Passively temperature-regulated shipping container suitable for biological, pharmaceutical materials or food products

Abstract

Disclosed is a shipping container suitable for use for pharmaceuticals, biological materials, blood or tissues, or food products, having a double-walled multiple-chamber structure, wherein a first phase change material, with a phase change temperature between 2° to 8° C. (and in a preferred embodiment, 5°C.) in a payload chamber, and wherein the container includes one or more first chambers surrounding and sharing a wall with the payload chamber, and housing ice (or ice gel packs). A lid fits over (or is hinged to) the upper edges of the walls to seal the container and the payload.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] In the pharmaceutical, transplant and food industries, maintaining the temperature of shipped materials at refrigeration levels is necessary for proper preservation of the product. The temperature inside a shipping container can be actively maintained, for example, with a refrigeration unit, but passive regulation is preferred, due to decreased cost and the elimination of the need for a continuous power source during shipment. Any temperature regulation mechanism, however, should be suitable for use in a variety of weather and external temperature conditions, so that the customers do not have to purchase and then use several different passive regulation systems, which compensate for ambient temperature differences in shipment. With such systems, the customers would also be required to predict weather and shipping conditions. [0002] Passive regulation with conventional means, e.g., ice or ice “gel packs,” which keep the temperature near 0° C. cannot...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The advantages of the container include those resulting from the first change material undergoing a phase change near the middle of the 2° to 8° C. range. This temperature range is the standard for shipping pharmaceutical, biological materials and food products. It is insulated (by a wall) from the ice in the first chamber and double-insulated (two walls) from the exterior, thereby minimizing the effects on the first phase change material of exterior temperature, and reducing the required amount of the first phase change material. Suitable first phase change materials include 1-decanol (melting at 5° C.); sometimes a higher phase change material such as 1-dodecanol (melting at 22° C.) may be used for particular purposes. Use of less costly ice or gel packs in the first chambers permits use of these more costly alcohols to be reduced. Moreover, external temperatures encountered in shipment (including whether its shipped in summer or winter) are of lessened concern.

[0007] The container is designed such that the payload, the ice / gel packs and the first phase change material can all be “dropped in” to their respective chambers, from the top, increasing the ease of loading for the user. Other advantages are described below and are apparent from the description and drawings.

Problems solved by technology

One drawback is that such phase change materials (such as alcohols as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Ser. No. 2005 / 0031809) can be relatively expensive.

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