Remote refrigerative probe

A refrigerative probe system adapted for cooling an environment in which the probe is placed by transfer of heat to a refrigerant flowing through the interior of said probe and undergoing a phase change, comprising:

• an outer housing member having first and second ends and an interior surface;
• an insert member having first and second ends, and an exterior surface with an elongated groove formed therein, contained within said outer housing, said insert member sized such that the exterior surface fits tightly within, and in at least partial contact with, the interior surface of said outer housing member when the two are assembled to form a probe;
• a conduit means for fluidly connecting said probe to a source of liquid refrigerant and for conveying away gaseous refrigerant having absorbed heat from the environment of the probe;
• whereby an elongated fluid pathway is defined by, and in contact with said outer housing member and said insert member along which refrigerant is made to travel, and increased transfer of heat from the environment of the probe to the refrigerant flowing through the probe is realized.

A remote refrigerative probe system for use in cooling a liquid environment, comprising:

• e. a probe, further comprising
• i. a cylindrical thin-walled probe housing having a closed distal end and a proximal connector portion and an interior surface,
• ii. a cylindrical insert member having a proximal end and a distal end, press fit into said cylindrical probe housing, having a central lumen and a spiral channel formed in the outer cylindrical surface thereof interconnecting the distal and proximal ends, said insert member cooperating with said probe housing to provide an elongated fluid flow-path in fluid contact with said interior surface of said probe housing;
• f. a coaxial umbilical connected to said proximal end of said probe, having an inner umbilical tube for conveying a refrigerant liquid at a relatively high pressure, said inner umbilical tube being connected to said central lumen of said insert member at the proximal end, and an outer umbilical tube defining an annular outer umbilical lumen between said inner umbilical tube and said outer umbilical tube for conveying a refrigerant gas at a relatively low pressure, said outer umbilical tube being connected to said proximal connector portion of said probe housing thereby providing fluid communication between said annular outer umbilical lumen and the interior of said probe housing at the proximal end of said insert member sealed within said probe housing, for conveying away refrigerant gas which has been conveyed to said central lumen of said insert member by said inner umbilical tube in a liquid state and has expanded to a gaseous state and flowed back to said proximal end of said insert member along said elongated flow-path;
• g. a condenser unit connected to said umbilical, which bifurcates said annular outer umbilical lumen conveying relatively low pressure refrigerant gas from said inner umbilical tube, and which condenses said refrigerant gas to a liquid state at a relatively high pressure and returns it to said probe within said inner umbilical tube;
• h. a temperature control means including a mercury thermostat.