Low temperature storage system

Abstract

The present application aims to provide a low-temperature storage system which can practically suppress moisture of an external environment from entering a low-temperature storage, without accompanying large-scale and complication of system configuration. Specifically, the low-temperature storage system (100) of the present application can solve the above problem by the following, that is, a carrying-in and carrying-out mechanism (110) which carries in and carries out a storage object W with respect to a low-temperature storage (101) is provided with an in-and-out storage preparation room (C) attached to the low-temperature storage (101), the in-and-out storage preparation room (C) is configured to have: a first antechamber (C1) whose internal space is managed to be a dew point D1 lower than an external environment; and a second antechamber (C2) disposed between the first antechamber (C1) and the low-temperature storage (101) and whose internal space is managed to be a dew point D2 between the dew point D1 in the first antechamber (C1) and a dew point D0 in the low-temperature storage (101).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cryogenic storage system for storing containers containing samples at low temperatures, and more particularly to a cryogenic storage system for storing drug development samples used in the process of discovering or designing pharmaceutical agents at extremely low temperatures in the medical, bioengineering and pharmaceutical fields. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, a cryogenic storage system was known to store a tube rack containing multiple tubes in a cryogenic storage chamber maintained in a stable environment at extremely low temperatures, wherein the multiple tubes were filled with drug development samples used in the discovery or design of pharmaceutical agents in medicine, bioengineering and pharmacy.

[0003] In such a cryogenic storage system, the loading and unloading of tube racks into and out of the cryogenic storage room and the retrieval of tubes within the cryogenic storage room (transfer between tube racks) are carried out by dedicated mechanisms.

[0004] Furthermore, when the pipe racks are moved in and out of the cryogenic storage chamber, the inside and outside of the chamber become interconnected. Therefore, external environmental factors, such as moisture from the external atmosphere seeping into the cryogenic storage chamber, may cause problems such as temperature rise or frost buildup.

[0005] To prevent moisture from seeping into the cryogenic storage chamber, a practice is implemented to create a dry environment in the anteroom area that connects to the cryogenic storage chamber.

[0006] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a situation in which a dehumidified space with dry air or nitrogen is formed inside an outer cover that isolates the area from the external environment and houses the cryogenic storage room and the moving-in and moving-out mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes that, between the receiving room, which functions as a preparation room for receiving and storing objects, and the storage room where the objects can be stored, a pre-cooling room is provided to pre-cool the stored objects. While maintaining a low-temperature atmosphere in the pre-cooling room, which is the area of ​​the pre-cooling room, dehumidified dry air is supplied into the pre-cooling room.

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-048035

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-187257 Summary of the Invention

[0011] However, to prevent moisture from seeping into the cryogenic storage chamber, the anteroom area needs to be a low dew point environment as close as possible to the environment inside the cryogenic storage chamber. To achieve such a low dew point environment, a large and high-specification device capable of stably generating a large flow rate of low dew point dry air is required as the dry air generating unit.

[0012] Furthermore, since various devices are needed around the cryogenic storage chamber, such as drive mechanisms for gates that close openings connecting the chamber to the anteroom area and mechanisms for moving stored objects into and out of the chamber, the anteroom area inevitably becomes larger. This results in the following problems: it leads to a larger dry air generating unit and a larger cryogenic storage system itself; and, for example, a longer time is required for atmosphere conditioning of the anteroom area through dry air purging, resulting in longer exposure times for stored objects to an environment with a higher temperature than the cryogenic storage chamber.

[0013] The present invention is based on the above situation. The technical problem to be solved is to provide a low-temperature storage system that does not involve large-scale and complex system construction and can effectively prevent moisture from the external environment from seeping into the low-temperature storage room.

[0014] This invention relates to a cryogenic storage system, comprising: a cryogenic storage chamber for storing objects in a cryogenic environment; and a moving-in / moving mechanism for moving the stored objects into and out of the cryogenic storage chamber. The problem is solved by the following: the moving-in / moving mechanism includes an in / out preparation chamber attached to the cryogenic storage chamber and isolated from the external environment and the cryogenic storage chamber itself. The in / out preparation chamber has: a first anteroom, the interior space of which is managed to achieve a dew point D1 lower than the external environment; and a second anteroom, which is arranged within the cryogenic storage chamber... The internal space between the first anteroom and the cryogenic storage chamber is managed to be a dew point D2 between the dew point D1 in the first anteroom and the dew point D0 in the cryogenic storage chamber, and includes: a first air supply line for supplying dry air for cleaning at dew point D1 to the first anteroom; a second air supply line for supplying dry air at dew point D1 to the first anteroom; a third air supply line for supplying dry air at dew point D2 to the second anteroom; and a dry air generating device shared by the first, second, and third air supply lines.

