Praxair Technology, Inc.

Ying Zhou

Robert Rex Sever

Ranko Bursac

Amitabh Gupta

Nigel Grinter

Balazs Hunek

Alan T Y Cheng

Alan T Cheng

Yeu-Chuan Simon Ho

Theodore Hall Gasteyer

Jérôme Kermaidic

Nathalie Brixy

Ranko Bursae

Li-Ping Wang

Alan Ty Cheng

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

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

A bioreactor with an upward flowing impeller system for controlling a mammalian cell culture process is provided. The disclosed system enables control of the cell culture process by controlling the level of dissolved carbon dioxide in the cell culture media and prevent increases in the osmolality level is achieved by enhanced stripping of carbon dioxide via surface gas exchange with little or no damage to the mammalian cells. The use of an upward flow impeller combined with vertical baffles converts the swirling motions of the cell culture media into a largely vertical flow and promotes the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide via surface gas exchange with a sweep gas flowing over the top surface of the cell culture media within the bioreactor vessel.

Bioreactor with upward flowing impeller system for use in a mammalian cell culture process

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 regulating the mixture of cryogen liquid and warm gas for a controlled rate cryogenic chiller or freezing system

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

A system and method for controlling a mammalian cell culture process are provided. Such control of the cell culture process involves control of the level of dissolved carbon dioxide in the cell culture media and the resulting ability to prevent increases in the osmolality level is achieved by enhanced stripping of carbon dioxide with little or no damage to the mammalian cells. The disclosed methods and systems of dissolved carbon dioxide stripping include enhanced surface gas exchange mechanisms within the bioreactor vessel through the use of an upward flow impeller combined with vertical baffles to convert swirling motions of the liquid into a largely vertical flow.

System and method for controlling a mammalian cell culture process

Methods for controlling the level of dissolved carbon dioxide and limiting osmolality in a mammalian cell culture process to enhance cell growth, viability and density, and increase biologic product concentration and yield are provided. Such control of the level of dissolved carbon dioxide and pH as well as the resulting ability to limit osmolality in a mammalian cell culture process is achieved by adopting alternative pH control strategies and COstripping techniques during a mammalian cell culture process. Such pH control techniques and carbon dioxide stripping occur without foam and with little or no damage to the mammalian cells.

Method for controlling pH, osmolality and dissolved carbon dioxide levels in a mammalian cell culture process to enhance cell viability and biologic product yield

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Ying Zhou