Desiccation Chamber and Methods for Drying Biological Materials
First Claim
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1. A drying device for drying a biological material to a desired moisture content while preserving functional integrity of the biological material, comprising:
- one or more walls defining a desiccation chamber;
an opening for placing a biological material into the desiccation chamber;
an access door proximate the opening for selectively covering the opening;
a support mechanism in the desiccation chamber for supporting the biological material within the desiccation chamber;
a weight sensing mechanism in the desiccation chamber for sensing a weight of the biological material being dried in the desiccation chamber;
a temperature control mechanism for regulating the temperature in the desiccation chamber, the temperature control mechanism comprising a heater operatively coupled to the desiccation chamber, and a temperature sensor in the desiccation chamber for sensing a temperature in the desiccation chamber; and
a humidity control mechanism for regulating a moisture level within the desiccation chamber, the humidity control mechanism comprising a humidity sensor for sensing a moisture level in the desiccation chamber.
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Abstract
Methods and devices of drying biological materials are described, including a desiccation chamber that may be used to dry biological materials while substantially preserving functional integrity of those materials. The desiccation devices and methods provide optimal conditions and ease of use for drying biological materials. The devices and methods provided here may be used to prepare biological materials for use in one or more of diagnostic, therapeutic, industrial, and research applications.
54 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A drying device for drying a biological material to a desired moisture content while preserving functional integrity of the biological material, comprising:
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one or more walls defining a desiccation chamber; an opening for placing a biological material into the desiccation chamber; an access door proximate the opening for selectively covering the opening; a support mechanism in the desiccation chamber for supporting the biological material within the desiccation chamber; a weight sensing mechanism in the desiccation chamber for sensing a weight of the biological material being dried in the desiccation chamber; a temperature control mechanism for regulating the temperature in the desiccation chamber, the temperature control mechanism comprising a heater operatively coupled to the desiccation chamber, and a temperature sensor in the desiccation chamber for sensing a temperature in the desiccation chamber; and a humidity control mechanism for regulating a moisture level within the desiccation chamber, the humidity control mechanism comprising a humidity sensor for sensing a moisture level in the desiccation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A desiccation method for drying a biological material comprising:
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placing a biological material into a desiccation chamber of a desiccation device; supplying the desiccation chamber with an inert gas to a predetermined level; heating the inert gas and biological material in the desiccation chamber; regulating the temperature within the desiccation chamber to a predetermined range; regulating the humidity within the desiccation chamber to a predetermined range; measuring a weight of the biological material being dried in the desiccation chamber; removing the dried biologic material from the desiccation chamber once the biological material is dried to a predetermined level of dryness. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A drying device for drying a biological material comprising:
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a desiccation chamber; a support mechanism in the desiccation chamber for supporting the biological material within the desiccation chamber; a weight sensing mechanism in the desiccation chamber for sensing a weight of the biological material being dried in the desiccation chamber; a temperature control mechanism for regulating the temperature in the desiccation chamber, the temperature control mechanism comprising a heater operatively coupled to the desiccation chamber, and a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature in the desiccation chamber; a humidity control mechanism for regulating a moisture level within the desiccation chamber, the humidity control mechanism comprising a humidity sensor for sensing a moisture level in the desiccation chamber; and a gas control mechanism operatively coupled to the desiccation chamber for regulating a level of inert gas in the desiccation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification