Temperature-stabilized medicinal storage systems

• US 9,138,295 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Gates, William, Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN VERBITSKY, GAIL
• Application Number:
  US13/374,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20120097686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0016 Heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0018 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/165 Cooled holders, e.g. for medications, insulin, blood, plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/42 Heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/44 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/72 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/76 for fluid level
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0077 for tempering, e.g. with cooling or heating circuits for temperature control of elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/005 Thermal joints

Abstract

Systems include one or more medicinal storage containers. For example, an integrally thermally sealed medicinal storage container may include one or more segments of at least one ultra efficient insulation material, the one or more segments having one or more surface regions, the one or more segments principally defining at least one storage region, one or more regions of substantially thermally sealed connections between at least one of the one or more surface regions of the one or more segments wherein the one or more regions of substantially thermally sealed connections and the one or more segments form at least one integrally thermally sealed medicinal storage region, one or more thermal variant units, and at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction unit.

Claims

1. A temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container, comprising:

at least one medicinal storage structure, including;

one or more segments of at least one first thermal insulation material shaped to define at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region;

one or more thermal variant units; and

at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction unit between one or more of the at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region and at least one of the one or more thermal variant units; and

at least one access structure, including;

at least one conduit connecting the at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region and at least one region external to the container;

at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material surrounding a region of the at least one conduit that connects to the at least one region external to the container; and

at least one cover positioned on the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier, the at least one cover including at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material substantially conforming to the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material, wherein the at least one cover includes at least one second thermal insulation material

wherein the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material and the at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material include more than one pleat structure, and wherein the more than one pleat structure from the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material and the at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material are shaped to interleave with each other.

2. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, including a plurality of medicinal storage structures.

3. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermal variant units includes:

one or more heat sink units.

4. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermal variant units includes:

one or more regions of elevated thermal transfer within the container.

5. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction units includes:

at least one bimetallic unit.

6. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction units includes:

at least one mechanical actuator.

7. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction units includes:

at least one thermally-conductive fluid.

8. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one controller operably coupled to one or more of the at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction units; and

at least one temperature sensor.

9. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least one first thermal insulation material includes:

at least one multilayer insulation material.

10. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, including a plurality of substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage regions.

11. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one layer of material including at least one metal on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region, wherein the at least one metal includes silver.

12. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material includes:

one or more metal alloy.

13. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material includes:

one or more titanium alloy.

14. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material and the second thermal conduction barrier material are substantially the same.

15. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more sensors.

16. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

17. The temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one area within the container that is at a higher gaseous pressure than an atmospheric pressure external to the container.

18. A temperature-stabilized medicinal storage container, comprising:

at least one medicinal storage structure, including;

one or more segments of at least one first ultra efficient insulation material shaped to define at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region;

one or more thermal variant units; and

at least one selectively-operable thermal conduction unit between one or more of the at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region and at least one of the one or more thermal variant units; and

at least one access structure, including;

at least one conduit connecting the at least one substantially temperature-stabilized medicinal storage region and at least one external region of the container;

at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material surrounding a region of the at least one conduit that connects to the at least one external region of the container; and

at least one cover including at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material substantially conforming to the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material, wherein the at least one cover includes at least one second ultra efficient insulation material;

wherein the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material and the at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material include more than one pleat structure, and wherein the more than one pleat structure from the at least one segment of first thermal conduction barrier material and the at least one segment of second thermal conduction barrier material are shaped to interleave with each other.