Thawing biological substances

• US 10,499,458 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2019
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FreMon Scientific, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FreMon Scientific, Inc.
• Inventors: Shavit, Menachem, Thacher, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H
• Application Number:
  US16/405,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20190342947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 219494, 219497, 219509, 219510, 219481
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0242 Apparatuses, i.e. devices used in the process of preservation of living parts, such as pumps, refrigeration devices or any other devices featuring moving parts and/or temperature controlling components
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0263 Non-refrigerated containers specially adapted for transporting or storing living parts whilst preserving, e.g. cool boxes, blood bags or "straws" for cryopreservation
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/16 Holders for containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/42 Heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/72 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/025 Means for agitating or shaking blood containers A61M1/0245 takes precedence; shaking in general B01F31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0281 Apparatus for treatment of blood or blood constituents prior to transfusion, e.g. washing, filtering or thawing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3393 by weighing the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/445 the media being heated in the reservoir, e.g. warming bloodbags
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2035/99 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2202 Mixing compositions or mixers in the medical or veterinary field
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/23 : by pivoting the containers about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/55 : the materials to be mixed being contained in a flexible bag submitted to periodical deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/92 : for heating the outside of the receptacle, e.g. heated jackets or burners
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2280/105 : with hinged connections
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/44 : Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/025 : For medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/06 : Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders

Abstract

Dry thawing systems and devices for thawing biological substances are provided herein. Methods for thawing biological substances are also provided.

Claims

1. A dry thawing system, comprising:

a housing having a cavity configured to receive an enclosed biological substance;

a first heating assembly disposed within the housing and configured to be in thermal communication with an enclosed biological substance that is received within the cavity, the first heating assembly having a heater and a heating cushion in thermal communication with the heater, wherein the heating cushion comprises a material having good thermal conductivity, and wherein the heating cushion is configured to conduct thermal energy generated by the heater and is positioned between the heater and the enclosed biological substance when the enclosed biological substance is received within the cavity;

at least one temperature sensor disposed within the housing and configured to measure a temperature of at least one of the heater and the heating cushion; and

a sensor disposed on a chamber door pivotally mounted to the housing, the sensor being configured to detect the presence of an authentication tag that is coupled to an enclosed biological substance that is received within the cavity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is in communication with a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the heater, and wherein the at least one temperature sensor is further configured to regulate power to the heater based upon the measured temperature.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the heater, and when the measured temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, the at least one temperature sensor is further configured to transmit a failsafe signal to the power supply that is operative to cause the power supply to terminate delivery of power to the heater.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the heating cushion, and when the measured temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, the at least one temperature sensor is further configured to transmit a failsafe signal to the power supply that is operative to cause the power supply upon receipt to terminate delivery of power to the heater.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises a first temperature sensor that is configured to measure a temperature of the heater and a second temperature sensor that is configured to measure a temperature of the heating cushion.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to transmit a first failsafe signal to the power supply when the measured temperature of the heater exceeds a predetermined first threshold temperature, wherein the second temperature sensor is configured to transmit a second failsafe signal to the power supply when the measured temperature of the heating cushion exceeds a predetermined second threshold temperature, and wherein receipt of either of the first and second failsafe signal by the power supply is operative to cause the power supply to terminate delivery of power to the heater.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the heater.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the power supply is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one temperature sensor.

9. A dry thawing system, comprising:

a housing having a cavity configured to receive an enclosed biological substance;

a first heating assembly disposed within the housing and configured to be in thermal communication with an enclosed biological substance that is received within the cavity, the first heating assembly having a heater that is configured to selectively generate thermal energy to heat an enclosed biological substance disposed within the cavity from a frozen state to a fluid state;

at temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of an enclosed biological substance that is received within the cavity;

a controller in communication with the temperature sensor, the controller configured to communicate the temperature to a processor; and

a sensor disposed on a chamber door pivotally mounted to the housing, the sensor being configured to detect the presence of an authentication tag that is coupled to an enclosed biological substance that is received within the cavity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is one of a processor remote from the housing and a processor disposed within the housing.