Temperature-controlled medicinal storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657982-B2
Application number	US-201414454899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

In some embodiments, a medicinal storage container includes: a desiccant unit including external walls forming a gas-impermeable barrier around an interior desiccant region and including an aperture; a heating element; a controller operably attached to the heating element; a cooling unit; a compressor system including at least one evaporator coil unit, the compressor operably connected to the controller; a vapor conduit, the vapor conduit attached to a the desiccant unit at a first end, the vapor conduit attached to the evaporative cooling unit at a second end, the vapor conduit forming an internal, gas-impermeable passageway between the desiccant unit and the cooling unit; a vapor control unit attached to the vapor conduit and operably attached to the controller; and a medicinal storage unit including external walls encircling a medicinal storage region including a temperature sensor operably connected to the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medicinal storage container, comprising:
a desiccant unit including one or more external walls, the one or more external walls sealed together to form a gas-impermeable barrier around an interior desiccant region, the one or more external walls including an aperture;
a heating element positioned within the interior desiccant region;
a controller operably attached to the heating element;
a cooling unit including one or more external walls, the one or more external walls sealed together to form a gas-impermeable and liquid-impermeable barrier around an interior evaporative region, the one or more external walls including an aperture;
a compressor system including at least one evaporator coil unit positioned within the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit, the compressor system operably connected to the controller;
a vapor conduit including a first end and a second end, the vapor conduit attached to an external surface of the one or more external walls surrounding the aperture of the desiccant unit at the first end, the vapor conduit attached to an external surface of the one or more external walls surrounding the aperture of the evaporative cooling unit at the second end, the vapor conduit forming an internal, gas-impermeable passageway between the interior desiccant region of the desiccant unit and the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit;
a vapor control unit attached to the vapor conduit, the vapor control unit operably attached to the controller; and
a medicinal storage unit including one or more external walls encircling a medicinal storage region, the medicinal storage region including at least one temperature sensor operably connected to the controller.

2. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the desiccant unit comprises:
a gas pressure less than atmospheric pressure within the interior desiccant region.

3. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
an upper region, the upper region positioned adjacent to the aperture in the exterior wall;
a lower region, the lower region positioned below the upper region; and
an evaporative liquid positioned substantially within the lower region.

4. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
a liquid retaining unit connected to at least one surface adjacent to the interior evaporative region.

5. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
one or more temperature sensors within the interior evaporative region, the one or more temperature sensors operably attached to the controller.

6. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
a liquid level sensor positioned within the interior evaporative region.

7. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one evaporator coil unit positioned within the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit is positioned adjacent to the exterior wall of the cooling unit that is proximal to the desiccant unit.

8. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one evaporator coil unit positioned within the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit is positioned substantially in the center of the cooling unit.

9. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the compressor system comprises:
a switch configured to turn the compressor system on and off in response to a signal received from the controller.

10. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the vapor conduit comprises:
a gas-impermeable wall of the vapor conduit;
a gas-impermeable seal between the first end of the vapor conduit and the desiccant unit; and
a gas-impermeable seal between the second end of the vapor conduit and the cooling unit.

11. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the vapor conduit comprises:
an externally-breakable seal across the internal passageway of the vapor conduit, the seal configured to prevent the flow of gas through the internal passageway of the vapor conduit.

12. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , wherein the vapor conduit comprises:
a first temperature sensor positioned adjacent to the first end within the vapor conduit, the first temperature sensor operably attached to the controller; and
a second temperature sensor positioned adjacent to the second end within the vapor conduit, the second temperature sensor operably attached to the controller.

13. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more segments of insulation surrounding the cooling unit and the medicinal storage unit.

14. The medicinal storage container of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gap positioned between an exterior surface of the one or more external walls of the desiccant unit and an exterior surface of the one or more external walls of the cooling unit.

15. A medicinal storage container, comprising:
a desiccant unit including one or more external walls, the one or more external walls sealed together to form a gas-impermeable barrier around an interior desiccant region, the one or more external walls including an aperture;
a heating element positioned within the interior desiccant region;
a controller operably attached to the heating element;
a cooling unit including one or more external walls, the one or more external walls sealed together to form a gas-impermeable and liquid-impermeable barrier around an interior evaporative region, the one or more external walls including an aperture;
a compressor system including at least one evaporator coil unit positioned within the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit, the compressor system operably connected to the controller;
a freezer unit including one or more walls, the freezer unit in thermal contact with the at least one evaporator coil unit positioned within the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit;
a vapor conduit including a first end and a second end, the vapor conduit attached to an external surface of the one or more external walls surrounding the aperture of the desiccant unit at the second end, the vapor conduit attached to an external surface of the one or more external walls surrounding the aperture of the evaporative cooling unit at the first end, the vapor conduit forming an internal, gas-impermeable passageway between the interior desiccant region of the desiccant unit and the interior evaporative region of the cooling unit;
a vapor control unit attached to the vapor conduit, the vapor control unit operably attached to the controller; and
a medicinal storage unit including one or more external walls encircling a medicinal storage region, the medicinal storage region including at least one temperature sensor operably connected to the controller.

16. The medicinal storage container of claim 15 , wherein the desiccant unit comprises:
a gas pressure less than atmospheric pressure within the interior desiccant region.

17. The medicinal storage container of claim 15 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
an upper region, the upper region positioned adjacent to the aperture in the exterior wall;
a lower region, the lower region positioned below the upper region; and
an evaporative liquid positioned substantially within the lower region.

18. The medicinal storage container of claim 15 , wherein the cooling unit comprises:
a liquid retaining unit connected to at least one surface adjacent to the interior evaporative region.

19. The medicinal storage co

Assignees

• Tokitae Llc

Inventors

• Chou Fong-Li
• Eckhoff Philip A
• Fowler Lawrence Morgan
• Larusson Fridrik
• Liu Shieng
• Peterson Nels R
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• B01D53/26

  Drying gases or vapours · CPC title

• A61J2200/50

  Insulating means · CPC title

• A61J2200/72

  for temperature · CPC title

• F25D17/042 Primary

  Air treating means within refrigerated spaces (air conditioning in general F24F) · CPC title

• A61J1/03

  for pills or tablets (containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04) · CPC title