Cryogenic freezing vial

• US 5,711,446 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sorenson Bioscience Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sorenson Bioscience Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mackert, Stephen, Jeffs, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Castellano, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US08/585,627
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 220/521, 220/522, 220/212, 220/410, 220/408, 220/506, 220/505, 220/23.83, 220/420, 220/425, 220/446, 220/468, 220/469, 215/228
• US Class Current: 220/23.83
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0268 Carriers for immersion in cryogenic fluid, both for slow-freezing and vitrification, e.g. open or closed "straws" for embryos, oocytes or semen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0014 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/04 Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D

Abstract

A cryogenic freezing vial. The vial includes a hollow sample container having exterior threads seated inside a hollow outer container having interior threads. The two containers define a surrounding volume there between which operates as a thermal barrier to resist temperature change within the sample container. A cap having a tubular wall extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface includes threads formed on both of the opposing sides of the tubular wall. The inner threaded side of the tubular wall can be screwed onto the hollow sample container, and then the outer threaded side of the tubular wall can be screwed into the hollow outer container. In such manner the cap is disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement between the two containers to intercouple and seal the containers from their surrounding environment.

Claims

1. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an outer side and an open end and being configured for receiving a biological sample therein through the open end, said hollow inner container defining a first volume therein;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein;

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers reside in a spaced-apart, substantially noncontacting orientation along the outer side of said inner container to thereby define a surrounding volume between said inner and outer containers which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

wherein the surrounding volume defined between the inner and outer containers is less than the first volume defined within the inner container;

wherein the inner and outer containers are tubular, said inner container having threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and said outer container having threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the one-piece unitary interconnecting means comprises a cap member having a tubular wall of single wall construction extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface to a terminal rim of said tubular wall, said tubular wall including an inner surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the inner container and an opposing outer surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the outer container, wherein the cap member is configured and dimensioned to be simultaneously positioned over the open ends of the inner and outer containers with the tubular wall disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement with said inner and outer containers such that the capping surface and the tubular wall cooperatively close off the open ends of the containers.

2. A vial as defined in claim 1, wherein the containers and the cap member cooperatively define a substantially closed tortuous path between the surrounding environment of the vial and the open end of the inner container, said tortuous path extending from said surrounding environment into the open end of the outer container and along the threaded engagement between the outer container and the tubular wall of the cap member, into the surrounding volume and around the terminal rim of the tubular wall of the cap member, along the threaded engagement between the tubular wall of the cap member and the inner container, around the open end of the inner container and thereinto.

3. A vial as defined in claim 1, wherein the open end of the outer container is advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the outer container and wherein the open end of the inner container is also advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the inner container, said vial further comprising:

inner sealing means for establishing an inner seal between the open end of the inner container and the cap member to thereby seal the inner container.

4. A vial as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

outer sealing means for establishing an outer seal between the open end of the outer container and the cap member to thereby seal the surrounding volume from communication with the surrounding environment of the vial.

5. The vial of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the surrounding volume to the first volume is less than 0.5.

6. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an open end and being configured for receiving a biological sample therein through the open end;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein;

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers define a surrounding volume therebetween which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

said interconnecting means comprising a capping surface and a single tubular wall extending outwardly from said capping surface, said single tubular wall being configured for inserting between the inner and outer containers, wherein the inner container, outer container and single tubular wall are configured and dimensioned such that said single tubular wall resides sandwiched between, and in contact with, said inner and outer containers;

wherein the inner container, outer container and single tubular wall define a triple overlap section along a length portion of the tubular wall, said tubular wall residing contactably sandwiched between the inner and outer containers, and wherein the inner container, outer container and single tubular wall each define a wall thickness, the wall thickness of the single tubular wall at any overlap portion of the triple overlap section being less than the sum of the wall thicknesses of the inner and outer containers at said overlap portion.

7. The vial of claim 6, wherein the inner container includes threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and wherein the outer container includes threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the single tubular wall of the interconnecting means includes interior threads configured for engaging with the threads of the inner container and exterior threads configured for engaging with the threads of the outer container.

8. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an open end and being configured for receiving a sample therein through the open end;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein; and

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers define a surrounding volume therebetween which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

wherein the inner and outer containers are tubular, said inner container having threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and said outer container having threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the one-piece unitary interconnecting means comprises a cap member having a tubular wall extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface to a terminal rim of said tubular wall, said tubular wall including an inner surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the inner container and an opposing outer surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the outer container, wherein the cap member is configured and dimensioned to be simultaneously positioned over the open ends of the inner and outer containers with the tubular wall disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement with said inner and outer containers such that the capping surface and the tubular wall cooperatively close off the open ends of the containers;

wherein the open end of the outer container is advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the outer container and wherein the open end of the inner container is also advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the inner container, said vial further comprising;

inner sealing means for establishing an inner seal between the open end of the inner container and the cap member to thereby seal the inner container;

wherein the inner sealing means comprises an annular rib extending outwardly from the capping surface in concentric, substantially co-axial orientation with the tubular wall of the cap member to thereby define an annular channel between said rib and said wall, such that when the cap member is screwed onto the inner container to advance the open end of the inner container toward the capping surface, said open end becomes sealably engaged within said annular channel.

