Temperature-stabilized storage systems including storage structures configured for interchangeable storage of modular units
Temperature-stabilized storage systems are described herein. Substantially thermally sealed storage containers include an outer assembly, including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defining at least one thermally sealed storage region, wherein the outer assembly and the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially define a single access aperture to the at least one thermally sealed storage region; and an inner assembly within the at least one thermally sealed storage region, including a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module. Systems including at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container and an information system are also described.
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The present application is related to and claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Application(s)). All subject matter of the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.
RELATED APPLICATIONSFor purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/001,757, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE CONTAINERS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William H. Gates, III; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Dec. 11, 2007, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,088, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED
STORAGE CONTAINERS WITH DIRECTED ACCESS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William H. Gates, III; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Dec. 27, 2007, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,089, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE SYSTEMS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William H. Gates, III; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Dec. 27, 2007, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/008,695, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR MEDICINALS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William H. Gates, III; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Jan. 10, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/012,490, entitled METHODS OF MANUFACTURING TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE CONTAINERS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William H. Gates, III; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Jan. 31, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/077,322, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED MEDICINAL STORAGE SYSTEMS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Clarence T. Tegreene; William Gates; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Mar. 17, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/152,465, entitled STORAGE CONTAINER INCLUDING MULTI-LAYER INSULATION COMPOSITE MATERIAL HAVING BANDGAP MATERIAL AND RELATED METHODS, naming Jeffrey A. Bowers; Roderick A. Hyde; Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Thomas J. Nugent Jr.; Clarence T. Tegreene; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood Jr. as inventors, filed May 13, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/152,467, entitled MULTI-LAYER INSULATION COMPOSITE MATERIAL INCLUDING BANDGAP MATERIAL, STORAGE CONTAINER USING SAME, AND RELATED METHODS, naming Jeffrey A. Bowers; Roderick A. Hyde; Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Thomas J. Nugent Jr.; Clarence T. Tegreene; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood Jr. as inventors, filed May 13, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of-the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/220,439, entitled MULTI-LAYER INSULATION COMPOSITE MATERIAL HAVING AT LEAST ONE THERMALLY-REFLECTIVE LAYER WITH THROUGH OPENINGS, STORAGE CONTAINER USING SAME, AND RELATED METHODS, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Jordin T. Kare; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Jul. 23, 2008, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/658,579, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE SYSTEMS, naming Geoffrey F. Deane; Lawrence Morgan Fowler; William Gates; Zihong Guo; Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Nathan Pegram; Nels R. Peterson; Clarence T. Tegreene; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Feb. 8, 2010, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. TO BE ASSIGNED, entitled TEMPERATURE-STABILIZED STORAGE SYSTEMS WITH FLEXIBLE CONNECTORS, naming Fong-Li Chou; Geoffrey F. Deane; William Gates; Zihong Guo; Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Nathan P. Myhrvold; Nels R. Peterson; Clarence T. Tegreene; Charles Whitmer; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed Nov. 29, 2010, which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to the effect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicants reference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is a continuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parent application. Stephen G. Kunin, Benefit of Prior-Filed Application, USPTO Official Gazette Mar. 18, 2003. The present Applicant Entity (hereinafter “Applicant”) has provided above a specific reference to the application(s) from which priority is being claimed as recited by statute. Applicant understands that the statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does not require either a serial number or any characterization, such as “continuation” or “continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S. patent applications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant understands that the USPTO's computer programs have certain data entry requirements, and hence Applicant has provided designation(s) of a relationship between the present application and its parent application(s) as set forth above, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are not to be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission as to whether or not the present application contains any new matter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s).
SUMMARYSubstantially thermally sealed storage containers are described herein. In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container includes an outer assembly, including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defining at least one thermally sealed storage region, wherein the outer assembly and the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially define a single access aperture to the at least one thermally sealed storage region; and an inner assembly within the at least one thermally sealed storage region, including a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module.
In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container includes an outer assembly, including an outer wall substantially defining a substantially thermally sealed storage container, the outer wall substantially defining a single outer wall aperture; an inner wall substantially defining a substantially thermally sealed storage region, the inner wall substantially defining a single inner wall aperture; the inner wall and the outer wall separated by a distance and substantially defining a gap; at least one section of ultra efficient insulation material disposed within the gap; a connector forming a conduit connecting the single outer wall aperture with the single inner wall aperture; and a single access aperture to the substantially thermally sealed storage region, wherein the single access aperture is defined by an end of the conduit; and an inner assembly within the substantially thermally sealed storage region, including a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module.
In some embodiments, a system includes: at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container; and an information system, wherein the information system includes at least one sensor network operably attached to the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container, and at least one electronic system including a controller.
In some embodiments, a system includes: a plurality of substantially thermally sealed storage containers, wherein each of the substantially thermally sealed storage containers includes; a unique identifier, and an information system, wherein the information system includes at least one sensor network operably attached to the substantially thermally sealed storage container, and at least one electronic controller.
In some embodiments, a system includes: a computer server; and a plurality of substantially thermally sealed storage containers, wherein each of the substantially thermally sealed storage containers includes a unique identifier, and an information system configured to communicate with the computer server, wherein the information system includes at least one sensor network operably attached to the substantially thermally sealed storage container, and at least one electronic system including a controller.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.
The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicates similar or identical items.