[0015] According to the low-temperature storage system involved in this technical solution 1, since it is configured such that a second anteroom with an internal space managed as dew point D1 lower than the external environment is provided between a first anteroom with an internal space managed as dew point D1 and a low-temperature storage room with a low-temperature environment managed as dew point D0, the difference in dew point of the ambient atmosphere in the two interconnected spaces becomes smaller when entering or leaving the storage room, thereby suppressing moisture from seeping into the low-temperature storage room.

[0016] Furthermore, by suppressing moisture from seeping into the cryogenic storage chamber, the intervals between defrosting operations required in the cryogenic storage system can be extended.

[0017] Furthermore, since it is only necessary to make the environment in the preparation room for entry and exit of the cryogenic storage room a low dew point environment, the desired environmental atmosphere can be formed in a shorter time, which can reduce the exposure time of the stored objects to an environmental atmosphere with a higher temperature than that of the cryogenic storage room.

[0018] Furthermore, since a single dry air generator can supply the dry air required for the inbound and outbound operations at dew point D1, the dry air for cleaning at dew point D1, and the dry air at dew point D2, it is possible to avoid the need for a large and complex system configuration.

[0019] According to the configuration described in technical solution 2, since the entry and exit preparation room is set up such that the first anteroom is located in the external environment while the second anteroom is located in the low-temperature storage room, the influence of the external environment on the environment inside the first anteroom and the environment inside the second anteroom is reduced. Therefore, it is easy to adjust each space of the first anteroom and the second anteroom to the desired environmental atmosphere.

[0020] According to the configuration described in technical solution 3, since a freezing heat sink is provided in the second front chamber to cause moisture in the ambient atmosphere of the second front chamber to frost and adhere, the second front chamber can be managed into a low dew point environment that is closer to that of a low-temperature storage warehouse.

[0021] According to the configuration described in technical solution 4, since the second air supply line has a tank for temporarily storing the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device, it is not necessary for the dry air generating device itself to supply a large flow of dry air, and the first front room can be adjusted to the desired environmental atmosphere in a short time.

[0022] According to the configuration described in technical solution 5, since a cooling section is provided in the low-temperature storage chamber in the third air supply circuit to cool the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device, the cold air in the low-temperature storage chamber can be used to cool the dry air, thereby reducing the heat load of the cooling section.

[0023] According to the configuration described in technical solution 6, since the first anterior chamber side gate and the second anterior chamber side gate are configured to move together with the loading platform in one direction, the transfer of the stored object and the opening and closing of the gates can be performed using the linear motion in that direction, thus avoiding the need for a large and complex system configuration. This results in reduced failures and improved maintainability.

[0024] According to the configuration described in technical solution 7, since a constant load spring is provided on the first antechamber side gate and the inlet / outlet gate respectively, a mechanism for opening and closing the gate by following the transfer action of the stored object can be realized with a simple structure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a block diagram schematically illustrating one configuration example of the cryogenic storage system involved in the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a perspective view taken from the right front side, showing an example of a configuration of the loading and unloading mechanism in the cryogenic storage system of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The left-side view of the loading and unloading mechanism shown.

[0028] Figure 4 This is an illustrative representation of the cryogenic storage system of the present invention in standby mode. Figure 3 A sectional view showing the structure of the AA line section.

[0029] Figure 5 It means Figure 2 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of the lifting mechanism in the loading and unloading system.

[0030] Figure 6 It means Figure 2 A perspective view of the structure of the first anterior chamber side gate in the loading and unloading mechanism, viewed from below.

[0031] Figure 7 It means Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of the structure of the inbound and outbound gates in the loading and unloading mechanism, viewed from above.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing an example of a cooling fin configuration.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of storing an object in a cryogenic storage system relative to a cryogenic storage warehouse, as described in this invention.

[0034] Figure 10It is a sectional view showing the state of the storage object in the storage preparation room when it is moved in or when it is moved out.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the inbound / outbound preparation room when the stored object is located in the second front room.

[0036] Figure 12 It is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the inbound / outbound preparation room when the stored object is located in the low-temperature storage room.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the action of taking the stored object out of the cryogenic storage warehouse in the cryogenic storage system of the present invention.

