Low temperature liner

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and / or apparatuses for a protective liner that protects products and / or goods from cross contamination during transport and / or storage using a cryogenic shipping container. The protective liner lines a shipping container such as a dewar. The protective liner is positioned within the shipping container. The protective liner includes one or more tabs positioned on a perimeter of the protective liner. The one or more tabs are configured to interlock with a notch on an inner surface of the shipping container. The protective liner includes a gap channel on a side of the protective barrier that is configured to guide a temperature sensor lead.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the PCT invention patent application filed by the applicant, Fast Optoelectronic Co., Ltd., on June 17, 2019, with international application number PCT / US2019 / 037501 and entitled "Low Temperature Lining". That PCT invention patent application entered the Chinese national phase on December 15, 2020, and its Chinese patent application number is 201980040277.8.

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 686,410, filed June 18, 2018, entitled “CRYOLINER”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] This specification relates to a system, apparatus, and / or method for preventing cross-contamination of products stored in shipping containers during transport and / or storage at low temperatures. Background Technology

[0005] In the health, medical, pharmaceutical, and / or life sciences industries, cleanliness is a critical aspect. In some cases, companies may need to sterilize and / or disinfect shipping containers before storing and / or transporting products. In other cases, companies may require purpose-specific shipping containers for storing and / or transporting products. These cleanliness and / or purpose-specific requirements are designed to prevent cross-contamination.

[0006] Currently, cleaning and sterilizing Dewar flasks used for storing products at low temperatures involves a multi-step cleaning and sterilization process that can take approximately four days to clean, sterilize, and / or qualify the Dewar flask for future use. This multi-step process may include thermal efficiency testing and / or cleaning procedures. Current cleaning processes may involve heating the Dewar flask and wiping the inside with an alcohol solution. Heating the Dewar flask takes a significant amount of time. Because the different materials inside the Dewar flask expand and contract at different rates, periodic thermal cycling can damage the Dewar flask or the vacuum seal within it, potentially leading to vacuum failure.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a system, apparatus, and / or method to protect the product inside the Dewar flask from cross-contamination without heating the Dewar flask. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Typically, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification is embodied in a protective liner within a transport container, such as a Dewar flask. The protective liner is positioned within the transport container. The protective liner includes one or more tabs positioned on its periphery, the tabs being configured to interlock with recesses on the inner surface of the transport container. The protective liner includes temperature sensor channels on its sides. The temperature sensor channels are configured to guide temperature sensor leads.

[0009] These and other embodiments may optionally include one or more of the following features: The protective liner may be a thin-walled, disposable liner that can be placed inside the shipping container prior to transport. The temperature sensor channel may be configured to protect the temperature sensor leads from abrasion when goods or products are loaded into or unloaded from the protective liner. The protective liner may be flexible or collapsible. One or more tabs may interlock with notches to prevent accidental removal during loading or unloading of the shipping container.

[0010] The protective liner may include a base. The base may be positioned at the bottom of the protective liner. The base may have one or more rigid protrusions to form the shape of the protective liner. The base may be configured to interlock with an accessory retainer. The accessory retainer may be configured to retain one or more accessories.

[0011] On the other hand, this subject matter is embodied in a cryogenic storage device. The cryogenic storage device includes a Dewar flask for storing or transporting cryogenic materials. The Dewar flask has an inner surface and a notch on the inner surface. The cryogenic storage device includes a protective barrier positioned within the inner surface of the Dewar flask. The protective barrier is configured to prevent contact between the cryogenic materials stored within the protective barrier and the inner surface of the Dewar flask. The cryogenic storage device includes an accessory holder positioned within a protective liner. The accessory holder is configured to accommodate multiple accessories.

[0012] On the other hand, this topic is embodied in protective barriers. A protective barrier includes a protective liner. The protective liner is positioned within a transport container and has a base. The protective liner includes one or more container attachment devices. The one or more container attachment devices are positioned on the periphery of the protective liner. The protective barrier includes one or more accessory attachment devices. The one or more accessory attachment devices are configured to form an accessory retainer. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following accompanying drawings and detailed descriptions. The components shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and may be exaggerated to better illustrate key features of the invention.

