Abstract: A system for heating one or more objects includes a first housing having a power unit configured to generate radio frequency (EM) radiation. One or more second housings include a heating unit having a cavity for positioning the one or more objects. One or more EM radiation conducting elements are configured to conduct the EM radiation from the power unit to the cavity for heating the one or more objects. The first housing and the one or more of the second housings are physically separated from one another.

Abstract: A clothes dryer includes a cavity adapted to receive at least one item of clothing, at least one RF feed which feeds RF energy into the cavity, and a spectral imaging module adapted to provide a spectral image comprising input efficiency to the cavity as a function of frequency. A controller controls one or more characteristics of the RF energy to heat a liquid within and/or on fibers of the at least one item of clothing, in which the controller reduces amounts of energy directed to problem areas in the spectral image.

Abstract: A method of drying an object comprising, providing an object into an RF cavity; applying broadband RF energy to the object in controlled manner which keeps the object within a desired temporal temperature schedule and within a desired spatial profile; and terminating the drying when it is at least estimated that a desired drying level is achieved.

Abstract: Provided is a method of designing a system for use in a process for freezing a biological material at a desired cooling rate, the system including a device for freezing biological material including a cooling unit and a heat insulation unit, and a container configured for receiving therein the biological material; the method including: designing the container to have a first portion and a second portion; designing the heat insulation unit to have a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion; configuring the first and second portions of the heat insulation unit to receive therein the first and second portions of the container, respectively, to ensure that the second portion of the container is in thermal contact with the cooling unit; determining dimensions of the first and second portions of the container and of the heat insulation unit in accordance with the desired cooling rate.

Abstract: The temperature of a biological material is changed from a first temperature to a second temperature within a time period, one of the said first or second temperature being above freezing temperature and the other being below freezing temperature, by placing the biological material in tight contact with at least one, preferably between two heat exchangers, and controlling the temperature in at least one of said heat exchangers such that a freezing temperature front propagates in said material away from at least one of the two heat exchangers.

Abstract: A system for heating one or more objects. The system comprises a first housing comprising a power unit configured for generating radio frequency (EM) radiation, one or more second housings comprising a heating unit having a cavity for positioning one or more objects, and one or more EM radiation conducting elements configured for conducting the EM radiation from the power unit to the cavity for heating the one or more objects. The first housing and one or more of the second housings are physically separated from one another.

Abstract: There are provided a system and a method for cryopreserving a liquid biological material disposed in a bag having a longitudinal axis. The system comprises a bag holder for holding the bag, so that the biological material therein has a surface area S, and a volume V, a tank containing a cryogenic fluid, a mechanism for the immersion of the bag holder into the tank along the longitudinal axis, an opening in the tank for insertion therethrough of the bag holder, and a guide member extending from the opening into the tank. There are further provided a system and a method for warming a cryopreserved liquid biological material disposed in a bag.

Abstract: A method of drying an object comprising, providing an object into an RF cavity; applying broadband RF energy to the object in controlled manner which keeps the object within a desired temporal temperature schedule and within a desired spatial profile; and terminating the drying when it is at least estimated that a desired drying level is achieved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for freezing biological material, comprising: a cooling unit; a heat insulation unit, having an interface with said cooling unit and a common longitudinal axis passing through said interface transversely thereto; an elongated slot disposed at least in said heat insulation unit and extending along said axis, said slot comprising a first slot portion remote from said interface and a second slot portion adjacent said interface; wherein said first and second slot portions have respective first and second dimensions measured perpendicularly to said slot's axis, the former being greater than the latter.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for providing cartilage-containing tissue for grafting, comprising providing excised cartilage-containing tissue; and treating said excised cartilage-containing and cryogenically preserving the treated cartilage-containing tissue under appropriate cryogenic preservation conditions so as to yield cryogenically preserved cartilage-containing tissue having at least 10% viable chondrocytes throughout the cartilage portion of the cartilage-containing tissue after preservation, as tested in a live/dead ratio assay. Treatment may comprise providing one or a plurality of incisions in said cartilage portion to a predetermined depth therein and/or introducing a cryoprotectant agent at least into said cartilage portion.

Abstract: The temperature of a biological material is changed from a first temperature to a second temperature within a time period, one of the said first or second temperature being above freezing temperature and the other being below freezing temperature, by placing the biological material in tight contact with at least one, preferably between two heat exchangers, and controlling the temperature in at least one of said heat exchangers such that a freezing temperature front propagates in said material away from at least one of the two heat exchangers.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in controlling the processing of components, e.g. biological entities. Each component is assigned with a unique machine readable identification mark. Data records are provided representative of matching sets of the identification marks relating to at least two associated components. Each component-containing holder may be provided with the unique machine readable identification mark assigned to the biological entity in the holder. This enables to identify whether the biological entities to be processed relate to the matching set or not.