Thermal capacitors, systems, and methods for rapid freezing or heating of biological materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12239127-B2
Application number	US-202117386828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Jul 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A thermal capacitor includes a shell and a PCM. The shell includes a first major surface that is configured to contact a container including media to be frozen. The shell defines a cavity in which the PCM is disposed. The PCM has a transition temperature in a range of −80 degrees Celsius to −50 degrees Celsius and is configured to rapidly freeze media from room temperature to −60 degrees Celsius with the container including the media in contact with the shell in an enclosed space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rapid freezing system comprising:
a rack; and
a plurality of thermal capacitors, each one of said thermal capacitors slidably mounted within the rack such that media to be frozen is receivable between adjacent thermal capacitors, each thermal capacitor comprising:
a shell including a first major surface configured to contact a container including media to be frozen, defining a cavity; and
a phase-change material (PCM) disposed within the cavity, the PCM having a transition temperature in a range of −80 degrees Celsius to −50 degrees Celsius, each thermal capacitor configured to rapidly freeze media from room temperature to at least −50 degrees Celsius at a rate of at least 1 degree Celsius per minute with the container in contact with the shell.

2. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , wherein each thermal capacitor includes a contact surface configured to contact a container including media to be frozen, the contact surface formed of a material to enhance thermal energy transfer into or out of the PCM.

3. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , wherein the shell is formed of aluminum and including walls defining the cavity.

4. The rapid freezing system according to claim 3 , wherein the walls defining the cavity are anodized or nickel plated.

5. The rapid freezing system according to claim 3 , wherein the PCM is sealed within a package disposed within the cavity.

6. The rapid freezing system according to claim 5 , wherein the package is formed of fluoropolymers a silicone rubber.

7. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the thermal capacitors includes a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly providing indicia of a charge state of the PCM within the at least one thermal capacitor.

8. The rapid freezing system according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly includes a sensor selected from the group consisting of a resistance temperature detector, a thermocouple, a thermistor, an optical sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

9. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , wherein the rack includes an upper rail and a lower rail, the thermal capacitors are slidably mounted on the upper rail and the lower rail.

10. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a ULT Freezer, the rack disposed within the ULT Freezer, the plurality of thermal capacitors configured to increase a quantity of media capable of being frozen by the ULT Freezer without the ULT Freezer deviating above a maximum temperature.

11. The rapid freezing system according to claim 10 , wherein the ULT Freezer with the rack is capable of freezing 5 liters of media without significant deviation from a set point temperature.

12. The rapid freezing system according to claim 10 , wherein the maximum temperature of the ULT Freezer is −50 degrees Celsius.

13. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal capacitors are fixed within the rack such that a channel is defined between adjacent thermal capacitors. of the plurality of thermal capacitors.

14. The rapid freezing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a carrier holder for insertion into a channel between adjacent thermal capacitors, the carrier holder having a first side and a second side, each of the first side and the second side configured to receive the container including media to be frozen.

15. The rapid freezing system according to claim 14 , wherein the carrier holder has a compressed configuration in which the carrier holder has a first thickness and an uncompressed configuration in which the carrier holder has a second thickness greater than the first thickness, the first side and the second side moveable relative to one another between the compressed configuration and the uncompressed configuration.

16. The rapid freezing system according to claim 15 , wherein in the compressed configuration the containers are spaced apart from the thermal capacitors and in the uncompressed configuration at least one surface of the boxes is in contact with a respective thermal capacitor.

17. The rapid freezing system according to claim 15 , wherein the first thickness is less than a channel thickness of the channel and the second thickness is greater than the channel thickness.

18. The rapid freezing system according to claim 15 , wherein the carrier holder includes a biasing member disposed between the first side and the second side, the biasing member urging the first side and the second side away from one another such that the carrier holder is urged towards the uncompressed configuration.

19. The rapid freezing system according to claim 18 , wherein each thermal capacitor includes a groove and a cutout aligned with and positioned at each end of the groove, the carrier holder including a first boss extending from the first side and a second boss extending from the second side, the first boss and the second boss slidably received in the groove and receivable in the cutout, the carrier holder in the compressed configuration when the first boss and the second boss are received within the groove and is between the compressed configuration and the uncompressed configuration when the first boss and the second boss disposed in the notches.

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim North America Inc

Inventors

• Cutting Jonathan
• Kaiser Alexander

Classifications

• A01N1/162

  Temperature processes, e.g. following predefined temperature changes over time · CPC title

• A01N1/142

  Apparatus · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F28F2225/02

  for casings · CPC title

• F28D2021/005

  for medical applications · CPC title