[0038] Symbol Explanation

[0039] 100-Cryogenic storage system; 101-Cryogenic storage chamber; 110-Moving in / out mechanism; 111-Frame; 112-Partition; 113-Connecting opening; 114-In / out opening; 115-Moving in / out outlet; 116-Moving in / out door; 117-Electromagnetic locking mechanism; 118A-Dry air supply unit for cleaning; 118B-Dry air supply unit; 119-Dry air supply unit; 120-In / out elevator; 121-Drive mechanism; 122-Guide rail; 123- Movable body; 124-Lifting guide plate; 125-Drive source; 130-Lifting body; 131-Base frame; 132-Upper base plate; 133-Positioning pin component; 134-Hook component; 135-Lower base plate; 136-Support shaft; 140-Slide rail; 141-Manual worktable; 142-Handle; 143-Pipe rack loading platform; 144-Pipe rack guide; 145-Second anterior chamber side gate; 146-Insulation body; 147-Hook component; 148-Positioning pin; 150-First anterior chamber side gate ; 151-Base component; 152-Insulator; 153-Insulator; 154-Cover guide; 155-First constant load spring; 156-Pin guide component; 157-Through hole; 160-In / out gate; 161-Cover plate; 162-Second constant load spring; 163-Pin guide component; 170-Cooling fin; 171-Heat sink element; 180-Dry air supply mechanism; 181-Dry air generating device; 182-Dew point meter; 183A-Solenoid valve; 183B-Electric Solenoid valve; 183C - Solenoid valve; 183D - Solenoid valve; 185 - Air tank; 186 - Pressure gauge; 187 - Check valve; 188 - Cooling section; C - Inbound / outbound preparation room; C1 - First anteroom; C2 - Second anteroom; L1 - First dry air supply path; L2 - Second dry air supply path; L3 - Third dry air supply path; L4 - Fourth dry air supply path; PA - Pick-up area; S1 - Manual workbench position confirmation sensor; S2 - Pipe rack in-place sensor; W - Storage object. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The cryogenic storage system of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] One embodiment of the cryogenic storage system 100 of the present invention uses a storage rack holding multiple tubes as the storage object W, for example. Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a low-temperature storage chamber 101 for storing the object W in a low-temperature environment; a moving-in and moving-out mechanism 110 for moving the object W into and out of the low-temperature storage chamber 101; and a dry air supply mechanism 180 for adjusting the ambient atmosphere by supplying dry air to the space located between the external environment and the low-temperature storage chamber 101, which serves as an anteroom area, and the whole is housed in an outer enclosure (not shown). Figure 1The area enclosed by the double-dotted line is the pick-up area PA, where pipe transfer operations are carried out between storage racks and handling racks.

[0042] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the loading and unloading mechanism 110 includes: a frame 111, which is attached to the upper wall of the low-temperature storage room 101; and an inbound / outbound elevator 120, which moves the stored object W in the vertical direction inside the frame 111.

[0043] Below, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is established with the vertical direction (the Z-axis) as the Z-axis, and the coordinates perpendicular to the horizontal plane are defined. Figure 3 The direction of the paper is defined as the X-axis, and the left and right directions are defined as the Y-axis.

[0044] The frame 111 is a component that divides the entry and exit preparation chamber C, which is located between the external environment and the cryogenic storage 101, into the anteroom area. It has an entry and exit opening 114 that opens downward and is configured to protrude into the cryogenic storage 101.

[0045] Also Figure 4 As shown, the internal space of the frame 111 is divided vertically by a partition 112 extending along the XY plane. The upper space located outside the cryogenic storage 101 is configured as the first anterior chamber C1, and the lower space located inside the cryogenic storage 101 is configured as the second anterior chamber C2.

[0046] A connecting opening 113 is formed on the partition wall 112. The opening 113 is configured to allow passage through the lifting body 130 equipped with the tube rack platform 143, and to connect the first anterior chamber C1 and the second anterior chamber C2 to each other.

[0047] In the second anterior chamber C2, there is an inlet / outlet gate 160 that can be opened and closed from the low-temperature storage 111 side to close the inlet / outlet opening 114.

[0048] On one side wall of the first front chamber C1 on the frame 111, the loading and unloading outlet 115 relative to the inbound and outbound preparation chamber C is formed to be open in the X-axis direction, and a loading and unloading door 116 is provided so that the loading and unloading outlet 115 can be opened and closed.

[0049] When the stored object W is moved in or out of the low-temperature storage room 101, the moving door 116 is kept closed by the electromagnetic locking mechanism 117. When the stored object W is moved in or out of the storage preparation room C, the electromagnetic locking mechanism 117 is released to allow the opening and closing action.

[0050] The warehouse elevator 120 includes a drive mechanism 121, an elevator body 130, a first anteroom side gate 150, and a second anteroom side gate 145.

[0051] The drive mechanism 121 is, for example, a direct-acting drive, comprising: a guide rail 122 fixed to the upper wall of the frame 111 and extending in the vertical direction; a movable body 123 configured to move along the guide rail 122 in the vertical direction; a pair of lifting guide plates 124, 124 fixed to the movable body 123, spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction and extending in the vertical direction; and a drive source 125. The lifting guide plates 124 are hermetically permeable through a through hole formed in the upper wall of the frame 111 such that their lower ends protrude into the storage preparation chamber C, and are configured to slide relative to the frame 111.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the lifting body 130 includes: an upper substrate 132 and a lower substrate 135, which are arranged opposite each other with a gap in the vertical direction and extend along each XY plane; and a base frame 131, which is vertically fixed on the four corners of the lower substrate 135 and is composed of a support shaft 136 connecting the upper substrate 132 and the lower substrate 135.