With reference now to
A substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be configured for transport and storage of material in a predetermined temperature range within a substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 for a period of time without active cooling activity or an active cooling unit. For example, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 in an environment with an external temperature of approximately 40 degrees C. may be configured for transport and storage of material in a temperature range between 0 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. within a substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 for up to three months. For example, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 in an environment with an external temperature of approximately 40 degrees C. may be configured for transport and storage of material in a temperature range between 0 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. within a substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 for up to two months. For example, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 in an environment with an external temperature of approximately 40 degrees C. may be configured for transport and storage of material in a temperature range between 0 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. within a substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 for up to one month. Specific thermal properties and storage capabilities of a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may vary depending on the embodiment. For example, the materials used in fabrication of the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100, the design of the container 100, the required temperature range within the storage region 130, and the expected external temperature for use of the container 100. A substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 as described herein includes a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module. The choice of number and type of both the heat sink module(s) and the stored material module(s) will determine the specific thermal properties and storage capabilities of a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 for a particular time of use. For example, if a longer storage time in a temperature range between 0 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. is desired, relatively more heat sink module(s) may be included in the storage structure and relatively fewer stored material module(s) may be included. For example, if a shorter storage time in a temperature range between 0 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. is desired, relatively fewer heat sink module(s) may be included in the storage structure and relatively more stored material module(s) may be included.
The substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be of a portable size and shape, for example a size and shape within expected portability estimates for an individual person. The substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be configured for both transport and storage of material. The substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be configured of a size and shape for carrying, lifting or movement by an individual person. For example, in some embodiments the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 has a mass that is less than approximately 50 kilograms (kg), or less than approximately 30 kg. For example, in some embodiments a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 has a length and width that are less than approximately 1 meter (m). For example, implementations of a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include dimensions on the order of 45 centimeters (cm) in diameter and 70 cm in height. For example, in some embodiments a substantially thermally sealed storage container includes external handles, hooks, fixtures or other projections to assist in mobility of the container. For example, in some embodiments a substantially thermally sealed storage container includes external straps, bands, harnesses, or ropes to assist in transport of the container. In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container includes external fixtures configured to secure the container to a surface, for example flanges, brackets, struts or clamps. The substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 illustrated in
A substantially thermally sealed storage container as described herein includes zero active cooling units during routine use. No active cooling units are depicted in
As depicted in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the inner wall 110 substantially defines a substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 within the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100. Although the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 depicted in
In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed container 100 includes at least one layer of nontoxic material on an interior surface of one or more substantially thermally sealed storage region 130. Nontoxic material may include, for example, material that does not produce residue that may be toxic to the contents of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region 130, or material that does not produce residue that may be toxic to the future users of contents of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region 130. Nontoxic material may include material that maintains the chemical structure of the contents of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region 130, for example nontoxic material may include chemically inert or non-reactive materials. Nontoxic material may include material that has been developed for use in, for example, medical, pharmaceutical or food storage applications. Nontoxic material may include material that may be cleaned or sterilized, for example material that may be irradiated, autoclaved, or disinfected. Nontoxic material may include material that contains one or more antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, or antipathogen agents. For example, nontoxic material may include aldehydes, hypochlorites, oxidizing agents, phenolics, quaternary ammonium compounds, or silver. Nontoxic material may include material that is structurally stable in the presence of one or more cleaning or sterilizing compounds or radiation, such as plastic that retains its structural integrity after irradiation, or metal that does not oxidize in the presence of one or more cleaning or sterilizing compounds. Nontoxic material may include material that consists of multiple layers, with layers removable for cleaning or sterilization, such as for reuse of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region. Nontoxic material may include, for example, material including metals, fabrics, papers or plastics.
In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed container 100 includes at least one layer including at least one metal on an interior surface of at least one thermally sealed storage region 130. For example, the at least one metal may include gold, aluminum, copper, or silver. The at least one metal may include at least one metal composite or alloy, for example steel, stainless steel, metal matrix composites, gold alloy, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or silver alloy. In some embodiments, the at least one metal includes metal foil, such as titanium foil, aluminum foil, silver foil, or gold foil. A metal foil may be a component of a composite, such as, for example, in association with polyester film, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyester film. The at least one layer including at least one metal on the interior surface of at least one storage region 130 may include at least one metal that may be sterilizable or disinfected. For example, the at least one metal may be sterilizable or disinfected using plasmons. For example, the at least one metal may be sterilizable or disinfected using autoclaving, thermal means, or chemical means. Depending on the embodiment, the at least one layer including at least one metal on the interior surface of at least one storage region may include at least one metal that has specific heat transfer properties, such as a thermal radiative properties.
In some embodiments, the container 100 may be configured for storage of one or more medicinal units within a storage region 130. For example, some medicinal units are optimally stored within approximately 0 degrees Centigrade and approximately 10 degrees Centigrade. For example, some medicinal units are optimally stored within approximately 2 degrees Centigrade and approximately 8 degrees Centigrade. See: Chan and Kristensen, “Opportunities and Challenges of Developing Thermostable Vaccines,” Expert Rev. Vaccines, 8(5), pages 547-557 (2009); Matthias et al., “Freezing Temperatures in the Vaccine Cold Chain: A Systematic Literature Review,” Vaccine 25, pages 3980-3986 (2007); Wirkas et al., “A Vaccines Cold Chain Freezing Study in PNG Highlights Technology Needs for Hot Climate Countries,” Vaccine 25, pages 691-697 (2007); the WHO publication titled “Preventing Freeze Damage to Vaccines,” publication no. WHO/IVB/07.09 (2007); and the WHO publication titled “Temperature Sensitivity of Vaccines,” publication no. WHO/IVB/06.10 (2006), which are all herein incorporated by reference. The term “medicinal”, as used herein, includes a drug, composition, formulation, material or compound intended for medicinal or therapeutic use. For example, a medicinal may include drugs, vaccines, therapeutics, vitamins, pharmaceuticals, remedies, homeopathic agents, naturopathic agents, or treatment modalities in any form, combination or configuration. For example, a medicinal may include vaccines, such as: a vaccine packaged as an oral dosage compound, vaccine within a prefilled syringe, a container or vial containing vaccine, vaccine within a unijet device, or vaccine within an externally deliverable unit (e.g. a vaccine patch for transdermal applications). For example, a medicinal may include treatment modalities, such as: antibody therapies, small-molecule compounds, anti-inflammatory agents, therapeutic drugs, vitamins, or pharmaceuticals in any form, combination or configuration. A medicinal may be in the form of a liquid, gel, solid, semi-solid, vapor, or gas. In some embodiments, a medicinal may be a composite. For example, a medicinal may include a bandage infused with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, coagulants, neurotrophic agents, angiogenic agents, vitamins or pharmaceutical agents.
