Praxair Technology, Inc.

Sp Industries, Inc.

Pure Biosolutions, LLC

Robert Rex Sever

Ying Zhou

Theodore Hall Gasteyer

Ranko Bursac

Nigel Grinter

Balazs Hunek

Melinda Lee Verdone

Alan T Cheng

Amitabh Gupta

Yeu-Chuan Simon Ho

Bryce Mark Rampersad

Sameer H Israni

Soujanya N Jampala

Jérôme Kermaidic

Nathalie Brixy

Chang Yup Seo

Ranko Bursae

Peter W Latham

Bryce Rampersad

Theodore Hall Iii Gasteyer

Methods and apparatuses for loading, removing, accessing, positioning or preserving one or more items in a presence of dry ice are provided. The apparatus includes a tapered container that has a barrier-like structure which can partition the inner volume of the tapered container into an internal product storage volume and a dry icechamber. Each of the regions remain substantially undisturbed during handling, operation, use and transport of the tapered container. Methods for selectively introducing dry ice into the dry ice chamber of the tapered container and engaging the barrier-like structure within the tapered container can be achieved with a novel guiding assembly apparatus. The methods and apparatuses are particularly useful when loading and retrieving one or more items in the presence of dry ice for tapered containers that have single restrictive access openings and/or other characteristics which make access and handling difficult.

Methods and apparatuses for using dry ice containers

Dry ice shippers with unique structural features designed to deliver optimized performance for preserving one or more perishable items in a presence of dry ice during transport are provided. The improved dry ice shippers exhibit superior properties that overcome the performance limitations of conventional dry ice shippers.

Dry ice containing shippers

A method, and a system, are for filling a container with an amount of liquid carbon dioxide (CO) which is partially converted into an amount of solid COinto the container, for maintaining one or more products, loaded into the container, at a defined temperature, below a defined temperature, or within a defined temperature range, the defined temperature or the defined temperature range being below environmental temperature. A method and a system are for providing identification and traceability data determining the container and the one or more products, and for enabling identification of the container during transport to a destination.

Method and system for filling thermally insulated containers with liquid carbon dioxide

A method for automatically dispensing and vending carbon dioxide (CO2) snow block is disclosed. The automatic dispensing system contains multiple containers of different volumes. A user can input the volume of CO2 snow block into a controller, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). The controller uses the inputted volume and process information to determine which container to utilize for the automated filling process. The controller can configure the selected container into a filling orientation into which liquid CO2 can flow to generate CO2 snow block. Upon detection of the completion of the fill, the container is configured into a dispensing orientation from which the CO2 snow block is released into an access region from which the user can retrieve the CO2 snow block. The control methodology may also be used to auto charge a single container located within a charging station as disclosed herein.

Methods for automatic filling, charging and dispensing carbon dioxide snow block

This invention relates to a novel kit, transportable apparatus and method for generating in-situ CO2 snow block within the apparatus. An item such as a biological sample can be stored and transported within the same apparatus that is employed for creating the CO2 snow block. The apparatus is capable of preserving the sample during transport. The invention also includes a specially designed CO2 snow charger system including a charger and meshed conduit. The charger system is operated in accordance with the methods of the present invention to create the in-situ CO2 snow block within a container that can be also used for transport.

Transportable container, charger system, method and kit for generation of carbon dioxide snow block in-situ within the transportable container for preservation of items stored there within

Manual and automated methods of pre-charging an empty or partially empty insulated container with CO2 snow are provided. A first location such as a charging location charges CO2 liquid into a container to create a pre-charged container with CO2 snow. The charging location prepares the pre-charged container for delivery to a second location, either by itself, or through a third party. The second location may be a clinical site, which upon receipt of the pre-charged container, loads a perishable item such as a biological sample into the pre-charged container. A user receives the pre-charged container with perishable item and removes the perishable item from the pre-charger container for testing (e.g., biological testing). Depending on the level of depletion of the CO2 snow in the pre-charged container, the user returns the depleted container to the first location or the intermediate location.

Methods for pre-charging carbon dioxide snow

This invention relates to a novel two-stage dry ice system for preserving perishable items during transport and methods thereof. The improved two-stage dry ice system includes dry ice and a phase change material specifically configured within a single and continuous holding volume with perishable items. Preservation of the perishable items for extended durations in comparison to other refrigeration techniques can be achieved as a result of the two-stage dry system having the ability to re-orient itself during transport.

Modified dry ice systems and methods for preserving perishable items within a single holding volume

Transportable container, charger system, method and kit for generation of carbon dioxide snow block in-situ within the transportable container for preservation of items stored therewithin

System and method for lyophilization or freeze-drying is provided. During the freezing step, the material or solution to be frozen is initially brought to a temperature near or below its freezing temperature after which the pressure in the freeze-dryer chamber is reduced to induce nucleation of the material.

Lyophilization system and method

Methods of inducing nucleation of a material is provided. The disclosed methods comprise the steps of bringing the material to a temperature near or below a phase transition temperature and altering the pressure to induce nucleation of the material. The disclosed methods are useful in freeze-drying processes, particularly pharmaceutical freeze-drying processes.

Method of inducing nucleation of a material

Methods and systems for virus inactivation in the production or processing of biological or other sensitive substances are provided. The disclosed methods and systems for virus inactivation involve the key steps of dissolving carbon dioxide into biological or other sensitive substances; and treating the substance with the dissolved carbon dioxide at conditions which are less than critical pressure and temperature for a prescribed treatment time to inactivate at least 80% of the target virus or viruses contained within the biological or other sensitive substances. The disclosed carbon dioxide treatments for virus inactivation may optionally include concurrently or sequentially subjecting the substances with an acid treatment to lower the pH of the substance and inactivate viruses contained within the biological or other sensitive substance. Operating conditions for the disclosed carbon dioxide treatments preferably involve sparging carbon dioxide gas into the substance until the composition is saturated with carbon dioxide and is conducted at pressures below about 5 MPa; at temperatures of less than or equal to 30&#xb0; C.; and for a treatment time of between about one minute and about 2000 minutes.

System and method for virus inactivation

A method and system for controlled rate freezing and nucleation of materials is provided. The presently disclosed system and method provides the ability to rapidly cool the materials contained in vials or other containers within a cooling unit via forced convective cooling using a laminar and uniform flow of cryogen in proximity to the plurality of vials disposed within the cooling unit. The rapid cooling of the biological materials is achieved by precisely controlling and adjusting the temperature of the cryogen being introduced to the system as a function of time. The presently disclosed methods to systems also provide nucleation control via temperature quench and depressurized nucleation control.

Method and system for nucleation control in a controlled rate freezer (CRF)

A freeze-dryer and method of controlling the same is provided. The disclosed freeze-dryer includes a chamber adapted to hold material or product to be freeze-dried; one or more depressurization orifices; a gas pressurization circuit having a source of gas to pressurize the chamber to a prescribed pressure; a depressurization circuit coupled to the chamber via the one or more orifices and having a depressurizing control valve; and a control unit adapted to pressurize the chamber with the source of gas and actuate the depressurizing control valve to depressurize the chamber upon command. The ratio of total depressurization orifice area to the chamber volume is preferably between about 6&#xd7;10and about 4&#xd7;10m/m.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

Robert Rex Sever