[0053] On the upper surface of the upper substrate 132, at the center in the X-axis direction and at a position away in the Y-axis direction, a pair of positioning pins 133, 133 are provided, and a hook member 134 is provided between the positioning pins 133, 133.

[0054] On the upper surface of the lower substrate 135, a pair of slide rails 140, 140 extending parallel to each other in the X-axis direction are provided at intervals in the Y-axis direction.

[0055] Above the slide rail 140, a flat manual worktable 141 with a handle 142 is slidably provided in the X-axis direction relative to the slide rail 140. In addition, above the manual worktable 141, a pipe rack loading platform 143 is fixed at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0056] On the top of the pipe rack platform 143, a pipe rack guide 144 is fixed to hold the stored object W.

[0057] Therefore, in the process of storing the object W, by sliding the manual workbench 141 and pulling it out of the frame 111 through the loading and unloading outlet 115, the object W can be placed on the pipe rack guide 144.

[0058] On the upper surface of the upper base plate 132, a positioning pin component 133 and a hook component 134 are sandwiched. The lower ends of each lifting guide plate 124 are fixed on both sides in the X-axis direction. Thus, the lifting body 130 is configured to move forward and backward in the vertical direction as the lifting guide plate 124 moves.

[0059] Below the lower base plate 135, a second anterior chamber side gate 145 is integrally provided. The second anterior chamber side gate 145 is configured to move in both directions in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of the lifting body 130.

[0060] The second anterior chamber side gate 145 can be opened and closed from the second anterior chamber C2 side to close the connecting opening 113, and is composed of a flat rectangular insulating body 146.

[0061] A hook component 147 is provided on the lower center of the insulation body 146, and a pair of positioning pin components 148, 148 are provided at a position that clamps the hook component 147 and is away in the Y-axis direction.

[0062] The first anterior chamber side gate 150 is a component that can be opened and closed from the first anterior chamber C1 side to close the communication opening 113 that connects the first anterior chamber C1 and the second anterior chamber C2, such as Figure 6 As shown, it includes: a flat base component 151; a flat rectangular heat insulation body 152 fixed on the top of the base component 151; a rectangular frame heat insulation body 153 fixed on the bottom of the base component 151; and a rectangular frame cover guide plate 154 fixed on the bottom of the heat insulation body 153 and docking with the upper base plate 132 on the lifting body 130.

[0063] A first constant load spring 155 is provided on the underside of the base component 151. The first constant load spring 155 engages with a hook component 134 provided on the upper base plate 132 of the lifting body 130, so that the lifting body 130 and the first anterior chamber side gate 150 are pulled closer to each other.

[0064] Furthermore, on the underside of the base component 151, a pair of pin guide components 156, 156 are provided at a position away from the first constant load spring 155 in the Y-axis direction. The pair of pin guide components 156, 156 are configured to be inserted into the positioning pin component 133 provided on the upper base plate 132 on the lifting body 130.

[0065] The first constant load spring 155 and the pin guide component 156 are located in the space surrounded by the heat insulation body 153.

[0066] The first anterior chamber side gate 150 is configured such that a lifting guide plate 124 is hermetically passed through a through hole 157, which is formed on the base member 151 and the insulation body 152 respectively, extending in the thickness direction. The cover guide plate 154 is abutted against the upper base plate 132 on the lifting body 130 by the weight of the first anterior chamber side gate 150. Thus, the first anterior chamber side gate 150 is configured to move in both directions in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of the lifting body 130.

[0067] like Figure 7As shown, the warehouse gate 160 has a rectangular cover plate 161.

[0068] On the top of the cover plate 161, a second constant-load spring 162 is provided to pull the lifting body 130 and the access gate 160 closer together. The hook member 147 provided on the second front chamber side gate 145 engages with the second constant-load spring 162, thereby configuring the access gate 160 to move forward and backward in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of the lifting body 130.

[0069] Furthermore, on the top of the cover plate 161, a pair of pin guide members 163, 163 are arranged at a position away from the second constant load spring 162 in the Y-axis direction. The pair of pin guide members 163, 163 are configured to be inserted into the positioning pin member 148 provided on the second anterior chamber side gate 145.

[0070] Thus, by configuring the first antechamber side gate 150, the second antechamber side gate 145, and the entry / exit gate 160 to move in both directions in the vertical direction in conjunction with the lifting body 130, the transfer of the stored object W and the opening and closing of the gates can be achieved using the vertical linear motion of the lifting body 130. Therefore, the large size and complexity of the system configuration can be avoided, and the failure rate can be reduced while the maintainability can be improved.

[0071] Furthermore, by installing constant load springs on the first antechamber side gate 150 and the entry / exit gate 160, a mechanism for opening and closing the gates in conjunction with the transfer action of the stored object W can be realized with a simple structure.

