Cryocassette Rounded Corners and Airflow Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryocassettes have sharp edges and corners that can damage cryobags and pose a risk of injury, are difficult to open when frozen, and lack airflow and access, leading to compromised freezing uniformity and increased risk of temperature changes affecting biological material quality.
Innovation Solution
Design of cryocassettes with rounded corners, sliding covers, and additional airflow openings to prevent damage, facilitate easy opening, and enhance freezing uniformity, while allowing full access to the interior and visibility of labels without removing the cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cryocassettes with sharp edges and corners are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but cryobags can be damaged and user safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing sharp edges and corners with rounded contours on the cassette body. This design modification eliminates stress concentration points that could damage cryobags while maintaining structural integrity. The rounded design also removes sharp elements that could injure users during handling, thus improving reliability without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
2Ease of operation
If traditional frozen cassettes are used, then cryopreservation function is achieved, but opening difficulty increases when frozen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cassette into separable components: a removable lid and a body portion. This segmentation allows the lid to be easily detached from the frozen body, solving the opening difficulty problem. The segmented design maintains the freezing function as each component can be independently handled, and the separation mechanism does not interfere with the cryopreservation capability of the body portion.
3Manufacturing precision
If cassettes without airflow openings are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but freezing uniformity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates airflow openings in the lid and/or body portions, creating a porous structure that allows cryogenic gas to flow through the cassette. This porous design enables uniform distribution of cold gas across the stored materials, achieving consistent freezing throughout. The openings are strategically positioned to maximize airflow patterns without requiring complex internal structures, thus improving freezing uniformity while limiting the increase in device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If cassettes without transparency are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but label visibility and interior access require complete removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency by making the lid and/or body portions transparent or translucent. This allows users to visually inspect labels and monitor the interior contents without removing the lid, improving ease of operation. The transparency is achieved through material selection rather than additional components, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling label visibility and interior access.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the risk of cryobag damage, improves airflow for uniform freezing, and maintains the quality of frozen biological material by preventing temperature fluctuations during handling.
Implementation Method 1
The backwall and/or one or more of the sidewalls can include one or more openings configured to allow air or another medium to flow through the cryocassette
Implementation Method 2
cooling the biological material to low temperatures (e.g., to approximately −130° Celsius or less). At these low temperatures, enzymatic or chemical activity that might otherwise damage the biological material is slowed or effectively stopped
Data Source
AI summary
Cryogenic cassettes (“cryocassettes”) and associated systems, devices, and methods are described herein. In one embodiment, a cryocassette includes a cover and a body portion configured to slidably receive the cover. The body portion can include a backwall and a plurality of sidewalls that form a tray structure for carrying a cryobag. The body portion can slidably receive the cover in a notch formed in one or more sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls to, for example, retain the cryobag between the backwall of the body portion and the cover. The backwall and/or the plurality of sidewalls can include one or more openings for air or another medium to flow through the backwall and/or the plurality of sidewalls. The cover and/or the body portion can be transparent. In these and other embodiments, the cryocassette can include a product label corresponding to a product contained within the cryobag.