In some embodiments, the container 100 may be configured for storage of one or more food units within a storage region 130. For example, a container 100 may be configured to maintain a temperature in the range of −4 degrees C. and −10 degrees C. during storage, and may include a storage structure configured for storage of one or more food products, such as ice cream bars, individually packed frozen meals, frozen meat products, frozen fruit products or frozen vegetable products. In some embodiments, the container 100 may be configured for storage of one or more beverage units within a storage region 130. For example, a container 100 may be configured to maintain a temperature in the range of 2 degrees C. and 10 degrees C. during storage, and may include an storage structure configured for storage of one or more beverage products, such as wine, beer, fruit juices, or soft drinks.
In the embodiment depicted in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include one or more sections of an ultra efficient insulation material. In some embodiments, there is at least one section of ultra efficient insulation material within a gap 120. The term “ultra efficient insulation material,” as used herein, may include one or more type of insulation material with extremely low heat conductance and extremely low heat radiation transfer between the surfaces of the insulation material. The ultra efficient insulation material may include, for example, one or more layers of thermally reflective film, high vacuum, aerogel, low thermal conductivity bead-like units, disordered layered crystals, low density solids, or low density foam. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material includes one or more low density solids such as aerogels, such as those described in, for example: Fricke and Emmerling, Aerogels—preparation, properties, applications, Structure and Bonding 77: 37-87 (1992); and Pekala, Organic aerogels from the polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde, Journal of Materials Science 24: 3221-3227 (1989), which are each herein incorporated by reference. As used herein, “low density” may include materials with density from about 0.01 g/cm3 to about 0.10 g/cm3, and materials with density from about 0.005 g/cm3 to about 0.05 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material includes one or more layers of disordered layered crystals, such as those described in, for example: Chiritescu et al., Ultralow thermal conductivity in disordered, layered WSe2 crystals, Science 315: 351-353 (2007), which is herein incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material includes at least two layers of thermal reflective film surrounded, for example, by at least one of high vacuum, low thermal conductivity spacer units, low thermal conductivity bead like units, or low density foam. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material may include at least two layers of thermal reflective material and at least one spacer unit between the layers of thermal reflective material. For example, the ultra-efficient insulation material may include at least one multiple layer insulating composite such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,805 to Smith et al., titled “Multilayer insulation composite,” which is herein incorporated by reference. For example, the ultra-efficient insulation material may include at least one metallic sheet insulation system, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,283 to Reed et al., titled “Metallic sheet insulation system,” which is herein incorporated by reference. For example, the ultra-efficient insulation material may include at least one thermal insulation system, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,051 to Augustynowicz et al., titled “Thermal insulation systems,” which is herein incorporated by reference. For example, the ultra-efficient insulation material may include at least one rigid multilayer material for thermal insulation, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,656 to Maignan et al., titled “Rigid multilayer material for thermal insulation,” which is herein incorporated by reference. For example, the ultra-efficient insulation material may include multilayer insulation material, or “MLI.” For example, an ultra efficient insulation material may include multilayer insulation material such as that used in space program launch vehicles, including by NASA. See, e.g., Daryabeigi, Thermal analysis and design optimization of multilayer insulation for reentry aerodynamic heating, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 39: 509-514 (2002), which is herein incorporated by reference. For example, the ultra efficient insulation material may include space with a partial gaseous pressure lower than atmospheric pressure external to the container 100. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material may substantially cover the inner wall 110 surface facing the gap 120. In some embodiments, the ultra efficient insulation material may substantially cover the outer wall 105 surface facing the gap 120.
In some embodiments, there is at least one layer of multilayer insulation material within the gap 120, wherein the at least one layer of multilayer insulation material substantially surrounds the inner wall 110. In some embodiments, there are a plurality of layers of multilayer insulation material within the gap 120, therein the layers may not be homogeneous. In some embodiments there may be one or more additional layers within or in addition to the ultra efficient insulation material, such as, for example, an outer structural layer or an inner structural layer. An inner or an outer structural layer may be made of any material appropriate to the embodiment, for example an inner or an outer structural layer may include: plastic, metal, alloy, composite, or glass. In some embodiments, there may be one or more layers of high vacuum between layers of thermal reflective film. In some embodiments, the gap 120 includes a substantially evacuated gaseous pressure relative to the atmospheric pressure external to the container 100. A substantially evacuated gaseous pressure relative to the atmospheric pressure external to the container 100 may include substantially evacuated gaseous pressure surrounding a plurality of layers of Mil, for example between and around the layers. A substantially evacuated gaseous pressure relative to the atmospheric pressure external to the container 100 may include substantially evacuated gaseous pressure in one or more sections of a gap. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 1×10−2 torr. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 5×10−4 torr. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 1×10−2 torr in the gap 120. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 5×10−4 torr in the gap 120. In some embodiments, the gap 120 includes substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than 1×10−2 torr, for example, less than 5×10−3 torr, less than 5×10−4 torr, less than 5×10−5 torr, 5×10−6 torr or 5×10−7 torr. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes a plurality of layers of multilayer insulation material and substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 1×10−2 torr. For example, in some embodiments the gap 120 includes a plurality of layers of multilayer insulation material and substantially evacuated space having a pressure less than or equal to 5×10−4 torr.
Depending on the embodiment, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be fabricated from a variety of materials. For example, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be fabricated from metals, fiberglass or plastics of suitable characteristics for a given embodiment. For example, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include materials of a suitable strength, hardness, durability, cost, availability, thermal conduction characteristics, gas-emitting properties, or other considerations appropriate for a given embodiment. In some embodiments, the outer wall 105 is fabricated from stainless steel. In some embodiments, the outer wall 105 is fabricated from aluminum. In some embodiments, the inner wall 110 is fabricated from stainless steel. In some embodiments, the inner wall 110 is fabricated from aluminum. In some embodiments, the connector 115 is fabricated from stainless steel. In some embodiments, the connector 115 is fabricated from aluminum. In some embodiments, the connector 115 is fabricated from fiberglass. In some embodiments, portions or parts of a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may be fabricated from composite or layered materials. For example, an outer wall 105 may be substantially fabricated from stainless steel, with an external covering of plastic. For example, an inner wall 110 may substantially be fabricated from stainless steel, with a coating within the substantially sealed storage region 130 of plastic, rubber, foam or other material suitable to provide support and insulation to material stored within the substantially sealed storage region 130.
Although a substantially planar storage structure 300 is depicted in
In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 includes one or more storage structures 300 within an interior of at least one thermally sealed storage region 130. A storage structure 300 is configured for receiving and storing of at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module. A storage structure 300 is configured for interchangeable storage of at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module. For example, a storage structure may include racks, shelves, containers, thermal insulation, shock insulation, or other structures configured for storage of material within the storage region 130. In some embodiments, a storage structure includes at least one bracket configured for the reversible attachment of at least one heat sink module or at least one stored material module. In some embodiments, a storage structure includes at least one rack configured for the reversible attachment of at least one heat sink module or at least one stored material module. In some embodiments, a storage structure includes at least one clamp configured for the reversible attachment of at least one heat sink module or at least one stored material module. In some embodiments, a storage structure includes at least one fastener configured for the reversible attachment of at least one heat sink module or at least one stored material module. In some embodiments, a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 includes one or more removable inserts within an interior of at least one thermally sealed storage region 130. The removable inserts may be made of any material appropriate for the embodiment, including nontoxic materials, metal, alloy, composite, or plastic. The one or more removable inserts may include inserts that may be reused or reconditioned. The one or more removable inserts may include inserts that may be cleaned, sterilized, or disinfected as appropriate to the embodiment. In some embodiments, a storage structure includes at least one bracket configured for the reversible attachment of at least one heat sink module or at least one stored material module. In some embodiments, a storage structure is configured for interchangeable storage of a plurality of modules, wherein the modules include at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module.
In some embodiments the substantially thermally sealed storage container may include one or more heat sink units thermally connected to one or more storage region 130. In some embodiments, the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include no heat sink units. In some embodiments, the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include heat sink units within the interior of the container 100, such as within a storage region 130. Heat sink units may be modular and configured to be removable and interchangeable. In some embodiments, heat sink units are configured to be interchangeable with stored material modules. Heat sink modules may be fabricated from a variety of materials, depending on the embodiment. Materials for inclusion in a heat sink module may be selected based on properties such as thermal conductivity, durability over time, stability of the material when subjected to particular temperatures, stability of the material when subjected to repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, cost, weight, density, and availability. In some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from metals. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from stainless steel. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from aluminum. In some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from plastics. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from polyethylene. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from polypropylene.
The term “heat sink unit,” as used herein, includes one or more units that absorb thermal energy. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,734 to Voorhes et al., titled “Heat Sink,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,101 to Ruka et al., titled “Heat Sink,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,426 to Best et al., titled “Heat or Thermal Energy Storage Structure,” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,308 to Faghri titled “Thermal Energy Storage Heat Exchanger,” which are each incorporated herein by reference. Heat sink units may include, for example: units containing frozen water or other types of ice; units including frozen material that is generally gaseous at ambient temperature and pressure, such as frozen carbon dioxide (CO2); units including liquid material that is generally gaseous at ambient temperature and pressure, such as liquid nitrogen; units including artificial gels or composites with heat sink properties; units including phase change materials; and units including refrigerants. See, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,241 to Kitahara et al., titled “Refrigerant,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,403 to Bivens et al., titled “Halocarbon Blends for Refrigerant Use,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,854 to Enjo et al., titled “Absorption Refrigerant Compositions for Use in Absorption Refrigeration Systems,” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,465 to Gray, titled “Hydrocarbon-Halocarbon Refrigerant Blends,” which are each herein incorporated by reference.