[0072] In this cryogenic storage system 100, the interior space of the first anteroom C1 is managed to create an ambient atmosphere with a dew point D1 lower than the external environment, and the interior space of the second anteroom C2 is managed to create an ambient atmosphere with a dew point D2 between the dew point D1 in the first anteroom C1 and the dew point D0 in the cryogenic storage chamber 101. Therefore, during entry and exit operations, the difference in dew points between the ambient atmospheres in the two interconnected spaces becomes smaller, suppressing moisture infiltration into the cryogenic storage chamber 101. Furthermore, by suppressing moisture infiltration into the cryogenic storage chamber 101, the intervals for necessary defrosting operations in the cryogenic storage system 100 can be extended.

[0073] Furthermore, since it is only necessary to make the environment in the inbound / outbound preparation room C attached to the cryogenic storage 101 a low dew point environment, the following effect can be obtained: the desired environmental atmosphere can be formed in a shorter time, and the exposure time of the stored object to an environmental atmosphere with a higher temperature than that of the cryogenic storage 101 can be reduced.

[0074] If an example is shown of the specific form of the environmental atmosphere in the cryogenic storage room 101 and the environmental atmosphere in the inbound / outbound preparation room C, then the cryogenic storage room 101 is managed to have an environmental atmosphere with a temperature of -80°C and a dew point D0 of -80°C, the first front room C1 is managed to have an environmental atmosphere with a temperature of room temperature and a dew point D1 of 0 to -20°C, and the second front room C2 is managed to have an environmental atmosphere with a temperature of -30°C and a dew point D2 of -30°C.

[0075] As described above, the inbound / outbound preparation chamber C is configured such that while the first front chamber C1 is located outside the low-temperature storage chamber 101, the second front chamber C2 is located inside the low-temperature storage chamber 101. Therefore, by reducing the influence of the external environment on the environment inside the first front chamber C1 and the environment inside the second front chamber C2, it is easier to adjust each space of the first front chamber C1 and the second front chamber C2 to the desired environmental atmosphere.

[0076] In addition, a refrigeration fin 170 is provided in the second front chamber C2 to cause moisture in the ambient atmosphere of the second front chamber C2 to frost and adhere to it, thereby enabling the second front chamber C2 to be managed as a low dew point environment that is closer to the environment of the low temperature storage room 101.

[0077] For example, Figure 8 As shown, the cooling heat sink 170 is constructed by arranging a plurality of heat sink elements 171 side by side in the Y-axis direction. Each heat sink element 171 is configured such that a plurality of cooling plates perpendicular to the Y-axis are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction and are formed to extend in the vertical direction.

[0078] The adjustment of the ambient atmosphere in the first anterior chamber C1 and the second anterior chamber C2 is carried out by supplying dry air to the first anterior chamber C1 and the second anterior chamber C2.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the dry air supply mechanism 180 includes: a first air supply line L1, which supplies cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 to a first anteroom C1; a second air supply line L2, which supplies cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 to a first anteroom C1; a third air supply line L3, which supplies cleaning dry air with a dew point D2 to a second anteroom C2; a fourth air supply line L4, which supplies cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 to a pickup area PA; and a dry air generating device 181, which is shared by the first air supply line L1, the second air supply line L2, the third air supply line L3 and the fourth air supply line L4. Figure 1 182 is a dew point meter that detects the dew point of the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device 181.

[0080] Since the low-temperature storage system 100 can use a (separate) dry air generating device 181 to supply the dry air at dew point D1, the dry air for cleaning at dew point D1, and the dry air at dew point D2 required for the entry and exit operations, the large size and complexity of the system configuration can be avoided.

[0081] Solenoid valves 183A, 183B, 183C, and 183D are respectively installed in the first air supply line L1, the second air supply line L2, the third air supply line L3, and the fourth air supply line L4. The dry air supply mode can be switched by controlling the opening and closing state of each solenoid valve 183A, 183B, 183C, and 183D.

[0082] The first air supply line L1 is equipped with a tank 185 for temporarily storing the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device 181. Thus, it is not necessary for the dry air generating device 181 itself to supply a large flow of dry air, and the first anteroom C1 can be adjusted to the desired ambient atmosphere in a short time.

[0083] In the first air supply line L1, a pressure gauge 186 is installed upstream of the air tank 185 in the direction of dry air flow to monitor the flow rate of the dry air stored in the air tank 185. Additionally, Figure 1 187 is the check valve.

[0084] The cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 supplied by the first air supply line L1 is introduced into the first anteroom C1 through the cleaning dry air supply unit 118A, which is provided on the side wall (right side wall) opposite to the side wall of the frame 111 that has the loading and unloading outlet 115 formed in the X-axis direction.

