.
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer comprising:
- (a) a thermosiphon connected to the refrigerating apparatus and containing a two phase refrigerant, the thermosiphon comprising a tube wound along the interior side of the thermal insulation;
- (b) a three-dimensional matrix of closely spaced pockets for supporting containers stored in the freezer;
- (c) a trolley robot having a picker for moving containers between the access portal and one of the pockets in the container support matrix;
- and
- (d) an access portal through the surrounding wall having a door as a closure for the portal, the access portal and its door having a surface area that is less than 0.5% of the total internal surface area of the freezer.
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer comprising:
- (a) a three-dimensional matrix of closely spaced pockets for supporting containers stored in the freezer;
- (b) an access portal through the surrounding wall, the access portal having a door as a closure for the portal;
- (c) a trolley robot controllably movable within the cabinet and having a picker for grasping and moving containers between the access portal and any selected pockets in the container support matrix;
- and
- (d) a garage adjacent the access portal and inwardly of the door, the garage having a size capable of receiving and housing the trolley robot, the garage having surrounding insulated sidewalls.
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer comprising:
- (a) a plurality of rotatable trays within the cabinet and inwardly of the thermosiphon for supporting contents stored in the freezer;
- (b) a plurality of tray drives, each drive including a controlled position motor mounted in a said cavity, each motor being drivingly linked to a rotatable tray for driving the tray in rotation to a selected angular displacement;
An ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation having an interior side and an exterior side and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer also having an inlet pipe for connection at one end to a container that is a source of CO2 and connected at its opposite end into the freezer, the inlet pipe having a valve interposed in the pipe for controlling the inflow of CO2 into the freezer, the freezer comprising:
- an inline heater also interposed in the pipe for heating inflowing CO2 to allow the freezer to be defrosted or autoclaved.
A method for defrosting or autoclaving an ultra-low temperature freezer having an enclosed cabinet including a surrounding wall of thermal insulation and a refrigerating apparatus, the freezer also having an inlet pipe for connection at one end to a container that is a source of CO2 and connected at its opposite end into the freezer, the inlet pipe having a valve interposed in the pipe for controlling the inflow of CO2 into the freezer, the method comprising:
- heating CO2 during inflow of the CO2 through the pipe into the freezer for defrosting or autoclaving the interior of the freezer.
An apparatus including an arrangement of ultra-low temperature freezers for providing both storage for numerous biological samples and HVAC for at least a part of the building in which the freezers are housed, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of ultra-low temperature freezers each freezer having an enclosed cabinet, a refrigerating apparatus for pumping heat out of the cabinet;
- (b) a common heat rejection system comprising
- (i) a liquid loop of tubes containing a coolant and connected to the refrigerating apparatus of each of the freezers for transporting rejected heat away from the refrigeration systems;
- (ii) a first heat exchanger located exteriorly of the building and connected to the liquid loop of tubes for rejecting heat from the coolant into the atmosphere;
- and
- (iii) a second heat exchanger located within the building and connected to the liquid loop of tubes for rejecting heat from the coolant into the building.
A method for heating or cooling an interior space in a building and simultaneously providing storage for numerous biological samples the method comprising:
- (a) positioning within the interior space a plurality of ultra-low temperature freezers each freezer having an enclosed cabinet and a refrigerating apparatus for pumping heat out of the cabinet;
- (b) transporting a portion of heat rejected from the refrigerating apparatus of each freezer to the exterior of the building;
- and
- (c) transporting another portion of heat rejected from the refrigerating apparatus of each freezer to the interior space of the building.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.