In some embodiments, the substantially thermally sealed storage container may include one or more stored material modules. In some embodiments, the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include no stored material modules. In some embodiments, the substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include stored material modules within the interior of the container 100, such as within a storage region 130. Stored material units may be modular and configured to be removable and interchangeable. As used herein, “stored material modules” refers to modular units configured for storage of materials within a substantially thermally sealed storage container 100. Stored material modules are configured to be removable and interchangeable. Stored material modules may include a plurality of storage units. For example, a stored material module may include a plurality of cups, drawers, inserts, indentations, cavities, or chambers, each of which may be a storage unit configured for storage of material. In some embodiments, stored material modules are configured to be interchangeable with heat sink units. Stored material modules may be configured to be fixed in place within a storage region 130 with a storage structure 300. Stored material modules may be fabricated from a variety of materials, depending on the embodiment. Materials for inclusion in a stored material module may be selected based on properties such as thermal conductivity, durability over time, stability of the material when subjected to particular temperatures, stability, strength, cost, weight, density, and availability. In some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from metals. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from stainless steel. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from aluminum. In some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from plastics. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from polyethylene. For example, in some embodiments, heat sink modules are fabricated from polypropylene.
A stored material module 420, as illustrated in
Stored material modules 420 and associated stored material units 430 may be fabricated from a variety of materials, depending on the embodiment. For example, the stored material modules 420 and stored material units 430 may be fabricated from a low thermal mass plastic, or a rigid foam material. In some embodiments the stored material modules 420 and stored material units 430 may be fabricated from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. In some embodiments the stored material modules 420 may include metal components.
In some embodiments, a storage structure 300 and a plurality of modules 400, including heat sink modules 410 and stored material modules 420 may be configured for interchangeable storage of heat sink modules 410 and stored material modules 420. The choice of the type and number of heat sink modules 410 and stored material modules 420 may vary for any particular use of the container 100. For example, in an embodiment where the stored material modules 420 are required to be stored for a longer period of time in a predetermined temperature range, relatively fewer stored material modules 420 and relatively more heat sink modules 410 may be included. For example, in an embodiment such as depicted in
Other configurations and relative numbers of stored material modules 420 and heat sink modules 410 may be utilized, depending on the particular container 100 and desired storage time in a particular temperature range. Other configurations and ratios of stored material modules 420 and heat sink modules 410 may be included in a particular container 100 depending on the desired storage time in a particular temperature range. Other configurations and ratios of stored material modules 420 and heat sink modules 410 may be included in a particular container 100 depending on the number of access events during the desired storage time in a particular temperature range. A heat sink module 410 including a particular volume of heat sink material at a particular temperature may be estimated to have a particular amount of energy storage, such as in joules of energy. Assuming a constant heat leak in the container 100, an incremental value of energy, e.g. joules, per time of storage may be calculated. Assuming a constant access energy loss to a storage region in a container, an incremental value of energy, e.g. joules, per access to a storage region may be calculated. For a particular use, heat sink module(s) 410 with corresponding values of energy storage, e.g. joules, may be included as calculated per time of storage. For a particular use, heat sink module(s) 410 with corresponding values of energy storage, e.g. joules, may be included as calculated per access to the storage region (e.g. removal and/or insertion of stored material).
At the top of the stored material module 420 illustrated in cross-section,
Some embodiments include a plurality of heat sink modules 410 of a substantially cylindrical shape as depicted in
Although each of the stored material units 430 depicted in
In some embodiments, one or more substantially thermally sealed storage containers may be included as part of a larger system. For example, the system may be configured to store data relating to each of the individual substantially thermally sealed storage containers included in the system. For example, the system may be configured to transmit data regarding one or more substantially thermally sealed storage containers included in the system to a device operated by a system user. For example, the system may be configured to transmit an alert message regarding one or more substantially thermally sealed storage containers included in the system to a device operated by a system user. For example, the system may be configured to receive queries transmitted by a system user from a device, process information regarding the queries, and transmit a response to the device. Other aspects of the systems will be evident from the text and the accompanying figures.
As illustrated in
The sensor network may also include at least one antenna 2243. For example, the sensor network operably attached to the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include at least one antenna 2243 attached to an external surface of the container. The antenna 2243 may be configured to send and receive signals from a source within the container, for example in relation to RFID tags located within the substantially thermally sealed storage region 130. The antenna 2243 may be configured to send and receive signals 2230, 2235 from a source external to the container, for example aspects of an electronic system 2250 located externally to the container 100.
The sensor network may include at least one indicator 2240. The sensor network operably attached to the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 may include at least one indicator 2240 attached to an external surface of the container. For example, the sensor network may include at least one indicator 2240 that provides an auditory indicator, such as an auditory transmitter configured to produce a beep, tone, voice signal or alarm. For example, the sensor network may include at least one light-emitting diode (LED) and associated circuitry as well as a temperature sensor located within the substantially thermally sealed storage region 130, configured so that the LED lights up if the substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 reaches a preset temperature. A preset temperature may be a range, such as a useful temperature range or a non-desirable temperature range. A preset temperature may be an individual temperature, such as a LED indicator 2240 with associated circuitry configured to illuminate if a temperature sensor 2212, 2214 located within a storage region 130 reaches a temperature value such as 10 degrees C., 15 degrees C., or 20 degrees C. For example, the sensor network may include at least one light-emitting diode (LED) and associated circuitry as well as a pressure sensor located within the gap 120, configured so that the LED lights up if the gap reaches a preset gaseous pressure. For example, the sensor network may include at least one indicator 2240 including at least one display, such as a digital display unit and associated circuitry configured to display one or more preset messages in response data transmitted from another component of the system 100. An indicator 2240 may be configured for visual presentation to a user 2280 of the system from a location adjacent to the container.