[0085] In addition, dry air with a dew point D2 supplied by the second air supply line L2 is introduced into the second anterior chamber C2 through the dry air supply unit 119, which is provided on the right side wall dividing the second anterior chamber C2.

[0086] The third air supply line L3 includes a cooling section 188 that cools the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device 181 to generate dry air with a dew point D2.

[0087] The cooling unit 188 is installed in the low-temperature storage chamber 101, thereby utilizing the cold air in the low-temperature storage chamber 101 to cool the dry air and reducing the heat load of the cooling unit 188.

[0088] Dry air with a dew point of D1 supplied by the third air supply line L3 is introduced into the first anteroom C1 through the dry air supply unit 118B, which is arranged in parallel with the cleaning dry air supply unit 118A.

[0089] Below, based on Figure 9 The process of storing the object W in the aforementioned low-temperature storage system 100 will be explained.

[0090] The cryogenic storage system 100 is typically in standby mode (S100). In standby mode, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the lifting body 130 is located in the standby position (POS3), which is lower than the position where the connecting opening 113 of the partition 112 is closed by the second anteroom side gate 145, and the dry air supply mode is controlled to supply dry air to the second anteroom C2 and the pickup area PA in the first dry air supply mode (Mode 1). In the first dry air supply mode (Mode 1), solenoid valves 183A and 183B are in the closed state, and solenoid valves 183C and 183D are in the open state.

[0091] When storing the object W in the low-temperature storage room 101, assuming that the gas tank 185 contains dry air with a dew point D1 and the pressure inside the gas tank 185 is above a set level, firstly, the lifting body 130 moves upward via the drive mechanism 121, from the standby position (POS3) to the entry / exit position (POS4) for storing the object W (S101). While the lifting body 130 is in the entry / exit position (POS4), as... Figure 10 As shown, the connecting opening 113 is closed from the second anterior chamber C2 side by the second anterior chamber side gate 145, and the first anterior chamber C1 and the second anterior chamber C2 are separated by airtightness.

[0092] When the manual workbench position confirmation sensor S1 detects that the lifting body 130 is in the in / out position (POS4), the dry air supply mode switches from the first dry air supply mode (Mode1) to the third dry air supply mode (Mode3) that supplies dry air at dew point D1 to the first anteroom C1 (S102). That is, solenoid valve 183B changes from the closed state to the open state, and solenoid valves 183C and 183D change from the open state to the closed state. Solenoid valve 183A remains in the closed state.

[0093] Then, when the dry air supply mode is switched, the electromagnetic lock of the inbound / outbound door 116 is released (S103), and the stored object W is manually placed on the pipe rack loading platform 143. Specifically, the inbound / outbound door 116 is opened, the manual workbench 141 is pulled out to the outside of the inbound / outbound preparation room C, and the stored object W is held on the pipe rack guide 144. Afterwards, the manual workbench 141 is returned to the inbound / outbound preparation room C and the inbound / outbound door 116 is closed. As a result, the inbound / outbound door 116 is locked by the electromagnetic locking mechanism 117, and since the presence of the stored object W is detected by the pipe rack in-situ sensor S2, the placement of the stored object W is completed (S104).

[0094] When the configuration of the stored object W is completed, the dry air supply mode switches from the third dry air supply mode (Mode3) to the fourth dry air supply mode (Mode4), which supplies cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 stored in the air tank 185 to the first anteroom C1 (S105). That is, solenoid valve 183A changes from the closed state to the open state, and solenoid valve 183B changes from the open state to the closed state. Solenoid valves 183C and 183D remain in the closed state.

[0095] After the dry air supply mode is switched and a predetermined time has elapsed (i.e., after the first antechamber C1 has been cleaned with dry air at dew point D1), the dry air supply mode switches from the fourth dry air supply mode (Mode4) to the second dry air supply mode (Mode2), which supplies dry air at dew point D2 to the second antechamber C2 (S106). Specifically, solenoid valve 183C changes from closed to open, and solenoid valve 183A changes from open to closed. Solenoid valves 183B and 183D remain closed.

[0096] Subsequently, the lifting body 130 moves downward via the drive mechanism 121, from the entry / exit position (POS4) in the first anteroom C1 to the defrost position (POS2) in the second anteroom C2 (S107). When the lifting body 130 is in the defrost position (POS2), as... Figure 11 As shown, the movement of the lifting body 130 is linked to the opening 113, which is closed from the first anterior chamber C1 side by the first anterior chamber side gate 150.

[0097] After the lifting body 130 moves to the defrost position (POS2) and a predetermined time has elapsed, defrosting is performed. This defrosting involves causing the moisture that has seeped into the second front chamber C2 during the movement of the lifting body 130 to frost and adhere to the cooling fins 170. The dry air supply mode then switches from the second dry air supply mode (Mode2) to the third dry air supply mode (Mode3) (S108). Specifically, solenoid valve 183B changes from the closed state to the open state, and solenoid valve 183C changes from the open state to the closed state. Solenoid valves 183A and 183D remain in the closed state.

