Dry vapor dewar temperature monitoring retrofit lid adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435839-B2
Application number	US-202519060394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2025
Priority date	Jan 14, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

Method, system, apparatus, and/or device for monitoring a shipment. The vapor plug system includes a vapor plug. The vapor plug fits onto a shipper and partially seals contents within a payload area of a shipper. The vapor plug system includes a sensor that is configured to measure or determine a condition or location of the shipper. The vapor plug system includes an electronic device that has a display. The display is configured to provide the condition or the location to a user. The vapor plug system includes a vapor plug adapter. The vapor plug adapter includes a recessed pocket that is configured to receive the electronic device. The vapor plug adapter includes an opening within the recessed pocket and is configured to receive the sensor and allow the sensor to be inserted into the payload area of the shipper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor plug system, comprising:
a vapor plug configured to fit onto a shipper and partially seal contents within a payload area of the shipper;
a sensor configured to measure or determine a condition or location of the shipper;
an electronic device coupled to the sensor and configured to provide the condition or the location to a user; and
a vapor plug adapter coupled to the vapor plug and configured to cover the vapor plug, the vapor plug adapter including:
a recessed pocket configured to receive the electronic device, and
an opening within the recessed pocket that is configured to receive the sensor and allow the sensor to be inserted into the payload area of the shipper,

wherein the vapor plug adapter has a cover, and
wherein the cover is configured to fit within the recessed pocket and enclose the electronic device and the sensor within the vapor plug adapter, the vapor plug and the shipper.

2. The vapor plug system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a thermocouple configured to measure an internal or an external temperature of the shipper, a global positioning system configured to determine the location of the shipper, a pressure sensor configured to measure an atmospheric pressure within the shipper, an inclinometer configured to measure tilt of the shipper or a piezoelectric configured to measure shock within or to the shipper.

3. The vapor plug system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a thermocouple that has a wire, wherein the opening receives the wire that is inserted into the payload area of the shipper.

4. The vapor plug system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor plug adapter has a lid that includes the recessed pocket and the opening.

5. The vapor plug system of claim 1 , wherein the shipper is a dewar designed to withstand cryogenic temperatures.

6. The vapor plug system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device is a data logger and the vapor plug adapter is configured to integrate with various types of data loggers, sensors and dewars of different sizes and shapes.

7. A vapor plug adapter, comprising:
a vapor plug lid having a recessed pocket configured to receive an electronic device and having an opening, the opening being configured to receive a sensor and allow the sensor to be inserted into a payload area of a dewar; and
a cover configured to cover and enclose the electronic device within the recessed pocket,
wherein the recessed pocket is configured to receive the cover, wherein the cover is configured to be locked or unlocked within a seat of the recessed pocket, wherein the recessed pocket has an opening that is configured to receive a wire of the sensor into the payload area of the dewar.

8. The vapor plug adapter of claim 7 , wherein the vapor plug lid configured to couple with a frame of a vapor plug of the dewar.

9. The vapor plug adapter of claim 7 , wherein the recessed pocket is configured to receive different types of data loggers and monitoring devices and couple with different types of vapor plugs or lids of various dewars of different sizes and shapes.

10. The vapor plug adapter of claim 7 , wherein the cover has a first hole and a second hole, wherein the first hole and the second hole are configured to be gripped, held or twisted to twist the cover clockwise or counter-clockwise to a closed position or an open position when the cover is positioned to cover and enclose the electronic device within the recessed pocket.

11. The vapor plug adapter of claim 7 , wherein when the cover is in the closed position the cover is prevented from being lifted out of the recessed pocket and when the cover is in the open position the cover is removable from the recessed pocket.

12. A vapor plug system, comprising:
a dewar;
a vapor plug configured to couple with the dewar;
a sensor configured to measure or determine a condition or location of the dewar;
a data logger coupled to the sensor and configured to provide the condition or the location to a user; and
an adapter coupled to the vapor plug and configured to cover the vapor plug, the adapter including:
a lid having a pocket recessed that is configured to receive the datalogger, the pocket having an opening within and configured to receive the sensor and allow the sensor to be inserted into a payload area of the dewar,

wherein the sensor is a thermocouple configured to measure an internal or an external temperature of the dewar, a global positioning system configured to determine the location of the dewar, a pressure sensor configured to measure an atmospheric pressure within the dewar, an inclinometer configured to measure tilt of the dewar or a piezoelectric to measure shock within or to the dewar.

13. The vapor plug system of claim 12 , wherein the adapter includes:
a cover configured to fit over the pocket and enclose the datalogger and the sensor within the adapter, the vapor plug and the dewar.

14. The vapor plug system of claim 13 , wherein the adapter includes:
a frame coupled in between the lid and the vapor plug, wherein the sensor is configured to be inserted into the opening within the pocket and an opening within the frame and into the payload area of the dewar.

15. The vapor plug system of claim 12 , wherein the lid is made from a polymer that is resistant to cryogenic temperatures.

Assignees

• Cryoport Inc

Inventors

• Bollinger Bret
• Lee Ben

Classifications

• F17C13/06 Primary

  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

• F17C2205/0311

  Closure means · CPC title

• F17C2270/0509

  "Dewar" vessels · CPC title

• F17C13/025

  having the pressure as the parameter · CPC title

• F17C2270/02

  for medical applications · CPC title