The sensor network may include at least one RFID transceiver 2255. For example, the sensor network may include at least one RFID transceiver 2255 configured to transmit information regarding RFID tags associated with material stored within the container, for example a descriptor of material stored within the container. For example, the sensor network may include at least one RFID transceiver 2255 configured to transmit information regarding RFID tags associated with material stored within the container, for example material passing in and out of the container. For example, the sensor network may include at least one RFID transceiver 2255 configured to transmit information regarding the quantity and type of RFID tags associated with material stored within the container.
The sensor network may include at least one global positioning device 2245. For example, the sensor network may include at least one global positioning system (GPS) device. For example, the sensor network may include at least one Compass navigation system device. For example, the sensor network may include at least one Galileo positioning system device. For example, the sensor network may include at least one Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) device. For example, the sensor network may include at least one global positioning device configured to operate in conjunction with a proprietary global positioning system.
The sensor network may include at least one position detector 2270. For example, the sensor network may include at least one position detector including an accelerometer configured to detect the proper acceleration of the container 100. For example, the sensor network may include at least one position detector including a tilt sensor configured to detect the orientation of the container 100. For example, the sensor network may include at least one position detector including an inclinometer configured to detect the vertical orientation of the container 100.
The sensor network operably attached to the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container 100 is operably connected to at least one electronic system 2250 including a controller 2295. The sensor network and the at least one electronic system 2250 may be operably connected to allow data from the sensor network to be transmitted to the at least one electronic system 2250. For example, data relating to temperature readings may be transmitted from the sensor network to the at least one electronic system 2250. The sensor network and the at least one electronic system 2250 may be operably connected to allow data and/or instructions from the at least one electronic system 2250 to be transmitted to the sensor network. For example, data corresponding to an instruction to illuminate the indicator may be transmitted from the at least one electronic system 2250 to the sensor network. For example, data corresponding to an instruction to transmit a response to a query may be transmitted from the at least one electronic system 2250 to the sensor network. The sensor network may be operably connected via a wire 2220, 2225 system to the electronic system 2250. The system 2200 may include a computer bus 2205 configured to transfer data between the sensor network and the electronic system 2250. The sensor network may be operably connected to the electronic system 2250 via a wireless connection, for example a wireless system including antennas 2243, 2249 configured to transmit and receive signals 2230, 2235 between the sensor network and the electronic system 2250.
The system 2200 may include at least one power source 2260. An electrical power source may originate, for example, from municipal electrical power supplies, electric batteries, or an electrical generator device. A power source 2260 may include an electrical connector configured to connect with a municipal electrical power supply. A power source 2260 may include a battery pack. A power source 2260 may include an electrical generator, for example a gas-powered generator or a solar-powered generator. As illustrated in
The electronic system 2250 may be operably connected to a computing device 2287, such as via a wire connection 2227 or a wireless connection. The computing device 2287 may include a display 2287, such as a monitor, screen, or video display device. The computing device 2287 may include a user interface, such as a keyboard, keypad, touch screen or computer mouse. Although the computing device 2287 depicted in
The electronic system 2250 includes a controller 2295. The electronic system 2250 may include a power distribution unit 2265. The power distribution unit 2265 may be configured, for example, to conserve the energy use by the system over time. The power distribution unit 2265 may be configured, for example, to minimize total energy within the substantially thermally sealed storage region 130 within the container 100, for example by minimizing power distribution to one or more sensors 2212, 2214 located within the substantially thermally sealed storage region 130. The power distribution unit 2265 may include a battery capacity monitor. The power distribution unit 2265 may include a power distribution switch. The power distribution unit 2265 may include charging circuitry. The power distribution unit 2265 may be operably connected to a power source 2260. For example, the power distribution unit 2265 may be configured to monitor electricity flowing between the power source 2260 and other components within the electronic system 2295. A wire connection 2262 may operably connect a power distribution unit 2265 to a power source 2260.
Depending on the embodiment, the electronic system 2250 may include additional components. For example, the electronic system 2250 may include at least one indicator 2275, such as a LED indicator or a display indicator. For example, the electronic system 2250 may include at least one indicator 2275 that provides an auditory indicator, such as an auditory transmitter configured to produce a beep, tone, voice signal or alarm. For example, the electronic system 2250 may include at least one antenna 2249. An antenna 2249 may be configured to send and/or receive signals 2230, 2235 from the sensor network. An antenna 2249 may be configured to send and/or receive signals from an external network, such as a cellular network, or as part of an ad-hoc system as described further below. The electronic system 2250 may include one or more global positioning devices 2247. A global positioning device 2247 included in the electronic system 2250 may include the same type as a global positioning device 2245 included in the sensor network. The electronic system 2250 may include one or more data storage units 2259, such as computer DRAM, hard disk drives, or optical disk drives. The electronic system 2250 may include circuitry 2292, such as circuitry 2292 configured to process data from the sensor network. The electronic system 2250 may include logic systems. The electronic system 2250 may include other components 2264 as suitable for a particular embodiment.
The electronic system 2250 may include one or more external network connection device 2257. An external network connection device 2257 may include a cellular phone network transceiver unit. An external network connection device 2257 may include a WiFi™ network transceiver unit. An external network connection device 2257 may include an Ethernet network transceiver unit. An external network connection device 2257 may be configured to transmit with Short Message Service (SMS) protocols. An external network connection device 2257 may be configured to transmit to a general packet radio service (GPRS). An external network connection device 2257 may be configured to transmit to an ad-hoc network system. An external network connection device 2257 may be configured to transmit to an ad-hoc network system such as a peer to peer communication network, a self-realizing mesh network, or a ZigBee™ network.
