U.S. patent application number 11/355837 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-16 for passively temperature-regulated shipping container suitable for biological, pharmaceutical materials or food products.
Invention is credited to Michael Goncharko.
Application Number | 20070186577 11/355837 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38366902 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070186577 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goncharko; Michael |
August 16, 2007 |
Passively temperature-regulated shipping container suitable for
biological, pharmaceutical materials or food products
Abstract
Disclosed is a shipping container suitable for use for
pharmaceuticals, biological materials, blood or tissues, or food
products, having a double-walled multiple-chamber structure,
wherein a first phase change material, with a phase change
temperature between 2.degree. to 8.degree. C. (and in a preferred
embodiment, 5.degree.C.) in a payload chamber, and wherein the
container includes one or more first chambers surrounding and
sharing a wall with the payload chamber, and housing ice (or ice
gel packs). A lid fits over (or is hinged to) the upper edges of
the walls to seal the container and the payload.
Inventors: |
Goncharko; Michael;
(Englishtown, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Eric P. Mirabel;Suite 100
35 Technology Drive
Warren
NJ
07059
US
|
Family ID: |
38366902 |
Appl. No.: |
11/355837 |
Filed: |
February 16, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/371 ;
62/457.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 3/08 20130101; F25D
2303/0843 20130101; B65D 81/3858 20130101; F25D 2303/085 20130101;
F25D 2303/082 20130101; F25D 2331/804 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/371 ;
062/457.2 |
International
Class: |
F25D 3/08 20060101
F25D003/08 |
Claims
1. A shipping container for food product or pharmaceutical,
biological materials that require temperature maintenance at
refrigeration levels, comprising: an outer perimeter wall, and an
insulating wall surrounded by the outer wall; one or more first
chambers between the interior side of the outer wall and the outer
side of the insulating wall, and an inner chamber, designed to
accommodate the payload, surrounded by the insulating wall; a
removable lid on one side of the container; and a lower side
opposite the lid; and wherein a material which has a temperature of
about 0.degree. C. is positioned in the first chamber, and a phase
change material having a solid to liquid phase change temperature
in a range from 2.degree. to 8.degree. C. is positioned in the
inner chamber.
2. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the phase change
material has a solid to liquid phase change temperature at
5.degree. C.
3. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the phase change
material is decanol.
4. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of
the outer perimeter wall and the outer surface of the insulating
wall define the first chambers, and the inner surface of the
insulating wall defines the inner chamber.
5. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein additional insulating
material is positioned in the inner chamber or first chamber, or in
both.
6. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the insulating wall
and the outer wall are made of expanded polystyrene, urethane,
and/or include a vacuum panel or an air baffle.
7. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the payload is
biological materials, including cells, pharmaceuticals, blood or
tissues or food products,
8. The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the removable lid is
attached by hinges to a portion of the outer wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In the pharmaceutical, transplant and food industries,
maintaining the temperature of shipped materials at refrigeration
levels is necessary for proper preservation of the product. The
temperature inside a shipping container can be actively maintained,
for example, with a refrigeration unit, but passive regulation is
preferred, due to decreased cost and the elimination of the need
for a continuous power source during shipment. Any temperature
regulation mechanism, however, should be suitable for use in a
variety of weather and external temperature conditions, so that the
customers do not have to purchase and then use several different
passive regulation systems, which compensate for ambient
temperature differences in shipment. With such systems, the
customers would also be required to predict weather and shipping
conditions.
[0002] Passive regulation with conventional means, e.g., ice or ice
"gel packs," which keep the temperature near 0.degree. C. cannot
maintain a consistent internal refrigeration-like temperature
(about 5.degree. C.) in a shipping container. Attempts have been
made to enhance temperature regulation at refrigeration levels
using a phase change material--with a phase change at or near the
desired internal temperature. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application
Publication Ser. No. 2005/0031809, incorporated by reference. The
principle is that whether the external temperature rises above or
falls below the phase change temperature, the internal temperature
is maintained at a relatively consistent level, as the phase change
material absorbs internal heat as it liquefies, and releases heat
as it freezes. One drawback is that such phase change materials
(such as alcohols as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application
Publication Ser. No. 2005/0031809) can be relatively expensive.
Thus, minimizing their use is desirable to achieve a competitively
priced shipping container.
