Lyophilizing apparatus

Claim 2

The structure defined in claim 1 in which the means to direct the heat dissipated from said condenser section comprises a hood disposed over said condenser section, said hood having an inclined panel with louvers facing the chamber and a means to force the air from said condenser section through said louvers and against the outer surface of said chamber to heat the same.

Claim 3

The structure defined in claim 1 in which the means to direct the heat dissipated from said condenser section comprises a duct in communication with said condenser section said duct connected to and in communication with the interior of said chamber and means to force the air from said condenser section through said duct and into the chamber to heat the same.

Claim 4

The structure defined in claim 3 in which the hood is provided with a second inclined panel with louvers facing in a direction opposite said first panel and away from said chamber, the louvers of both panels provided with means to open and close the same whereby the amount of air emitted through the louvers of both panels may be controlled.

Claim 5

The structure defined in claim 1 in which the chamber comprises sidewalls, a bottom wall sealed to the bottom edges of said sidewalls, said bottom wall having at least one opening therethrough, a sealing means adhered to said bottom wall for sealing engagement with said cold trap and a top plate having a sealing means on its under surface for sealingly engaging the upper edges of said sidewalls.

Claim 6

The structure defined in claim 6 in which the bottom wall has a port extending from the interior of said chamber to the exterior thereof and a valve in said port.

Claim 7

The structure defined in claim 6 in which an electric heating element surrounds said sidewalls.

Claim 8

The structure defined in claim 6 in which said top plate is provided with a piston rod extending therethrough, a piSton on the lower end of the piston rod adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of said sidewalls and means to propel said piston downwardly in said chamber.

Claim 9

The structure defined in claim 6 in which the sidewalls of the chamber are provided with a plurality of radially extending hollow nipples communicating with the interior of said chamber, each said nipple having a lateral port near the outer end thereof, a cap of resilient material rotatably mounted on each nipple and having a tube extending laterally therefrom which by rotation of the cap may be brought into registry with said lateral port or out of registry therewith, said lateral tube adapted to receive and hold a bottle.

Claim 10

A lyophilizing apparatus comprising: a. a refrigeration apparatus having an evaporator section and a condenser section, the evaporator section refrigerating a moisture condensing cold trap, and the condenser section having a heat dissipating means; b. a source of vacuum in said cold trap; c. at least one enclosed chamber member positioned over said cold trap with its interior in communication therewith and with the source of vacuum therein whereby the interior of said chamber is subjected to the low pressure of said vacuum source, at least one container in said chamber containing the material to be freeze-dried whereby said container with its contained material will be subjected to the low pressure of said vacuum source to cause sublimation of the moisture contained therein; and d. means for supplying a predetermined amount of heat from the condenser section to the material to be freeze-dried while the said chamber is subjected to low pressure.

Claim 11

A structure defined in claim 11 with means to introduce into said chamber while the chamber is subjected to the low pressure vacuum and means for sealing the material in said container prior to releasing the said vacuum in said chamber.