[0098] When the dry air supply mode is switched, the lifting body 130 and the in / out gate 160 move further downward via the drive mechanism 121, from the defrost position (POS2) in the second antechamber C2 to the loading / unloading position (POS1) in the low-temperature storage chamber 101 (S109). When the lifting body 130 is in the loading / unloading position (POS1), as... Figure 12 As shown, the first constant load spring 155 pulls the first anterior chamber side gate 150 towards the lifting body 130 to maintain the state in which the connecting opening 113 is airtightly closed by the first anterior chamber side gate 150.

[0099] Then, with the lifting body 130 in the loading / unloading position (POS1), the transfer operation of the stored object W is carried out.

[0100] When the transfer operation of the stored object W is completed (S110), the lifting body 130 and the inbound / outbound gate 160 move upward together via the drive mechanism 121, moving from the inbound / outbound position (POS1) to the standby position (POS3) (S111). In this state, as Figure 4 As shown, the loading / unloading outlet 114 is airtightly sealed by the loading / unloading gate 160 through the spring force of the second constant load spring 162 pulling towards the lifting body 130 and holding the loading / unloading gate 160.

[0101] Subsequently, the dry air supply mode is switched from the third dry air supply mode (Mode3) to the fifth dry air supply mode (Mode5) (S112), which fills the air tank 185 with cleaning dry air at dew point D1. That is, solenoid valve 183B changes from the open state to the closed state. Solenoid valves 183A, 183C, and 183D remain in the closed state.

[0102] When the gas tank 185 contains cleaning dry air with a dew point D1, that is, when the pressure gauge 186 detects that the pressure inside the gas tank 185 is above the set pressure, the dry air supply mode is switched from the 5th dry air supply mode (Mode5) to the 1st dry air supply mode (Mode1) (S113), and the cryogenic storage system 100 is put into standby mode (S114).

[0103] Next, based on Figure 13 The outbound operation of the stored object W in the aforementioned low-temperature storage system 100 will be explained.

[0104] As described above, in this cryogenic storage system 100, the system is in standby mode (S200) when the storage object W is being stored. That is, when the lifting body 130 is in standby position (POS3), the dry air supply mode is controlled to the first dry air supply mode (Mode1).

[0105] When retrieving the stored item W, the lifting body 130 moves upward via the drive mechanism 121, provided that the gas tank 185 contains dry air and the pressure inside the gas tank 185 is above a set level. From the standby position (POS3), it moves together with the inbound / outbound gate 160 to the loading / unloading position (POS1) (S201). When the lifting body 130 is in the loading / unloading position (POS1), as described above, the connecting opening 113 is closed from the first front chamber C1 side by the first front chamber side gate 150, and the first front chamber C1 and the second front chamber C2, which is in communication with the low-temperature storage 101, are airtightly separated.

[0106] When the lifting body 130 moves to the loading and unloading position (POS1), the dry air supply mode switches from the first dry air supply mode (Mode1) to the third dry air supply mode (Mode3), and supplies dry air with dew point D1 into the first anteroom C1 (S202).

[0107] In this state, a transfer operation is performed to transfer the stored object W to the pipe rack loading platform 143 and hold it on the pipe rack guide 144.

[0108] When the transfer operation of the stored object W is completed (S203), the lifting body 130 and the inbound / outbound gate 160 move upward together via the drive mechanism 121, moving from the loading / unloading position (POS1) to the inbound / outbound position (POS4) (S204). As a result, the inbound / outbound opening 114 is closed by the inbound / outbound gate 160, and the inbound / outbound preparation chamber C and the low-temperature storage chamber 101 are airtightly separated. At the same time, the connecting opening 113 is closed from the second front chamber C2 side by the second front chamber side gate 145, and the first front chamber C1 and the second front chamber C2 are airtightly separated.

[0109] When the manual workbench position confirmation sensor S1 detects that the lifting body 130 is in the inbound / outbound position (POS4), the electromagnetic lock of the loading / unloading door 116 is released (S205), and the stored object W is manually removed from the inbound / outbound preparation room C. Specifically, the loading / unloading door 116 is opened, the manual workbench 141 is pulled out of the inbound / outbound preparation room C, and the stored object W is removed. Subsequently, the manual workbench 141 is returned to the inbound / outbound preparation room C and the loading / unloading door 116 is closed, and the loading / unloading door 116 is locked by the electromagnetic locking mechanism 117. Since the pipe rack presence sensor S2 detects that there is no pipe rack for storage, the removal of the stored object W ends.

[0110] When the retrieval of the stored object W is completed (S206), the dry air supply mode is switched from the third dry air supply mode (Mode3) to the fourth dry air supply mode (Mode4), and the dry air for cleaning the dew point D1 is supplied to the first anteroom C1 (S207).