Each of the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C includes an electronic system 2250 including a controller 2295. The electronic systems 2250 may be configured as described in relation to the electronic system 2250 illustrated in
Each of the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C may include components such as described in relation to the system illustrated in
Each of the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C is configured to send and receive data from an external network 2315. For example, each of the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C may transmit wireless signals 2320 and receive wireless signals 2317 from an external network communication system 2315. For example, each of the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C may transmit data and receive data from an external network communication system through a wired connection. An external network communication system 2315 may include a cellular phone network. An external network communication system 2315 may include a WiFi™ network. An external network communication system 2315 may include an Ethernet network. An external network communication system 2315 may include an ad-hoc network, such as a peer to peer communication network, a self-realizing mesh network, or a ZigBee™ network. The external network communication system 2315 may be configured to send and receive data from a device 2325 operated by a system user 2330. For example, a system user 2330 may operate a cellular phone device 2325 which sends and receives signals 2322, 2327 to the external network communication system 2315.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments the individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C are configured to automatically send data to one or more devices 2325 through an external network communication system 2315. For example, one or more individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C may be configured to transmit periodic “status updates” with data regarding their individual locations and data from their associated sensor networks. For example, one or more individual systems 2200A, 2200B, 2200C may be configured to send a preset message to one or more devices 2325 through an external network communication system 2315 in response to a particular event, such as a temperature sensor registering a temperature outside of a preset range or if a tilt sensor registers that the individual container 100A, 100B or 100C is being stored at an improper angle. In some embodiments, one or more containers 100A, 100B, 100C includes an access mechanism that records the time of any access to the storage region in the container, and information regarding access may be automatically transmitted to one or more devices 2325 through an external network communication system 2315.
As illustrated in
A system user 2485 may operate a remote computing device 2480 to request data regarding a specific individual container (e.g. 100A, 100B, 100C) or individual system (e.g. 2200A, 2200B, 2200C) though the network 2435. A remote computing device 2480 may be connected to the network 2435 with a wire 2490 or a wireless connection. A remote computing device 2480 may include one or more display devices 2470. A remote computing device 2480 may include one or more user interface devices 2475, such as a keyboard or a computer mouse. For example, data regarding a specific individual container (e.g. 100A, 100B, 100C) may be automatically transmitted to a remote computing device 2480 by the network 2435 periodically, or in response to a specific event. For example, data regarding the location, temperature, duration of time in use, and expected duration of use of a specific individual container (e.g. 100A, 100B, 100C) may be automatically transmitted to a remote computing device 2480. For example, data regarding the location of a specific individual container (e.g. 100A, 100B, 100C) may be automatically transmitted to a remote computing device 2480 when the specific individual container (e.g. 100A, 100B, 100C) is moved to or from a preset location.
In an embodiment such as that depicted in
Although a user 2282, 2280, 2330, 2485 of the systems described herein is depicted as an individual figure, in some embodiments a user 2282, 2280, 2330, 2485 may be a plurality of people. For example, a user 2282, 2280, 2330, 2485 may be a group, such as a medical team, a group of suppliers, a government agency, or a non-governmental organization (NGO). Although user 2282, 2280, 2330, 2485 is shown/described herein as a single illustrated figure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that user 2282, 2280, 2330, 2485 may be representative of a human user, a robotic user (e.g., computational entity), and/or substantially any combination thereof (e.g., a user may be assisted by one or more robotic agents) unless context dictates otherwise. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in general, the same may be said of “sender” and/or other entity-oriented terms as such terms are used herein unless context dictates otherwise.
All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in any Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, to the extent not inconsistent herewith.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be taken limiting.
In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, and/or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of memory (e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, optical-electrical equipment, etc.). Those having skill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into an image processing system. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical image processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, memory such as volatile or non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, applications programs, one or more interaction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna, etc.), control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing lens position and/or velocity; control motors for moving/distorting lenses to give desired focuses). An image processing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in digital still systems and/or digital motion systems.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a data processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, memory such as volatile or non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna, etc.), and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A data processing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “ a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “ a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and. any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:
- an outer assembly, including
- one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defining at least one thermally sealed storage region,
- wherein the outer assembly and the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially define a single access aperture to the at least one thermally sealed storage region; and
- an inner assembly within the at least one thermally sealed storage region, including
- a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module.
2. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material comprise:
- a plurality of layers of multilayer insulation; and
- substantially evacuated space surrounding the plurality of layers of multilayer insulation, wherein the substantially evacuated space has a pressure less than or equal to 5×10−4 torr.
3. (canceled)
4. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermally sealed storage region is configured to be maintained at a temperature substantially between approximately 2 degrees Centigrade and approximately 8 degrees Centigrade.
5. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the storage structure includes a plurality of apertures of an equivalent size and shape.
6. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the storage structure comprises:
- a planar structure including a plurality of apertures, wherein the planar structure is located adjacent to a wall of one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region opposite to the single access aperture and substantially parallel with a diameter of the single access aperture.
7.-8. (canceled)
9. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the storage structure comprises:
- at least one bracket configured for the reversible attachment of the at least one heat sink module or the at least one stored material module.
10. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the storage structure is configured for interchangeable storage of a plurality of modules, wherein the modules include the at least one heat sink module and the at least one stored material module.
11. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:
- at least one heat sink module including a cylindrical outer shell, wherein the cylindrical outer shell is substantially fabricated from stainless steel; and
- water ice.
12. (canceled)
13. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:
- the at least one storage module including a plurality of storage units.
