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US 6,146,124 AGranted
Freezing and thawing bag, mold, apparatus and method
AssigneeThermoGenesis Corp.
InventorsPhilip Henry Coelho, Pablo Rubinstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mold is disclosed for forming a freezable and thawable bag of uniform thickness, especially useful for cryopreservation of thermolabile substances. The mold features one or more recessed planar surfaces, including radiused peripheral walls about the recesses, a planar top surface, and means for conforming a blank sheet to the mold. Two mold halves combine to form a completed bag. The mold halves may be complimentary.
Claims56
A medical bag mold for forming medical bags which resist breakage especially when exposed to a phase change, comprising, in combination:
- a recess defined by a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface in order to provide force dissipation of the bag at its periphery and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface, and
- means for conforming a plastic sheet material blank to maintain a contour of the mold such that the conformed plastic sheet material results in a break resistant medical bag, having a complemental planar surface, radiused periphery and peripheral flashing circumscribing said radiused periphery.
A mold for fixing fracture resistant medical bags into a fixed shape, comprising, in combination:
- a substantially rectangular planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from and parallel to and surrounding said planar surface;
- and
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross-section and extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support providing a constant radius ring transitioning between the surface and said support to provide medical bags which are fracture resistant and retain the shape fixed by the mold.
1 more element
A vacuum forming bag mold to form fixed shape medical bags which are resistant to fracture stress, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface to receive a portion of a sheet material blank;
- a peripheral support to also receive another portion of the sheet material blank thereon and said support spaced from and parallel to said planar surface and connected by a wall which also receives a further portion of the sheet material blank;
- at least one relief area defining an access fluid receiving portal projecting from said wall and also receiving another portion of the sheet material blank;
- and
- said mold including means for causing the sheet material blank to be recontoured and held into a molded position.
2 more elements
A medical bag mold for forming medical bags comprising, in combination:
- a mold cavity defined by a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface,
- means for permanently conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold, and
- a relief area to define an access portal into the mold cavity for providing a corresponding portal into the formed medical bag.
A mold for forming medical bags comprising, in combination:
- a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface,
- means for conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold such that the blank retains the mold contour,
- a relief area to define an access portal into the mold cavity for providing a portal into the formed bag,
- a partition interposed within a portion of the mold dividing the mold into at least two compartments,
- an access passageway between the first and second compartments and passing through said partition;
- and
- a portal located addressing each of said compartments.
4 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags which hold fluids used in a medical environment comprising, in combination:
- a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface,
- means for conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold such that the blank subsequently retains the contour of the mold,
- a relief area to define an access portal into the mold cavity for providing a portal into the formed bag,
- a partition interposed within a portion of the mold dividing the mold into at least two compartments,
- an access passageway between the first and second compartments and passing through said partition,
- a portal located addressing each of said compartments,
- a second mold having a mirror symmetry with the first mold so that the medical bag formed thereby has a thickness twice the radius of one mold,
- wherein said means for conforming the sheet material blank to a contour of the mold includes at least one vent on the mold for vacuum forming said blank of sheet material within the mold,
- wherein the second of said two compartments is larger than the first said compartment, and
- further comprising a plurality of portals located addressing said larger compartment.
7 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags comprising, in combination:
- a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface, and
- means for conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold such that the blank subsequently retains the contour of the mold,
- including a relief area to define an access portal into the mold cavity for providing a portal into the formed bag,
- a partition interposed within a portion of the mold dividing the mold into at least two compartments,
- an access passageway between the first and second compartments and passing through said partition,
- a portal located addressing each of said compartments,
- a second mold having a mirror symmetry with the first mold so that the medical bag formed thereby has a thickness twice the radius of one mold,
- wherein said means for conforming the sheet material blank to a contour of the mold includes at least one vent on the mold for vacuum forming said blank of sheet material within the mold,
- wherein the second of said two compartments is larger than the first said compartment,
- further comprising a plurality of portals located addressing said larger compartment,
- wherein said portals formed are substantially cylindrical bores,
- wherein the mold is rigid,
- wherein said relief area is located along one edge of said radiused periphery, and
- wherein said plurality of portals comprises three portals within said second larger compartment and one portal in said first compartment.
11 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from said planar surface;
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support;
- at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into at least two compartments;
- an access passageway between each said compartment and passing through each said partition;
- wherein said access passageway includes two channels, one remote from the other;
- and
- at least one relief area defining an access portal in at least one compartment of the mold.
5 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from said planar surface;
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support;
- at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into two compartments;
- an access passageway between each said compartment and passing through each said partition;
- wherein said access passageway includes two channels, one remote from the other;
- at least one relief area defining an access portal in at least one compartment of the mold;
- wherein one of said two compartments is larger than the other said compartment;
- and
- wherein the larger said compartment includes at least two relief areas defining access portals.
7 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags comprising, in combination:
- a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface,
- means for conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold such that the blank subsequently conforms to the contour of the mold,
- a partition interposed within a portion of the mold dividing the mold into at least two compartments, and
- a portal located addressing each of said compartments.
1 more element
A mold for forming medical bags comprising, in combination:
- a recess including a planar surface, a radiused periphery circumscribing said planar surface and a peripheral support circumscribing said radiused periphery and oriented parallel to said planar surface,
- means for conforming a sheet material blank to a contour of the mold such that the blank subsequently conforms to the contour of the mold,
- a relief area to define an access portal into the mold cavity for providing a portal into the formed bag,
- a partition interposed within a portion of the mold dividing the mold into at least two compartments,
- an access passageway between the first and second compartments and passing through said partition,
- a portal located addressing each of said compartments,
- a second mold having a mirror symmetry with the first mold so that the medical bag formed thereby has a thickness twice the radius of one mold,
- wherein said means for conforming the sheet material blank to a contour of the mold includes at least one vent on the mold for vacuum forming said blank of sheet material within the mold,
- wherein the second of said two compartments is larger than the first said compartment,
- further comprising a plurality of portals located addressing said larger compartment, and
- wherein said plurality of portals comprises three portals within said second larger compartment and one portal in said first compartment.
8 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from said planar surface;
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support;
- at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into at least two compartments;
- and
- including at least one relief area defining an access portal in at least one compartment of the mold.
3 more elements
A mold for forming medical bags, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from said planar surface;
- and
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support,
- at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into two compartments,
- an access passageway between each said compartment and passing through each said partition,
- wherein said access passageway includes two channels, one remote from the other,
- at least one relief area defining an access portal in at least one compartment of the mold,
- wherein one of said two compartments is larger than the other said compartment, and
- wherein said smaller compartment includes at least one relief area defining an access portal.
7 more elements
A mold for forming fracture resistant medical bags which retain the shape of the mold, comprising, in combination:
- a substantially rectangular planar surface;
- a peripheral support spaced from and parallel to and surrounding said planar surface;
- a curved wall having a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support providing a constant radius ring transitioning between the surface and said support;
- and
- including at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into at least two compartments.
2 more elements
A vacuum forming medical bag mold, comprising, in combination:
- a planar surface;
- a peripheral support to receive a sheet material blank thereon and said support spaced from and parallel to said planar surface connected by a wall;
- at least one relief area defining an access fluid receiving portal projecting from said wall;
- wherein said wall has a slope which changes along its entire extent when viewed in cross-section extending from said planar surface to said peripheral support;
- and
- including at least one partition extending perpendicularly from said planar surface and dividing the mold into at least two compartments.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.