Systems, devices, and methods for automated sample thawing
Inventors
Schryver, Brian • Shannon, David
Assignees
Broadoak Fund Iii • Broadoak Fund Iii LLC • Biolife Solutions Inc
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Publication Number
US-10917941-B2
Publication Date
2021-02-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to thawing a cryogenically frozen sample. The systems, devices, and methods may be used to heat a sample holder, the sample holder configured to receive a sample container holding the frozen sample. A sample thaw start time may be identified by measuring a temperature of the sample container and/or a temperature of the sample. A sample thaw end time may be calculated as a function of the sample thaw start time. In some embodiments, the same thaw start time may be identified by a significant change in a first derivative of a warming curve of recorded temperature measurements. The sample end time may be calculated by adding a constant to the sample thaw start time. The constant may be the average sample thaw time per the sample container.
Core Innovation
The claim set focuses on using temperature information, including exterior surface temperature reporting below a top level of a sample, to calculate or determine a thaw start and/or thaw end. The sample container is heated in a sample holder or by a heater, and one or more transducers measure at least a temperature of the sample container as it is heated.
A thaw start time is determined based on the temperature at the surface of the sample container or on the temperature of the sample container, and a thaw end time is determined based on the thaw start time and an experimentally derived phase change duration value for the sample container. In other claims, a completion of a phase change is predicted by calculating a time interval for a duration of the phase change based on the intermediate temperature and the heating temperature.
The system outputs a first control signal or other signal to interrupt thawing at the calculated or predicted completion time. The sample at the thaw end time has solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution in the sample container or vessel.
Claims Coverage
Independent claims identified: clm-00001, clm-00004, clm-00012, and clm-00024. Across these, the claims cover temperature-sensor-based prediction of thaw start and/or thaw end, and interruption of thawing at a calculated or predicted time, with cryogenic thawing constrained to leaving solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution and using predictive and/or experimentally derived phase-change duration values.
Exterior surface temperature-based thaw end prediction and thaw interruption
receiving a temperature data feed from one or more temperature sensors reporting an exterior surface temperature of the vessel at a location along the exterior surface of the vessel that is below a top level of a sample within the vessel; calculating a thaw end time based on the temperature data feed; outputting a signal to interrupt thawing of the sample contained in the vessel at the calculated thaw end time, wherein the sample at the calculated thaw end time having solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution in the vessel.
Intermediate temperature equilibration with predictive phase-change completion interruption
equilibrating the sample and the vessel to an intermediate temperature, wherein the intermediate temperature is below a sample melting temperature; contacting sides of the vessel with a solid material mass that is maintained at a thawing temperature, wherein the thawing temperature is greater than 5 degrees above the sample melting temperature of the sample plus or minus two degrees; predicting a completion of a phase change of the sample contained in the vessel by calculating a time interval for a duration of the phase change based on the intermediate temperature and the heating temperature; outputting a signal to interrupt thawing of the sample contained in the vessel at the predicted completion of the phase change of the sample contained in the vessel.
Surface temperature-based thaw start determination and experimentally derived phase-change completion control
heating a sample container with a heater; determining a temperature at a surface of the sample container; determining a thaw start time for the cryogenic sample, the thaw start time being based on the temperature at the surface of the sample container and being a calculated time value for a start of a phase change of the cryogenic sample from solid to liquid in the sample container; determining an estimated thaw end time of the cryogenic sample based at least in-part on the determined thaw start time and an experimentally derived phase change duration value for the sample container, the cryogenic sample having solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution at the estimated thaw end time; and outputting a first control signal at the estimated thaw end time to interrupt thawing of the sample.
Processor-controlled thaw system using transducers and thaw timing signals interruption
a sample holder coupled with a heater, the sample holder configured to receive the sample container; one or more transducers for measuring at least a temperature of the sample container as the sample container is heated within the sample holder; and a processor coupled with the one or more transducers, the processor configured to determine a thaw start time of the sample based on the temperature of the sample container; determine a thaw end time of the sample based on the thaw start time and an experimentally derived phase change duration value for the sample container, the sample at the thaw end time having solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution in the sample container; and output a first signal at the thaw end time to interrupt thawing of the sample contained in the sample container.
The claim set focuses on using temperature information to calculate or determine a thaw start and/or thaw end using predictive thawing models and/or experimentally derived phase change duration values for a sample container, and then interrupting thawing at the calculated or predicted completion time while maintaining solid phase remaining in an aqueous solution.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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