[0003] Given the formula for determining q, the power lost through
an insulator: q = .DELTA. .times. .times. T R , ##EQU1## where,
.DELTA.T represents the temperature difference across an insulator,
and R is the thermal resistance of an insulator (R=L/kA, where L is
the wall thickness, k is coefficient of thermal conductivity, and A
is the surface area of the insulator), it can be seen that if the
insulator is being used to maintain refrigeration temperatures
using an internal phase change material with a phase change at
about 5.degree. C. the reduction in q for that material, between
the case where the ambient temperature is 35 to 45.degree. C. (as
can occur in hot summer conditions in the unregulated interior of a
railroad car or truck trailer), and where the temperature across
the insulator is 0.degree. C. (i.e., ice is on the other side of
the insulator), would be between 1/7 and 1/9. Thus, ice could be
used in an appropriately constructed container/insulator system to
reduce quantities of phase change material needed. Minimizing use
of phase change material is desirable to achieve a competitively
priced shipping container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Disclosed is a shipping container suitable for use for
biological materials, blood or tissues, or food products, having a
double-walled multiple-chamber structure, wherein a first phase
change material, with a phase change temperature between 2.degree.
to 8.degree. C. (and in a preferred embodiment, 5.degree. C.) is
placed in a payload chamber, and wherein the container includes one
or more first chambers surrounding and sharing a wall with the
payload chamber, and housing ice (or ice gel packs). In a preferred
embodiment, the first chamber(s) outer wall is the container
exterior wall. A lid fits over (or is hinged to) the upper edges of
the walls to seal the container and the payload.
[0005] The container is preferably made of an insulating material
,e.g., expanded polystyrene (EPS) or urethane, and/or can include a
vacuum panel or an air baffle--additional insulating material for
the container is optional.
[0006] The advantages of the container include those resulting from
the first change material undergoing a phase change near the middle
of the 2.degree. to 8.degree. C. range. This temperature range is
the standard for shipping pharmaceutical, biological materials and
food products. It is insulated (by a wall) from the ice in the
first chamber and double-insulated (two walls) from the exterior,
thereby minimizing the effects on the first phase change material
of exterior temperature, and reducing the required amount of the
first phase change material. Suitable first phase change materials
include 1-decanol (melting at 5.degree. C.); sometimes a higher
phase change material such as 1-dodecanol (melting at 22.degree.
C.) may be used for particular purposes. Use of less costly ice or
gel packs in the first chambers permits use of these more costly
alcohols to be reduced. Moreover, external temperatures encountered
in shipment (including whether its shipped in summer or winter) are
of lessened concern.
[0007] The container is designed such that the payload, the ice/gel
packs and the first phase change material can all be "dropped in"
to their respective chambers, from the top, increasing the ease of
loading for the user. Other advantages are described below and are
apparent from the description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a shipping container as described
herein, without the lid in place.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the container shown in FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] FIG. 1 depicts a shipping container 10, inside a container
9, and having a payload chamber 12, and a series of first chambers
16. Ice (depicted in the form of gel packs 18) is placed in the
first chambers 16. Individual containers 20 containing a first
phase change material is placed in the payload chamber 12, which
also houses a payload, preferably pharmaceuticals, food or a
biological material. Two containers 20 are shown, but more may be
used, with four (so that the payload is completely surrounded)
being preferred. Suitable phase change materials include those that
change solid to liquid in the range of 2.degree. to 8.degree. C.
for example, decanol, and other materials including many set forth
in US Patent No. 5,647,226: "Phase change apparatus for animal
parts, human body parts, body fluids and culture" (incorporated by
reference). It is also possible to use phase change materials
outside this range for particular purposes, for example, dodecanol.
Instead of ice it is possible to use other materials that melt at a
temperature near about 0.degree. C.
[0011] The walls 24 of the container are depicted as one molded
unit, e.g., EPS, but they could also be formed from multiple
sections, or can have additional insulation added following
construction. Additional padding or protective materials for the
payload can also be added. The lid 26 (shown in FIG. 2) can be
removable from the top of the container 10 as shown, or hinged or
attached otherwise in a manner to permit access to the payload
chamber 12 and the first chambers 16. When the lid 26 is removable
as shown, the container 9 is preferably corrugated, and capable of
being sealed to hold lid 26 in place.
[0012] Suitable payloads include biological materials, e.g., cells,
pharmaceuticals, blood or tissues or food products, or other
materials which need temperature-regulated refrigeration during
shipment.
[0013] It should be understood that the terms, expressions and
features in the drawings shown herein are exemplary only and not
limiting, and that the invention scope is defined only in the
claims which follow, and includes all equivalents of the subject
matter of the claims.
* * * * *