Two-fluid nozzle and device employing the same nozzle for freezing and drying liquid containing biological substances

• US 6,148,536 A
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Iijima, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US09/202,198
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 34/92, 34/284-293, 239/404, 239/406, 239/425.5
• US Class Current: 34/92
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/20 Sprayers in general B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/10 producing a swirling discharge

Abstract

A two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid by mixing the liquid and a gas at high speed, wherein desired particle size is obtained at a low pressure, and a device employing the same nozzle for freezing and drying a liquid containing a biological substance are disclosed. The two-fluid nozzle which is provided with a first injection hole for injecting the liquid and a second injection hole for injecting the gas, wherein the second injection hole is provided around the outer periphery of the first injection hole; a revolving means (108 or 118) is provided to at least the front portion of the first injection hole for rending the liquid into revolving flow; and a revolving means (117) is provided to at least the front portion of the second injection holes for rending the gas into revolving flow, is suitable for atomization of a liquid containing a biological substance because the atomization at a low pressure is possible through operation of the revolving means for rending the gas and liquid into revolving flows.

Claims

1. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance for freezing and drying a liquid containing a biological substance, provided with:

a biological-substance-containing liquid supply means for supplying the liquid containing the biological substance;

a two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid containing a biological substance by mixing a carrier gas and a liquid containing a biological substance supplied from the biological-substance-containing liquid supply means;

a freeze-drying means for freezing the atomized liquid containing the biological substance;

a nozzle internal cleaning means for cleaning off the liquid containing the biological substance which has become affixed to the inside of the two-fluid nozzle by flushing gas or a cleaning liquid through the two-fluid nozzle;

a container for storing and preserving the frozen liquid containing the biological substance; and

a drying means for sublimating the moisture inside the container;

wherein, the two-fluid nozzle is provided with a first injection hole for injecting a liquid containing a biological substance and a second injection hole for injecting a carrier gas, the second injection hole is provided about the outer periphery of the first injection hole, and a revolving means is provided to at least the front portion of first and second injection hole for rendering the gas and the liquid into respective revolving flows.

2. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1, wherein the revolving means rotates the revolving flows of the carrier gas and a liquid containing a biological substance in directions opposite to one another.

3. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the revolving means are provided near the injection opening at the front end of the first injection hole.

4. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two-fluid nozzle is provided with:

a liquid injection opening, in the vicinity of which are provided spiral grooves or spiral fins;

a ring-shaped vortex flow chamber formed at a position so that it surrounds the liquid injection opening;

a plurality of revolving guide holes which extend in the form of a spiral to the vortex flow chamber and direct a high speed gas flow into the vortex flow chamber where a high speed revolving flow is generated; and

a ring-shaped gas injection opening which injects and forms a tapered conical high speed vortex flow which has a focal point in front of the liquid injection opening of the vortex flow chamber.

5. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a heating member is provided in the vicinity of the two-fluid nozzle.

6. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a nozzle surface cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the two-fluid nozzle is provided.

7. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the freeze-drying means is provided with a cooling means employing a cooling medium, and the cooling means is provided with a means for bringing the cooling medium and a liquid containing a biological substance to be freeze-dried into indirect contact.

8. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the biological-substance-containing liquid supply means is provided with a pressure applying means for applying pressure on a liquid containing a biological substance to introduce it into the two-fluid nozzle.

9. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the freeze-drying means has at least one of a disinfecting means for disinfecting the gas expelled from the container, a sterilizing means for sterilizing the gas expelled from the container, or a water absorbing filter means for removing liquid from the gas expelled from the container.

10. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is designed to come into direct or indirect contact with the cooling medium.

11. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a water repellent material is employed in all or a part of the inside of the container.

12. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drying means is provided with a heating means for heating the container.

13. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, provided with a heating heater for heating the two-fluid nozzle;

a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the two-fluid nozzle; and

a temperature controller for controlling the two-fluid nozzle to be within a fixed temperature range.

14. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 13, provided with a nozzle assembly formed by housing the two-fluid nozzle, the heating heater and the temperature sensor within the same housing.

15. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 14, wherein an exhaust means for exhausting the carrier gas sprayed inside the container to the outside of the container is provided to the nozzle assembly.

16. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 14, wherein a nozzle attaching and releasing means is provided for moving one or both of the nozzle assembly and the container in at least an up and down, left and right, or rotational direction, in order to insert the nozzle assembly into or remove the nozzle assembly from the container.

17. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 14, wherein the drying means is designed to vacuum dry the inside of a container from which the nozzle assembly has been removed.

18. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a container temperature controlling means is provided for controlling the temperature of the container during vacuum drying.

19. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 18, wherein the container temperature controlling means is provided with at least one of a heating heater or a cooling means.

20. A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance according to claim 18, wherein the temperature controlling means is provided with a Peltier element.

21. A two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid by mixing the liquid and a gas at high speed, wherein the two-fluid nozzle is provided with:

a first injection hole for injecting the liquid, having a columnar front end, and extending straight along an axial direction of the nozzle to form a straight passage for the liquid;

a second injection hole for injecting the gas around the outer periphery of the first injection hole; and

revolving means located in at least the front portion of the first and second injection holes for rending the gas and liquid into respective revolving flows, said revolving means at the first injection hole being a spiral groove or spiral fin provided to an inner wall of at least the front portion of the first injection hole, or a cylindrical member having a spiral groove or spiral fin formed in an inner wall of said member and engaging with at least the front portion of the first injection hole.

22. A two-fluid nozzle according to claim 21, wherein the revolving means rotates the revolving flows of the gas and the liquid in directions opposite to one another.

23. A two-fluid nozzle according to claim 21 or 22, wherein each of the revolving means is provided in the vicinity of the injection opening at the front end of the first injection hole.

24. A two-fluid nozzle according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the two-fluid nozzle is provided with:

a liquid injection opening, in the vicinity of which are provided spiral grooves or spiral fins;

a ring-shaped vortex flow chamber formed at a position so that it surrounds the liquid injection opening;

a plurality of revolving guide holes which extend in the form of a spiral to the vortex flow chamber and direct a high speed gas flow into the vortex flow chamber where a high speed revolving flow is generated; and

a ring-shaped gas injection opening which injects and forms a tapered conical high speed vortex flow which has a focal point in front of the liquid injection opening of the vortex flow chamber.