Cryogenic shipment or storage system for biological materials
OwnerWalter L. Guiceinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for the storage or shipment of frozen or chilled biological materials consisting of a cryogenically insulated vessel which contains a heat sink material. The heat sink material is initially chilled to a very low temperature to keep the contents of the vessel cold. The heat sink may include a change of phase to provide extension of the possible shipment or storage time at a relatively constant temperature.
Claims17
An shipping and storage apparatus consisting of (a) a vessel insulated with a material selected from the group consisting of superinsulation materials, evacuated thin film insulation materials, and evacuated powder insulation materials, and (b) a heat sink material which is initially in the solid phase and at a temperature at least 100.degree. F. below the temperature at which it will melt, which heat sink material is selected so as to melt at a selected temperature at least 50.degree. F. below the freezing temperature of water, and which said heat sink material remains in the liquid state up to at least 100.degree. F.
A method of shipping a frozen or chilled material, said material being contained in a reusable and resealable cryogenically insulated vessel together with a heat sink material which heat sink material is in a solid state and initially at a temperature below the temperature at which it will melt when loaded, and wherein which said heat sink material is allowed to increase in temperature during the shipping and/or storage time due to inefficiencies in said insulated vessel until it reaches its phase change temperature, at which time it remains at a fixed temperature for an extended time span, and in which said heat sink material is selected so as to have a phase change temperature at least 2.degree. C. below the maximum permissible storage temperature of said frozen or chilled material, and in which said heat sink material is composed of a substance which will remain in a liquid state at a temperature of up to at least 100.degree. F.
An apparatus consisting of a reusable and resealable cryogenically insulated vessel containing a heat sink material which heat sink material is the solid state and initially at a temperature below the temperature at which it will melt when the vessel is loaded, and which heat sink material will remain in the liquid state up to a temperature of at least 100.degree. F., and which heat sink material is allowed to increase in temperature during the shipping and/or storage time due to inefficiencies in said insulated vessel until it reaches its phase change temperature, at which temperature it remains at a fixed temperature for an extended time span, and in which said phase change material is selected so as to have a phase change temperature at least 2.degree. F. below the maximum permissible storage temperature of said frozen or chilled material, said cryogenically insulated vessel being insulated by a material selected from the group consisting of superinsulation materials, evacuated thin film insulation materials, or evacuated powder insulation materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.