Cryosphere

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268655-B2
Application number	US-201815865589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and device, for a cryogenic storage system that stores and/or transports a liquid or gas at a temperature below ambient temperature. The cryogenic storage system has an enclosure and a cavity. The cryogenic storage system has a dewar that is positioned within the cavity of the enclosure. The dewar has a payload area that is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature. The dewar is configured to hold a liquid below ambient temperature and passively stabilize in an upright position. The dewar is formed with an inner wall and an outer wall and has an opening that allows access to the payload area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spherical dewar for storing a liquid at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and is configured to stabilize the spherical dewar in an upright position when the spherical dewar is tilted, angled or rotated within an enclosure regardless of an orientation of the enclosure;
an inner wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the liquid at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
an outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having an opening that allows access to the liquid in the payload area;
a vacuum port that is configured to produce a vacuum insulation between the inner wall and the outer wall;
a vapor plug having a handle, a neck that is inserted into the opening and a locking device that locks the vapor plug in place and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape; and
an electronic thermocouple embedded within the neck of the vapor plug,
wherein the locking device includes one or more magnets embedded within an outer periphery of the neck, wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck interlock with one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar,
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar are configured to maintain the gap between the neck of the vapor plug and the inner wall with the vapor plug in a first rotational position, and
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar are configured to maintain the vapor plug in a location at least partially out of the spherical dewar with the vapor plug in a second rotational position different from the first rotational position.

2. The spherical dewar of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar have opposing polarities.

3. The spherical dewar of claim 1 , wherein when the neck of the vapor plug is inserted into the opening, the locking device is configured to lock the vapor plug in place and is configured to prevent the vapor plug from falling out when the spherical dewar is oriented or rotated in different directions.

4. The spherical dewar of claim 1 , wherein the spherical dewar has a center of gravity or mass within the bottom portion.

5. A spherical dewar for storing a liquid at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and is configured to stabilize the spherical dewar in an upright position when the spherical dewar is tilted, angled or rotated within an enclosure regardless of an orientation of the enclosure;
an inner wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the liquid at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
an outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having an opening that allows access to the liquid in the payload area;
a vacuum port that is configured to produce a vacuum insulation between the inner wall and the outer wall;
a vapor plug having a handle, a neck that is inserted into the opening and a locking device that locks the vapor plug in place and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape; and
an electronic thermocouple embedded within the neck of the vapor plug,
wherein the neck of the vapor plug has a portion that is corrugated and includes a serpentine path, wherein the serpentine path connects the inner wall with the outer wall.

6. The spherical dewar of claim 5 , wherein the neck of the vapor plug has a height that is less than a height of a straight neck tube.

7. A spherical dewar for storing a liquid at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and is configured to stabilize the spherical dewar in an upright position when the spherical dewar is tilted, angled or rotated within an enclosure regardless of an orientation of the enclosure;
an inner wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the liquid at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
an outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having an opening that allows access to the liquid in the payload area;
a vacuum port that is configured to produce a vacuum insulation between the inner wall and the outer wall;
a vapor plug having a handle, a neck that is inserted into the opening and a locking device that locks the vapor plug in place, prevents the vapor plug from falling out when the spherical dewar is oriented or rotated in different directions and maintains a gap between the neck and the inner wall that allows gas to escape when the liquid evaporates; and
an electronic thermocouple embedded within the neck of the vapor plug,
wherein the locking device includes one or more magnets embedded within an outer periphery of the neck, wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck interlock with one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar,
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar are configured to maintain the gap between the neck of the vapor plug and the inner wall with the vapor plug in a first rotational position, and
wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar are configured to maintain the vapor plug in a location at least partially out of the spherical dewar with the vapor plug in a second rotational position different from the first rotational position.

8. The spherical dewar of claim 7 , wherein the one or more magnets embedded within the outer periphery of the neck of the vapor plug and the one or more other magnets within the inner wall of the spherical dewar have opposing polarities, wherein the opposing polarities are configured to lock the vapor plug in the first rotational position within the spherical dewar and are configured to maintain the vapor plug in the location at least partially out of the spherical dewar with the vapor plug in the second rotational position.

9. The spherical dewar of claim 7 , wherein the spherical dewar has a center of gravity or mass within the bottom portion.

10. A spherical dewar for storing a liquid at a temperature below an ambient temperature, comprising:
a top portion;
a bottom portion that weighs more than the top portion and is configured to stabilize the spherical dewar in an upright position when the spherical dewar is tilted, angled or rotated within an enclosure regardless of an orientation of the enclosure;
an inner wall that forms a payload area configured to hold the liquid at the temperature below the ambient temperature;
an outer wall, the outer wall and the inner wall having an opening that allows access to the liquid in the payload area;
a vacuum port that is configured to produce a vacuum insulation between the inner wall and the outer wall;
a vapor plug having a handle, a neck that is inserted into the opening and a locking device that locks the vapor plug in place, prevents the vapor plug from falling out when the spherical dewar is oriented or rotated in different directions and maintains a gap between the neck and the

Assignees

• Cryoport Inc

Inventors

• Bollinger Bret
• Melikyan Hovhannes

Classifications

• F17C2203/0391

  by vacuum · CPC title

• F17C2221/014

  Nitrogen · CPC title

• F17C2205/0311

  Closure means · CPC title

• F17C2250/034

  using wireless transmissions · CPC title

• F17C13/06

  Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member ({for autoclaves B01J3/03}; closures for {large} containers in general B65D {B65D90/54}; {for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00}) · CPC title