14.-15. (canceled)
16. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 13, wherein the plurality of storage units are of a substantially equivalent horizontal dimension and where the plurality of storage units include storage units of at least two distinct vertical dimensions.
17. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including a plurality of storage units, wherein each of the plurality of storage units include at least one indentation, and at least one tab positioned for reversibly mating to an indentation on an adjacent storage unit.
18. (canceled)
19. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including a single stabilizer unit and a plurality of storage units, wherein each of the storage units is configured to rotate around an axis defined by the stabilizer unit.
20.-22. (canceled)
23. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including at least one locking unit.
24.-26. (canceled)
27. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one positioning element within the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region, the at least one positioning element configured to position at least one module relative to the storage structure.
28. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one sensor.
29. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one indicator.
30. (canceled)
31. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one display unit.
32. (canceled)
33. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, further comprising:
- an information system.
34. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:
- an outer assembly, including
- an outer wall substantially defining a substantially thermally sealed storage container, the outer wall substantially defining a single outer wall aperture;
- an inner wall substantially defining a substantially thermally sealed storage region, the inner wall substantially defining a single inner wall aperture;
- the inner wall and the outer wall separated by a distance and substantially defining a gap;
- at least one section of ultra efficient insulation material disposed within the gap;
- a connector forming a conduit connecting the single outer wall aperture with the single inner wall aperture; and
- a single access aperture to the substantially thermally sealed storage region, wherein the single access aperture is defined by an end of the conduit; and
- an inner assembly within the substantially thermally sealed storage region, including
- a storage structure configured for receiving and storing at least one heat sink module and at least one stored material module.
35. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the outer wall and the inner wall comprise:
- stainless steel.
36. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the outer wall and the inner wall comprise:
- aluminum.
37.-39. (canceled)
40. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the at least one section of ultra efficient insulation material comprises:
- at least one layer of multilayer insulation; and
- substantially evacuated space of a pressure less than or equal to 5×10−4 torr.
41. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the connector is a flexible connector.
42. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the connector comprises:
- stainless steel.
43.-44. (canceled)
45. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the storage structure comprises:
- a planar structure including a plurality of apertures, wherein the planar structure is located adjacent to a wall of the substantially thermally sealed storage region opposite to the single access aperture and substantially parallel with a diameter of the single access aperture.
46.-47. (canceled)
48. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, wherein the storage structure is configured for interchangeable storage of a plurality of modules, wherein the modules may be either heat sink modules or stored material modules.
49. (canceled)
50. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, comprising:
- the at least one heat sink module including a cylindrical outer shell, wherein the cylindrical outer shell is substantially fabricated from stainless steel; and
- water ice.
51. (canceled)
52. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, comprising:
- at least one storage module including a plurality of storage units.
53.-54. (canceled)
55. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, wherein the plurality of storage units are of a substantially equivalent horizontal dimension and wherein the plurality of storage units include storage units of at least two distinct vertical dimensions.
56. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including a plurality of storage units, wherein each of the plurality of storage units include at least one indentation, and at least one tab positioned for reversibly mating to an indentation on an adjacent storage unit.
57. (canceled)
58. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including a single stabilizer unit and a plurality of storage units, wherein each of the storage units is configured to rotate around an axis defined by the stabilizer unit.
59.-61. (canceled)
62. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, comprising:
- the at least one stored material module including at least one locking unit.
63. (canceled)
64. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, further comprising:
- at least one sensor.
65. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, further comprising:
- at least one indicator.
66. (canceled)
67. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, further comprising:
- at least one display unit.
68. (canceled)
69. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 34, further comprising:
- an information system.
70. A system, comprising:
- at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container; and
- an information system, wherein the information system includes
- at least one sensor network operably connected to the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container, and
- at least one electronic controller.
71. (canceled)
72. The system of claim 70, wherein the information system comprises:
- at least one unique identifier specific to the at least one individual substantially thermally sealed storage container.
73. (canceled)
74. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least one communication bus.
75. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) receiver.
76. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna.
77. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.
78.-79. (canceled)
80. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least two temperature sensors located at distinct locations within a storage region of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container.
81.-82. (canceled)
83. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one sensor network comprises:
- at least one position detector.
84.-85. (canceled)
86. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one information system comprises:
- at least one global positioning device.
87. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one information system comprises:
- at least one external network communication unit.
88.-93. (canceled)
94. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one information system comprises:
- at least one display unit.
95. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one information system comprises:
- at least one user interface device.
96. The system of claim 70, wherein the at least one information system comprises:
- at least one power distribution unit.
97.-99. (canceled)
100. A system, comprising:
- a plurality of substantially thermally sealed storage containers, wherein each of the substantially thermally sealed storage containers includes; a unique identifier, and an information system, wherein the information system includes at least one sensor network operably attached to the substantially thermally sealed storage container, and at least one electronic system including a controller.
101. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 29, 2010
Publication Date: Jun 2, 2011
Applicant:
Inventors: Geoffrey F. Deane (Bellevue, WA), Lawrence Morgan Fowler (Pound Ridge, NY), William Gates (Redmond, WA), Jenny Ezu Hu (Seattle, WA), Roderick A. Hyde (Redmond, WA), Edward K.Y. Jung (Bellevue, WA), Jordin T. Kare (Seattle, WA), Nathan P. Myhrvold (Bellevue, WA), Nathan Pegram (Bellevue, WA), Nels R. Peterson (Seattle, WA), Clarence T. Tegreene (Bellevue, WA), Charles Whitmer (North Bend, WA), Lowell L. Wood, JR. (Bellevue, WA)
Application Number: 12/927,982
International Classification: B65D 81/38 (20060101);