[0111] After the dry air supply mode is switched and a predetermined time has elapsed, i.e., after the first anteroom C1 has been cleaned with cleaning dry air at dew point D1, the dry air supply mode is switched from the fourth dry air supply mode (Mode4) to the fifth dry air supply mode (Mode5), and the filling of the cleaning dry air tank 185 with dew point D1 begins (S208). Subsequently, the lifting body 130 moves downward via the drive mechanism 121, moving from the in / out position (POS4) to the standby position (POS3) (S209).

[0112] Then, when the gas tank 185 stores cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 (S210), the dry air supply mode is switched from the 5th dry air supply mode (Mode5) to the 1st dry air supply mode (Mode1) (S211), and the cryogenic storage system 100 is put into standby mode (S212).

[0113] While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as described in the technical solution.

[0114] For example, although the above embodiments describe the case where the direction of movement of the stored object is vertical, the specific form of the movement direction is not limited to this; for example, it could also be horizontal. Furthermore, although the above embodiments describe the case where the inbound / outbound preparation room is located on the upper wall of the low-temperature storage room, the location of the inbound / outbound preparation room can be determined according to the direction of movement of the stored object. Additionally, from the viewpoint of suppressing the leakage of cold air within the low-temperature storage room, it is preferable to locate the inbound / outbound preparation room on the upper wall of the low-temperature storage room.

[0115] Furthermore, the order of the inbound and outbound operations described in the above embodiments is not necessarily a mandatory order. For example, the timing of switching the dry air supply mode or the timing of the movement of the lifting body can be appropriately changed.

[0116] Although the above embodiments describe the case of storing multiple tubes using a storage rack, the tubes themselves can also be stored, for example. Furthermore, the specific form of the stored object is not limited to tubes or storage racks, and the contents of the tubes are not limited to drug development samples such as biological cells; any item can be stored as long as it needs to be stored at low temperatures.

[0117] In addition, the cooling method for cryogenic storage can be any method, such as using liquid nitrogen to keep the cryogenic storage at a low temperature, using electricity, or using other gases such as carbon dioxide as cooling units.

Claims

1. A cryogenic storage system, comprising: a cryogenic storage chamber for storing objects in a cryogenic environment; and a moving-in / moving mechanism for moving the stored objects into and out of the cryogenic storage chamber, characterized in that, The loading and unloading mechanism includes an loading and unloading preparation room attached to the low-temperature storage room and isolated from the external environment and the low-temperature storage room. The inbound / outbound preparation room includes: a first anteroom, the interior space of which is managed to achieve a dew point D1 lower than the external environment; and a second anteroom, disposed between the first anteroom and the cryogenic storage room, the interior space of which is managed to achieve a dew point D2 between the dew point D1 in the first anteroom and the dew point D0 in the cryogenic storage room. It also includes: a first air supply line supplying cleaning dry air with a dew point D1 to the first anteroom; a second air supply line supplying dry air with a dew point D1 to the first anteroom; a third air supply line supplying dry air with a dew point D2 to the second anteroom; and a dry air generating device shared by the first, second, and third air supply lines. The loading and unloading mechanism includes a lifting body, a first anterior chamber side gate, and a second anterior chamber side gate. The lifting body is configured to move forward and backward in the direction of the arrangement of the first anteroom side gate and the second anteroom side gate in the warehouse preparation room.

2. The low-temperature storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inbound / outbound preparation room is configured such that, while the first front room is located outside the low-temperature storage room, the second front room is located inside the low-temperature storage room.

3. The cryogenic storage system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, In the second front chamber, there is a refrigeration fin that causes moisture in the ambient atmosphere of the second front chamber to frost and adhere to it.

4. The low-temperature storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first air supply line is equipped with a gas tank for temporary storage of dry air supplied from the dry air generating device.

5. The low-temperature storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third air supply line includes a cooling section for cooling the dry air supplied from the dry air generating device, and the cooling section is disposed within the low-temperature storage chamber.

6. The low-temperature storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first anterior chamber side gate is configured to move in both directions in conjunction with the movement of the lifting body, and to close the connecting opening between the first anterior chamber and the second anterior chamber from the first anterior chamber side. The second anterior chamber side gate is configured to move forward and backward in the arrangement direction in conjunction with the movement of the lifting body, and to close the connecting opening from the second anterior chamber side.

7. The low-temperature storage system according to claim 6, characterized in that, A first constant-load spring is provided on the first anterior chamber side gate to pull the lifting body and the first anterior chamber side gate closer to each other. The second antechamber is equipped with an access gate that can be opened and closed from the side of the cryogenic storage chamber, allowing it to connect to the cryogenic storage chamber. A second constant load spring is provided on the inlet / outlet gate to pull the lifting body and the inlet / outlet gate closer to each other.

Images