Mineral Nucleator Ice Control for Cryopreservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cryopreservation and freeze drying of biological materials face challenges in controlling ice nucleation, leading to inefficient processing times and variability in ice crystal size, which affects the viability and stability of biological samples.
Innovation Solution
The use of a mineral nucleator, specifically Feldspar, is introduced to promote controlled ice nucleation in a water-containing quantity within a vessel, allowing for the formation of smaller, more uniform ice crystals by contacting the mineral with the sample or coating the vessel surface, thereby controlling ice nucleation and improving sample integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual seeding is used to induce ice nucleation, then ice formation can be controlled at high sub-zero temperatures, but the processing capacity is limited and physical access to samples is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mineral nucleator as an intermediary substance that facilitates ice nucleation. The nucleator particles are added to the sample, serving as a mediator between the cooling system and the water molecules, enabling controlled ice formation without manual intervention. This resolves the contradiction by allowing automated processing while maintaining reliable nucleation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical seeding process with a chemical/mineral-based nucleation system. Instead of physically touching samples with cold implements, the system uses mineral particles that chemically facilitate nucleation when added to the sample. This substitution enables automated high-throughput processing while maintaining controlled ice formation.
2Manufacturing precision
If freeze drying is performed with extensive supercooling, then small ice crystals are formed, but the sublimation rate is slow resulting in extended processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the nucleation temperature parameter by using mineral nucleators that induce ice formation at higher sub-zero temperatures rather than allowing extensive supercooling. This parameter change results in larger ice crystals that sublimate faster, resolving the contradiction between crystal uniformity and processing time by optimizing the nucleation temperature through mineral catalysts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary ice nucleation at controlled temperatures using mineral nucleators before the freeze drying process begins. By pre-forming the ice crystal structure at an optimized temperature, the subsequent sublimation phase proceeds more efficiently. This preliminary action resolves the time-uniformity contradiction by establishing optimal crystal structures in advance.
3Ease of operation
If spontaneous ice nucleation occurs during cooling, then no additional steps are required, but intracellular ice forms resulting in low cell recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mineral nucleators as intermediaries that facilitate controlled extracellular ice nucleation. These particles mediate the ice formation process, ensuring that ice forms outside cells at controlled temperatures rather than spontaneously inside cells. This maintains process simplicity while dramatically improving cell viability through controlled nucleation.
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
This approach enhances the control over ice nucleation, resulting in smaller ice crystals and improved sample viability and texture, particularly in cryopreservation and food processing, by uniformly promoting non-spontaneous ice formation throughout the sample.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the water-containing quantity such that the mineral nucleator serves to promote non-spontaneous formation of ice
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for freezing a water-containing quantity of a biological entity or a formulation in a vessel using a mineral nucleator, to the use of the mineral as a nucleator and to a vessel with the mineral in or on the whole or part of a surface thereof.