Method of discharging a frozen blood product
AssigneeImmuno Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsRudolf Gloger, Peter Neuper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for discharging a frozen blood product from a container, wherein, for automating purposes, the surface layer of the frozen blood product on the container wall is slightly thawed by heating from outside, whereby a liquid film is formed between the ice core and the container wall, and the container is opened to form a discharge opening on one side, whereupon the ice core is squeezed out of the container by aid of pressing elements, under application of pressure forces acting on the container and on the ice core, starting from the opposite side of the discharge opening.
Claims48
A method of discharging a frozen blood product from a container, comprising:
- providing a container having a wall and containing a frozen blood product, said frozen blood product having a surface layer contacting said container wall;
- externally warming said container wall to thaw said surface layer of said frozen blood product so as to form a liquid film between the remaining frozen blood product and said container wall;
- providing a discharge opening end on one side of said container;
- applying pressure forces on said container wall and on said frozen blood product starting from a side opposite said discharge opening end so as to squeeze said frozen blood product out of said container through said discharge opening,
- wherein the discharge opening is provided at said end of said container by cutting open said container end over only a part of the periphery of the container, but at least more than half the periphery of the container, thereby leaving a remaining portion connecting the cut off end with the remainder of the container.
An apparatus for discharging a frozen blood product from a container having a container wall, wherein said apparatus comprises
- warming means for externally thawing said frozen blood product in said container, thereby forming a liquid surface layer of said frozen blood product on said container wall;
- means for providing a discharge opening on one side of said container, wherein said means for providing a discharge opening comprises means for partly cutting off said end of said container at least more than half the periphery of the container, thereby leaving a remaining portion connecting the cut off end with the remainder of the container;
- and
- pressing elements for squeezing the frozen blood product out of the container through said discharge opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.