Automated cryogenic storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336539-B2
Application number	US-201615085431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to a rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor. The automation module includes a rack puller that is automatically positioned above an access port of the freezer. The rack puller engages with a sample rack within the freezer, and elevates the rack into an insulating sleeve external to the freezer. From the insulating sleeve, samples can be added to and removed from the sample rack before it is returned to the freezer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cryogenic storage system comprising:
a freezer configured to store a plurality of sample racks in a cryogenic environment, the freezer including a door enabling access to the cryogenic environment through a port at the top portion of the freezer;
a rack carrier configured to suspend each of the plurality of sample racks by a respective rack top portion, the rack carrier including a rack mount having a plurality of openings, the rack mount suspending each of the plurality of sample racks at a respective one of the plurality of openings; and
a retrieval system including:
a drive system mounted to the top portion of the freezer, the drive system being configured to rotate the sample racks to align a selected one of the sample racks with the port;
an insulating sleeve configured to house the selected one of the sample racks above the port, the insulating sleeve including a sleeve port for enabling a user to access a selected sample box from the selected one of the sample racks; and
a rack puller, the rack puller being configured to engage the selected one of the sample racks and elevate the selected one of the sample racks through the port and into the insulating sleeve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of openings includes a guide extending vertically above a top surface of the rack mount, the guide adapted to center a respective sample rack within the opening as the respective sample rack is lowered through the opening.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive system is configured to engage with a shaft to rotate the rack carrier.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the shaft is further configured to suspend the rack carrier substantially via the rack mount.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rack carrier further includes a plurality of rails each positioned adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of sample racks.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of racks includes a guideplate at a top portion of the rack, the guideplate including at least one formation for engaging with the rack puller.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retrieval system further includes an actuator for automatically opening and closing the door.

8. The system of claim 1 , further including a mount configured to mount at least one of the insulating sleeve and rack puller to the top portion of the freezer, the mount further configured to enable the insulating sleeve to be manually repositioned away from the port to enable manual access to the plurality of sample racks.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mount further includes a manual release enabling the manual reposition independent of a powered status of the retrieval system.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rack puller is further configured to elevate the selected one of the sample racks to a position aligning the selected sample box to the sleeve port.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the insulating sleeve prevents access to other sample boxes of the selected one of the sample racks when the selected sample box is aligned with the sleeve port.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the insulating sleeve further includes an inlet to channel an expellant gas into the insulating sleeve.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the retrieval system is further configured to channel the expellant gas into the insulating sleeve prior to elevating the selected one of the sample racks into the insulating sleeve.

14. The system of claim 1 , further including a conveyor configured to automatically move the insulating sleeve and rack puller toward the port.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the insulating sleeve and rack puller are mounted to the top surface of the freezer by the conveyor.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the door is further configured to reposition away from the port when the insulating sleeve and rack puller are moved by the conveyor toward the port.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the freezer is a cryogenic liquid-cooled, vacuum-insulated vessel.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the door is further configured to reposition away from the port when the insulating sleeve and rack puller are located at the port.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of sample racks are removable from the rack carrier via operation of the rack puller.

20. A method of cryogenic storage comprising:
storing a plurality of sample racks in a freezer maintaining a cryogenic environment;
suspending each of the plurality of sample racks by a respective rack top portion;
automatically rotating the sample racks to align a selected one of the sample racks with a port through a top portion of the freezer;
automatically opening a door corresponding to the port;
automatically engaging the selected one of the sample racks via a gripping device;
automatically elevating the selected one of the sample racks, via the gripping device, through the port and through an insulating sleeve external to the freezer; and
automatically aligning a selected sample box of the selected one of the sample racks to a sleeve port of the insulating sleeve to enable a user to access the selected sample box.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising mounting at least one of the insulating sleeve and rack puller to the top portion of the freezer.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising enabling the insulating sleeve to be manually repositioned away from the port to enable manual access to the plurality of sample racks.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein elevating the selected one of the sample racks includes elevating the selected one of the sample racks to a position aligning the selected sample box to the sleeve port.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising preventing access to other sample boxes of the selected one of the sample racks when the selected sample box is aligned with the sleeve port.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising channeling an expellant gas into the insulating sleeve.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein channeling the expellant gas occurs prior to elevating the selected one of the sample racks into the insulating sleeve.

27. The system of claim 20 , further comprising automatically moving the insulating sleeve toward the port.

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Caveney Robert T
• Hunt Frank
• Sun Lingchen
• Warhurst Julian D
• Zandi Bruce S
• Bonora Anthony C

Classifications

• F25D2400/38

  Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels · CPC title

• B65G1/0464

  with access from above · CPC title

• F25D21/02

  Detecting the presence of frost or condensate · CPC title

• B65G1/045 Primary

  in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers · CPC title

• F25D29/001

  for cryogenic fluid systems · CPC title