Method and apparatus for producing slush for surgical use

A method for making sterile saline slush;

• the method comprising:
• partially filling a sterile slush bottle with sterile liquid saline and putting a removable top on the slush bottle so that the slush bottle contains sterile liquid saline and air;
• maintaining the removable top of the slush bottle at an incline relative to a bottom of the slush bottle so that the removable top and the bottom of the slush bottle are not maintained in a vertical relationship;
• and
• rotating the slush bottle along an axis of rotation as at least a portion of the slush bottle is exposed to air cooled below a freezing temperature for the sterile liquid saline contained in the slush bottle to form a slush/saline slurry, the rotating slush bottle having at least one agitation feature in at least one side wall of the slush bottle to lift slush from the slush/saline slurry and allow the slush to fall to reduce large crystal growth as the slush bottle is rotated.

A method for making sterile saline;

• the method comprising:
• partially filling a sterile slush bottle with sterile liquid saline and putting a removable top on the slush bottle so that the slush bottle contains sterile saline and air;
• maintaining the removable top of the slush bottle at an incline relative to a bottom of the slush bottle so that the removable top and bottom of the slush bottle are not maintained in a vertical relationship;
• and
• rotating the slush bottle along an axis of rotation as at least a portion of the slush bottle is exposed to air cooled below a freezing temperature for the sterile saline contained in the slush bottle to form a slush/saline slurry, the rotating slush bottle having at least one agitation feature in at least one side wall of the slush bottle to lift slush from the slush/saline slurry as the slush bottle is rotated and the rotating slush bottle allows slush to tumble downward to produce slush with a smooth spherical configuration.

A method for making sterile saline slush for use in a medical procedure;

• the method comprising:
• partially filling a sterile slush bottle with sterile liquid saline and putting a top on the slush bottle so that the slush bottle contains sterile saline and air;
• inserting the slush bottle into a device for production of sterile saline slush such that the top-bottom axis of the slush bottle is at an oblique angle with respect to horizontal;
• rotating the slush bottle along an axis of rotation as at least a portion of the slush bottle is exposed to air cooled below a freezing temperature for the sterile saline contained in the slush bottle, the rotating slush bottle having at least one agitation feature in at least one side wall of the slush bottle to agitate a slush/saline slurry as the slush bottle is rotated and the rotating slush bottle allows slush to tumble downward;
• wherein the at least one agitation feature has a path for chilled air outside the slush bottle to enter the at least one agitation feature to cool the agitation feature;
• and
• making sterile saline slush created in the slush bottle available for use in a medical procedure.

A method for making sterile saline slush for use in a medical procedure;

• the method comprising:
• partially filling a sterile slush bottle with sterile liquid saline and putting a top on the slush bottle so that the slush bottle contains sterile liquid saline and air;
• inserting the slush bottle into a cooling device housing such that a top-bottom axis of the slush bottle is not vertical;
• rotating the slush bottle along an axis of rotation as at least a portion of an exterior of the slush bottle is exposed to air cooled below a freezing temperature for the sterile liquid saline contained in the slush bottle, the rotating slush bottle having at least one agitation feature in at least one side wall of the slush bottle to agitate a slush/saline slurry as the slush bottle is rotated;
• and
• making sterile saline slush created in the slush bottle available for use in a medical procedure;
• wherein
• the top of the slush bottle protrudes from the cooling device housing as the slush bottle is rotating;
• and
• making sterile saline slush created in the slush bottle available for use in the medical procedure is achieved by:
• lifting the slush bottle from the cooling device housing,
• removing the top from the slush bottle, and
• pouring the sterile saline slush.

A method for making sterile saline slush for use in a medical procedure;

• the method comprising:
• placing a flexible container of sterile saline into a slush bottle so that there is sufficient room for the flexible container to tumble within the slush bottle;
• inserting the slush bottle into a device for production of sterile saline slush such that the top-bottom axis of the slush bottle is not vertical;
• rotating the slush bottle along an axis of rotation as at least a portion of the slush bottle is exposed to air cooled below a freezing temperature for the sterile saline contained in the slush bottle, the rotating slush bottle having at least one agitation feature in at least one side wall of the slush bottle to agitate a slush/saline slurry in the flexible container as the slush bottle is rotated;
• and
• making sterile saline slush created in the flexible container available for use in a medical procedure.

A device for production of sterile saline slush, the device comprising:

• a housing to define an interior of the device from an exterior of the device, the housing having at least one opening for receipt of a slush bottle;
• an assembly to receive the slush bottle and to rotate the slush bottle along an axis of rotation to agitate a slush/saline slurry within the slush bottle as the slush bottle is rotated while exposed to air cooled sufficiently to freeze a saline solution placed in the slush bottle and;
• the slush bottle having:
• a removable top;
• a slush bottle body having a bottom and a set of one or more side walls such that with the addition of the removable top, the slush bottle is sealed;
• and
• at least one feature in the set of one or more side walls that agitates the slush/saline slurry within the slush bottle as the slush bottle is rotated;
• wherein the device for production of sterile saline slush maintains the removable top of the slush bottle at an incline relative to the bottom of the slush bottle so that the removable top and bottom of the slush bottle are not maintained in a vertical relationship and rotation of the slush bottle causes the at least one feature in the set of one or more side walls to lift slush from the slush/saline slurry and allows the slush to fall to reduce large crystal growth.

A device for production of sterile saline slush, the device comprising:

• a housing to define an interior of the device from an exterior of the device, the housing having at least one opening for receipt of a slush bottle;
• a slush bottle carriage to receive the slush bottle and to rotate the slush bottle along an axis of rotation to agitate a slush/saline slurry within the slush bottle as the slush bottle is rotated while exposed to air cooled sufficiently to freeze a saline solution placed in the slush bottle and;
• the slush bottle having:
• a removable top;
• a slush bottle body having a bottom and a set of one or more side walls such that with the addition of the removable top, the slush bottle is sealed;
• and
• at least one feature in the set of one or more side walls that agitates the slush/saline slurry within the slush bottle as the slush bottle is rotated by the slush bottle carriage;
• wherein the slush bottle carriage maintains the removable top of the slush bottle at an incline relative to the bottom of the slush bottle so that the removable top and bottom of the slush bottle are not maintained in a vertical relationship and rotation of the slush bottle carriage causes the at least one feature in the set of one or more side walls to lift slush from the slush/saline slurry and allows the slush to fall through air in the slush bottle to produce slush with a smooth spherical configuration.