[0014] Figure 1A An example of a large protective barrier according to one aspect of the present invention is shown.

[0015] Figure 1B An example of a small protective barrier according to one aspect of the present invention is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 An example Dewar bottle with a protective barrier according to one aspect of the present invention is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 An example attachment retainer according to one aspect of the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 4 An example protective barrier with an attachment retainer according to one aspect of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This document discloses systems, apparatus, and / or methods for using protective barriers that withstand low temperatures and prevent cross-contamination of stored materials when reusing shipping containers such as Dewar flasks. The protective barrier may be a liner such as a cryogenic liner that protects the Dewar flask from contamination by products or materials stored within it. The protective barrier prevents cross-contamination of products during different shipments or deliveries.

[0020] Other benefits and advantages include increased asset utilization and inventory flexibility. By using a protective barrier to protect the Dewar flask from contamination, the time required to sterilize or clean it before reuse is reduced. Typically, the thermal efficiency of the Dewar flask is checked, and then it is heated for cleaning. Once the Dewar flask is cleaned, it is refilled with liquid nitrogen to cool it. Using a protective barrier eliminates or reduces cleaning time, and therefore reduces Dewar flask maintenance time. As a result, the Dewar flask can be put into use more frequently. Furthermore, using a protective barrier allows the Dewar flask to be reused without heating it for cleaning, thus reducing any damage that occurs naturally due to thermal cycling, which reduces the mean time between repairs.

[0021] Additionally, the protective barrier can have an accessory retainer. The accessory retainer can hold various types of accessories used during product transportation. This facilitates the transport and storage of the product.

[0022] Figures 1A-1B A protective barrier 100 according to one embodiment is shown, which prevents the transport container, such as a Dewar flask, from being contaminated by the product or goods stored within it. In this embodiment, the protective barrier 100 is positioned within a payload area between the inner vessel of the transport container and the product or goods stored within it, for example, such as... Figure 2 As shown. The protective barrier 100 can have various sizes to accommodate different types of Dewar flasks with payload areas of different sizes. For example, as Figure 1AAs shown, the protective barrier 100 can be used in large-volume Dewar flasks having a diameter between 8 and 9 inches, such as approximately 8.75 inches. For example, as... Figure 1B As shown, the protective barrier 100 can be used for small-volume Dewar flasks having a diameter between 3 and 4 inches, such as approximately 3.5 inches. However, other sizes of liner can be used and fall within the scope of this invention.

[0023] The protective barrier 100 may be flexible and / or collapsible. The protective barrier 100 may be able to withstand low temperatures so that it does not become too brittle when placed inside a cryogenic transport container. On one side, the protective barrier 100 may have various components that interlock and / or engage with the Dewar flask 200, accessory retainer 300, or temperature sensor leads.

[0024] In one aspect of the invention, the protective barrier 100 may include a liner 102, a protective cap, or other material layers positioned on the inside or surface of the inner vessel of the Dewar flask, or may be formed from the liner 102, the protective cap, or other material layers positioned on the inside or surface of the inner vessel of the Dewar flask. The protective barrier 100 includes a liner 102, one or more container attachment devices 104, and one or more accessory attachment devices 106. The protective barrier 100 may include one or more temperature sensor channels 108 and / or accessory holders 300, for example, such as… Figure 3 As shown.

[0025] Liner 102 can be a thin-walled, single-use liner placed inside the Dewar flask before shipping. Liner 102 can be single-use, allowing it to be discarded after use. Liner 102 can be sterilized or otherwise cleaned before use, and / or a layer of chemicals, such as an antimicrobial agent, can be applied to the liner to aid sterilization. This ensures a clean environment that will not come into contact with any products that might contaminate the new product placed inside liner 102. After use, liner 102 can be discarded, and a new liner can be placed inside the Dewar flask. Therefore, the packer or shipper does not need to clean the Dewar flask, and instead, the single-use liner 102 can simply be replaced and the new product inserted before shipping. This reduces the time the Dewar flask cannot be used for shipping and / or transporting products, goods, and other materials. Furthermore, the Dewar flask does not require heated cleaning, which reduces damage to the Dewar flask.

