Method And Apparatus For Freezing Or Thawing Of A Biological Material

• US 20080120984A1
• Filed: 08/14/2005
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Core Dynamics Limited
• Original Assignee: Core Dynamics Limited
• Inventors: Russo, Benny, Damari, Udi, Shaham, Ginadi
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/62
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0257 Stationary or portable vessels generating cryogenic temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/04 Controlling heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/00 Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies

Abstract

The temperature of a biological material is changed from a first temperature to a second temperature within a time period, one of the said first or second temperature being above freezing temperature and the other being below freezing temperature, by placing the biological material in tight contact with at least one, preferably between two heat exchangers, and controlling the temperature in at least one of said heat exchangers such that a freezing temperature front propagates in said material away from at least one of the two heat exchangers.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method for changing the temperature of a biological material from a first temperature to a second temperature within a time period, one of the said first or second temperatures being above freezing temperature and the other being below freezing temperature, comprising:

placing the biological material tightly in contact with at least one heat exchanger and controlling the temperature in one or more of the at least one heat exchanger such that a freezing temperature front propagates in said material away from said heat exchanger.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said controlling comprises gradually changing the temperature of at least one of the heat exchangers.

27. The method of claim 25, for freezing said biological material.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said biological material is contained in a container.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said biological material is an organ for transplantation.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein said biological material is placed between at least two heat exchangers.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein there is a temperature difference between the two heat exchangers in at least one stage during said time period.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the freezing temperature front propagates within the biological material in a direction from one heat exchanger to the other.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the temperature of the two heat exchangers is essentially the same and said freezing temperature front propagates from zones of the material adjacent the two heat exchangers to the material'"'"'s interior.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more heat exchangers essentially surrounds the biological material.

35. An apparatus for changing the temperature of a biological material from a first temperature to a second temperature, one of the said first or second temperature being above freezing temperature and the other being below freezing temperature, the apparatus comprising:

a heat exchange unit comprising at least one heat exchanger for placement in contact with the biological material, one or more of the at least one heat exchanger being equipped with one or both of a heating and a cooling arrangement, at least one of said heat exchangers being equipped with a cooling arrangement; and

a control unit for inducing a temperature changing operational sequence comprising controlling the temperature of one or more of the at least one heat exchanger such as to yield a freezing temperature front that propagates within said material away from at least one of said heat exchangers, whereby temperature of the material changes from said first to said second temperature.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said controlling comprises gradually changing the temperature of one or more of the at least one heat exchanger.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a cooling arrangement for cooling the internal, biological material facing surface of said heat exchanger.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein one or more of the at least one heat exchanger comprises a heating arrangement for heating the internal, biological material facing surface of said heat exchangers.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein one or more of the at least one heat exchanger comprises a cooling and a heating arrangement for respective cooling and for heating the internal, biological material facing surface of said heat exchanger.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said cooling arrangement comprises one or more cooling fluid conduits in flow communication with a cooling fluid reservoir.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said heating arrangement comprises an electric heating module.

42. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said heat exchange unit is thermally insulated.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, comprising at least one or more temperature sensors for monitoring temperature of one or more of said at least one heat exchanger and said biological material.

44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the biological material is held within a container.

45. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the heat exchange unit comprises at least two heat exchangers situated opposite one another with a space therebetween for accommodating the biological material, each of said heat exchangers being equipped with one or both of a heating and a cooling arrangement, at least one of said heat exchangers being equipped with a cooling arrangement.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein during at least some of the operational sequence there is a temperature difference between said two heat exchangers.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the two heat exchangers are displaceable.

48. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the control unit is adapted to control the temperature of each of said two heat exchangers independently.

49. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said cooling arrangement comprises one or more cooling fluid conduits in flow communication with a cooling fluid reservoir.