9. A vial as defined in claim 8, wherein the inner container comprises a terminal rim defining the open end thereof, the inner sealing means further comprising the annular channel and the terminal rim being cooperatively configured and dimensioned to establish sealing bi-compression of the terminal rim between the annular rib and the tubular wall of the cap member when said cap member is screwed onto the inner container to advance the open end of the inner container toward the capping surface.

10. A vial as defined in claim 8, wherein the inner container comprises a terminal rim defining the open end thereof, the inner sealing means further comprising the annular channel and the terminal rim being cooperatively configured and dimensioned to establish sealing tri-compression of the terminal rim against the capping surface, the annular rib and the tubular wall of the cap member when said cap member is screwed onto the inner container to advance the open end of the inner container toward the capping surface.

11. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an open end and being configured for receiving a sample therein through the open end;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein; and

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers define a surrounding volume therebetween which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

wherein the inner and outer containers are tubular, said inner container having threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and said outer container having threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the one-piece unitary interconnecting means comprises a cap member having a tubular wall extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface to a terminal rim of said tubular wall, said tubular wall including an inner surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the inner container and an opposing outer surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the outer container, wherein the cap member is configured and dimensioned to be simultaneously positioned over the open ends of the inner and outer containers with the tubular wall disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement with said inner and outer containers such that the capping surface and the tubular wall cooperatively close off the open ends of the containers;

wherein the open end of the outer container is advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the outer container and wherein the open end of the inner container is also advanceable toward the capping surface when the tubular wall of the cap member is being screwed onto the inner container, said vial further comprising;

inner sealing means for establishing an inner seal between the open end of the inner container and the cap member to thereby seal the inner container;

outer sealing means for establishing an outer seal between the open end of the outer container and the cap member to thereby seal the surrounding volume from communication with the surrounding environment of the vial, wherein the outer sealing means comprises a resilient ring configured for placement between the open end of the outer container and the cap member so as to circumscribe the tubular wall of the cap member, such that when the cap member is screwed onto the outer container to advance the open end of the outer container toward the capping surface, the resilient ring becomes sealably sandwiched between said open end of the outer container and said cap member.

12. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an open end and being configured for receiving a sample therein through the open end;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein; and

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers define a surrounding volume therebetween which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

wherein the inner and outer containers are tubular, said inner container having threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and said outer container having threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the one-piece unitary interconnecting means comprises a cap member having a tubular wall extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface to a terminal rim of said tubular wall, said tubular wall including an inner surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the inner container and an opposing outer surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the outer container, wherein the cap member is configured and dimensioned to be simultaneously positioned over the open ends of the inner and outer containers with the tubular wall disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement with said inner and outer containers such that the capping surface and the tubular wall cooperatively close off the open ends of the containers;

a resilient sealing ring disposed around the inner surface of the outer container so as to extend radially inward therefrom, said sealing ring being engageable against the tubular wall of the cap member when said tubular wall is screwed into the outer container in threaded engagement therewith to thereby establish a seal between said outer container and said tubular wall of the cap member.

13. A vial comprising:

a hollow inner container having an open end and being configured for receiving a sample therein through the open end;

a hollow outer container having an open end and being configured for receiving the inner container therein; and

one-piece unitary interconnecting means removably attachable to both the inner and outer container for

(i) removably securing the inner container within the outer container in a fixed position such that the containers define a surrounding volume therebetween which surrounds at least a portion of the inner container, and

(ii) substantially closing off the open ends of the inner and outer containers from communication with surrounding environment of the vial such that the inner container is also substantially closed off from communication with the surrounding volume;

wherein the inner and outer containers are tubular, said inner container having threads formed upon an outer surface thereof and said outer container having threads formed upon an inner surface thereof, and wherein the one-piece unitary interconnecting means comprises a cap member having a tubular wall extending outwardly from a continuous capping surface to a terminal rim of said tubular wall, said tubular wall including an inner surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the inner container and an opposing outer surface having threads which are screwably engageable with the threads of the outer container, wherein the cap member is configured and dimensioned to be simultaneously positioned over the open ends of the inner and outer containers with the tubular wall disposed in simultaneous threaded engagement with said inner and outer containers such that the capping surface and the tubular wall cooperatively close off the open ends of the containers;

wherein the inner container comprises a terminal rim defining the open end thereof, said vial further comprising an inner sealing means which comprises;

a resilient sealing ring configured for placement between the capping surface and the terminal rim of the inner container such that when the cap member is screwed onto the inner container to advance the open end of the inner container toward the capping surface, the resilient ring becomes sealably sandwiched between said terminal rim of the inner container and said capping surface.