[0026] On one hand, the liner 102 can be made of a flexible material capable of withstanding low temperatures at room temperature, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), polyethylene, or other plastics or plastic resins. The liner 102 can be collapsible and easily adaptable around the opening into which the object or product is inserted. When transported at low temperatures in a Dewar flask, the liner 102 can become more rigid. The liner 102 can be shaped as a cylinder, rectangle, or other polygonal shape and have openings that allow the product to be inserted into it. The liner 102 can be shaped to correspond to the payload space of the Dewar flask or other transport container into which the liner is inserted to protect. In some embodiments, the liner 102 can be made of thin-walled steel or other materials with the lowest possible thermal conductivity, making the liner 102 non-thermal conductive.

[0027] Liner 102 may have a base 112 having one or more protrusions 110. Base 112 may be positioned at the bottom of liner 102. One or more protrusions 110 may provide rigidity to form the shape of liner 102. For example, one or more protrusions 110 may be rigid and may be formed as concentric circles to form the circular shape of base 112 and the overall cylindrical shape of liner 102.

[0028] The protective barrier 100 includes one or more container attachment devices 104. On one hand, the container attachment device may be a connector, recess, tab, lip, notch, dimple or other groove, fastener or protrusion that locks, interlocks, connects or otherwise attaches to a corresponding barrier attachment device 202 on the Dewar flask 200, such as... Figure 2 As shown. One or more container attachment devices 104 may be positioned along the periphery or perimeter of the liner 102, and may be positioned at different locations along the longitudinal length or height of the liner 102. One or more container attachment devices 104 may be outwardly oriented to interlock with one or more barrier attachment devices 202. The barrier attachment devices 202 on the Dewar flask 200 may be transition areas, recesses, gaps, or physical attachments that interlock with the container attachment devices 104, such as tabs, notches, or other connectors or fasteners. When one or more container attachment devices are connected to one or more barrier attachment devices, the one or more container attachment devices 104 prevent accidental removal of the liner 102 during product unloading or loading.

[0029] For example, one or more tabs or recesses may be positioned along the central portion of liner 102. One or more tabs or recesses may be positioned to form a row along the periphery or perimeter of liner 102, and may be interlocked, connected, attached, or otherwise engaged in a transition area or other corresponding barrier attachment device 202 on Dewar flask 200 in the middle of liner 102. The transition area or other corresponding barrier attachment device on Dewar flask may be positioned between the payload area of ​​Dewar flask and neck tube. In another example, one or more tabs or recesses may be positioned at the top of liner 102 and interlocked, connected, attached, or otherwise engaged in a transition area or other corresponding barrier attachment device within the neck or top of Dewar flask.

[0030] The protective barrier 100 may have multiple rows of one or more container attachment devices 104 that are interlocked, connected, or otherwise attached to corresponding barrier attachment devices 202 on the Dewar flask 200. For example, a first row of one or more tabs or recesses may be positioned in the middle of the liner 102, while a second row may be positioned at the top of the liner 102. The first row of one or more tabs or recesses may engage with a transition region between the payload area and the neck of the Dewar flask 200, and a second row of one or more tabs or recesses may engage with another transition region within the neck or top of the Dewar flask 200. Different liners of different sizes or shapes may have different container attachment devices 104 that are correspondingly interlocked, attached, connected, or otherwise secured to different barrier attachment devices 202. Different container attachment devices 104 may be positioned on a single liner 102.

[0031] In some embodiments, one or more container attachment devices 104 may be formed of epoxy resin, epoxy resin or other adhesives. For example, epoxy resin may be adhered to and cured on the liner 102, and then inserted, snapped into or otherwise secured to the barrier attachment device 202.

[0032] The protective barrier 100 may include one or more temperature sensor channels 108, gaps, or other slots or recesses to allow temperature sensor leads to travel along the liner 102. One or more temperature sensor channels may be positioned on the outer surface of the liner 102 and travel longitudinally along the length or height of the liner 102. One or more temperature sensor channels 108 allow the installation of temperature sensor leads. When inserted into one or more temperature sensor channels 108, the temperature sensor leads may be flush with the outer surface of the liner 102, preventing them from protruding from the outer surface of the liner 102. This protects the temperature sensor leads from abrasion during loading and unloading of products or goods stored in the Dewar flask 200.

