Systems and methods for cryostorage bag protection

Inventors

Schryver, Brian

Assignees

Biolife Solutions Inc

Abstract

A protective interface cushion device includes an upper half, a lower half, a cutout, a recessed surface, and an exclusion region. The upper half has a first interior surface and a first outer surface. The lower half has a second interior surface and a second outer surface. The first and second interior surfaces are configured to receive a cryostorage bag. The cutout forms an opening through at least one of the first interior surface, the first outer surface, the second interior surface, and the second outer surface. The cutout is configured to restrict a first cryostorage bag fill volume. The recessed surface, on the first and/or second interior surfaces, is configured to restrict a second cryostorage bag fill volume. The exclusion region, between the first interior surface and the second interior surface, is configured to displace liquid contents of the cryostorage bag into the first and/or second fill volume.

Core Innovation

The disclosed invention relates to a system for protecting a cryostorage bag during a freezing procedure. The system includes a protective interface cushion device with an upper half and a lower half configured to receive opposite sides of the cryostorage bag, and the halves are secured together to provide an exterior dimension. The cushion provides interior interfaces that interact with the cryostorage bag during freezing.

The protective interface cushion device includes a cutout forming an opening through at least one of the interior surfaces and outer surfaces, where the cutout is configured to restrict a first fill volume during a freezing procedure. The device further includes a recessed surface provided on at least one of the interior surfaces, configured to restrict a second fill volume during a freezing procedure. An exclusion region between the first interior surface and the second interior surface is configured to displace liquid contents of the cryostorage bag into the first fill volume and/or the second fill volume.

The system further includes a protective shell comprising a lid and a tray. The lid has an upper interior surface configured to compatibly receive the first outer surface of the cushion, and the tray has a lower interior surface configured to compatibly receive the second outer surface of the cushion. When the lid and tray are secured together, the interior dimension of the protective shell is approximately equal to the exterior dimension of the protective interface cushion device, forming a rigid enclosure for the protected cryostorage bag system.

The disclosure also describes a method for handling a liquid sample using the protective interface cushion device and, optionally, a protective shell with confinement structures. The method places a cryostorage bag within the protective interface cushion device, inserts a liquid sample into the cryostorage bag, contacts at least one outer surface of the cushion device with a first confinement structure, and freezes the liquid sample while the cushion device is contacted by the first confinement structure. The disclosure further describes thawing by contacting a second confinement structure configured as a heating device, including heating via contact through the cushion device cutout.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides three independent claims. They cover a protective interface cushion device, a protective shell including the cushion device, and a method for handling a liquid sample using the cushion device and confinement structures.

Across the independent claims, the core coverage centers on the protective interface cushion device that restricts first and second fill volumes using a cutout and recessed surface and uses an exclusion region to displace liquid contents into those restricted fill volumes. Additional coverage includes a protective shell with a lid and tray dimensionally compatible with the cushion device exterior, and a method that freezes a liquid sample while the cushion is contacted by a confinement structure, with optional thawing using a heating confinement structure.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications