Direct contact spray freezing system

The direct-contact spray freezing system addresses inefficiencies in bulk freeze-drying by using a subcooled cryogenic mist to freeze droplets into uniform particles, ensuring sterility and efficient heat transfer, thus improving processing efficiency and reducing equipment size.

JP7874240B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-15IMA LIFE NORTH AMERICA INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
IMA LIFE NORTH AMERICA INC
Filing Date
2024-02-21
Publication Date
2026-06-15

AI Technical Summary

⚠Technical Problem

Existing bulk freeze-drying systems face challenges with non-sterile handling, inefficient heat transfer, and product aggregation, leading to long cycle times and manual handling issues, which are not optimized for large quantities of products.

⚗Method used

A direct-contact spray freezing system using a freezing tower with a coolant fluid delivery system that generates a subcooled cryogenic mist to directly freeze droplets into frozen particles, ensuring sterility and consistent size, with a process that includes sterilization of the coolant and product before delivery.

🎯Benefits of technology

The system improves efficiency by minimizing frozen product adherence, ensures consistent particle size, enhances heat exchange, and reduces equipment size, while maintaining sterility and reducing cycle times.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The direct contact spray freezing system includes a freezing tower having an internal chamber, in which the bulk product is delivered in the form of droplets that fall vertically into the internal chamber of the freezing tower. A coolant fluid is also delivered that contacts the droplets in the internal chamber and can be directly frozen, converting the droplets into frozen particles that collect at the bottom of the tower. The coolant fluid is delivered in the form of a subcooled cryogenic mist composed of coolant fluid microparticles through which the droplets pass vertically. Each of the coolant fluid microparticles is substantially smaller than the droplets delivered to the internal chamber of the freezing chamber, thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the droplets that are formed and preventing the vertical trajectory of the droplets from being significantly affected during freezing.
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