[0033] The protective barrier 100 may include one or more accessory attachment devices 106. The one or more accessory attachment devices 106 may be connectors, recesses, tabs, lips, notches, dimples or other indentations, fasteners or protrusions that are locking, interlocking, connecting, or otherwise attached to the accessory retainer 300, such as... Figure 4 As shown. One or more attachment attachment devices 106 may be positioned at the base 112 of the liner 102, or may be formed or molded within the base 112 of the liner 102. For example, one or more attachment attachment devices 106 may be one or more recesses or tabs guided inward into the liner 102. One or more attachment attachment devices 106 may be connected to the base connector 310 of the attachment retainer 300 to interlock the attachment retainer 300 with the base 112 of the liner 102.

[0034] Figure 2 A transport container, such as a Dewar flask 200, with a protective barrier 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The Dewar flask 200 has an inner vessel 204 and an outer vessel 206. The protective barrier 100 may be abutted against and attached to the inner vessel 204 to prevent accidental removal of the protective barrier during loading or unloading of products or goods. The Dewar flask 200 may have one or more barrier attachment devices 202. The one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be notches, recesses, holes, slits, grooves, or other transition areas, such as recesses, tabs, or other attachment devices, that interlock with one or more container attachment devices 104 to secure the protective barrier 100 to the inner vessel 204 of the Dewar flask 200.

[0035] In some implementations, one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be fasteners or other connectors. When the corresponding container attachment device 104 is a male connector, one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be a female connector, or when the container attachment device 104 is a female connector, one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be a male connector.

[0036] One or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be positioned along the inner periphery of the inner vessel 204 of the Dewar flask 200. The one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be positioned at various heights within the inner vessel 204. For example, the one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be positioned within a portion of the neck of the inner vessel 204, such as near the payload area of ​​the Dewar flask 200, at the top of the neck, or in the middle below the neck. In another embodiment, the one or more barrier attachment devices 202 may be positioned in the middle above the payload area of ​​the Dewar flask 200. The positions of the one or more barrier attachment devices 202 correspond to the positions of one or more container attachment devices 104.

[0037] Figure 3An accessory holder 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The accessory holder 300 may have a single insert 302 having one or more nesting features 306a-c molded therein to accommodate different accessories of various shapes. In some embodiments, the accessory holder 300 may have multiple inserts.

[0038] One or more nesting features 306a-c may have one or more slots 304 for retaining inserted attachments. The attachment holder 300 may hold multiple attachments of various types within one or more nesting features 306a-c. When inserted, the multiple attachments may be used for the transport and / or storage of products or goods stored within the Dewar flask 200. For example, the attachment holder 300 may accommodate one or more cryogenic tube racks, one or more blood box racks, one or more blood boxes, and / or combinations of different types of attachments.

[0039] One or more slots 304 holding different attachments can be shaped as circles, squares, rectangles, or other polygons. For example, a blood box can be inserted into a narrow rectangular slot, and a cryotube rack can be inserted into a square slot. In some embodiments, a single slot can accommodate multiple different attachments based on the orientation of the different attachments.

[0040] The accessory retainer 300 may have a base connector 310, such as a lip, tab, connector, recess, or other base connector that engages with one or more accessory attachment devices 106 of the liner 102. For example, the lip may engage, slide into, slide beneath, or otherwise interface with a slot, recess, or channel formed by a recess or other accessory attachment device 106, and snap into, engage with, or secure to the accessory attachment device 106. The lip of the accessory retainer 300 may slide into a recess, slot, or other transition region formed by one or more recesses or tabs to interconnect the accessory retainer 300 with the liner 102, for example, as... Figure 4 As shown. Take 4 as an example.

[0041] The accessory retainer 300 may have one or more channels 308 that correspond to one or more temperature sensor channels 108 of the liner 102. The one or more channels 308 may be positioned along the periphery of the outer surface of the accessory retainer 300. The one or more channels 308 may extend longitudinally along the periphery of the outer surface and be parallel to the one or more temperature sensor channels 108. The one or more channels 308 may be recesses, indentations, or other channels within the outer surface of the accessory retainer 300 and are shaped to correspond to the one or more temperature sensor channels 108 of the liner 102. When inserted or placed in the temperature sensor channel 108, this allows the temperature sensor wire to travel along the temperature sensor channel 108 to be flush with the surface of the liner 102.

[0042] Figure 4 A protective barrier 100 with an accessory retainer 300 is shown according to an embodiment of the invention. The accessory retainer 300 can be positioned at a base 112 of a liner 102. When the accessory retainer 300 is properly inserted into the base 112 of the liner 102, the accessory retainer 300 has one or more channels 308 aligned with one or more temperature sensor channels 108 of the liner 102. The accessory retainer 300 can be interlocked with the liner 102. For example, a base connector 310 can interface with an accessory attachment device 106 to interlock the accessory retainer 300 with the liner 102 to prevent the accessory retainer 300 from accidentally disengaging from the liner 102. One or more accessory retainers 300 can be stacked or otherwise arranged within different sizes of the protective barrier 100 to accommodate different constructions and types of interchangeable accessories.

[0043] Exemplary embodiments of the methods / systems have been disclosed in an illustrative manner. Therefore, the terminology used throughout this document should be interpreted in a non-limiting way. While minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those skilled in the art, it should be understood that all such embodiments are intended to be limited to the scope of this patent, and which reasonably fall within the scope contributed by those skilled in the art, and the scope of the invention should not be limited except by means of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A protective barrier for transporting containers, comprising: A liner, which can be disposed between the wall of the transport container and the payload in the inner vessel of the transport container; A base at the bottom of the lining is used to provide rigidity for at least a portion of the lining; An accessory retainer includes an insert having a nesting feature to receive one or more insertable accessories in the liner, the insert defining one or more slots to receive one or more insertable accessories, the accessory retainer being interlocked with the liner to prevent the accessory retainer from accidentally disengaging from the liner.

2. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes one or more insertable accessories in the one or more slots, each of the one or more insertable accessories comprising a blood box.

3. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lining is flexible and collapsible.

4. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lining is polygonal and has an opening for receiving the insertable attachment.

5. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liner is a thin-walled, disposable liner that is placed inside the shipping container prior to shipment.

6. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insertable accessory includes a blood box.

7. The protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insertable accessory includes a blood bag.

8. A protective barrier for a Dewar flask for transporting a blood box, said protective barrier comprising: A liner, the liner being disposed between the wall of the Dewar flask and the blood box, and being disposed within the Dewar flask; A base at the bottom of the lining, used to provide rigidity for at least a portion of the lining, wherein the base is positioned at the bottom of the lining and has a plurality of rigid protrusions formed in concentric circles; A slot defined in the liner is used to receive the blood box into the liner.

9. The protective barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: The blood box is located in the slot and includes a blood bag.

10. The protective barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lining is flexible and collapsible.

11. The protective barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lining is polygonal and has an opening for receiving the blood box.

12. The protective barrier according to claim 8, characterized in that, The liner is a thin-walled, disposable liner that is placed inside the shipping container prior to shipment.

13. A cryogenic storage device, comprising: Dewar flasks used for storing or transporting payloads; A protective liner, positioned within the inner surface of the Dewar flask and configured to prevent contact between the payload stored within the protective liner and the inner surface of the Dewar flask. as well as An accessory retainer is positioned within the protective liner and configured to accommodate a plurality of accessories. The accessory retainer is interlocked with the protective liner to prevent accidental disengagement from the protective liner.

14. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The attachment retainer includes nesting features to accommodate the plurality of attachments, and the attachment retainer defines a slot to receive the plurality of attachments.

15. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The plurality of accessories includes a plurality of blood boxes inserted into the accessory holder.

16. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The plurality of accessories includes a plurality of blood bags inserted into the accessory retainer.

17. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The lining is flexible and collapsible.

18. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The protective lining is polygonal and has openings for receiving the plurality of accessories.

19. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The protective liner is a thin-walled, disposable liner that is placed inside the shipping container prior to shipment.

20. The cryogenic storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The protective liner includes a base at the bottom of the protective liner to provide rigidity to at least a portion of the protective liner.

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