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US4480682A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for freezing fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like

Assignee: Hoxan Corp
•
Filing: 1984-01-09
•
Granted: 1984-11-06
•
Expires: 2004-01-09
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus for freezing fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like has a heat transfer bottom board block formed at the lower end of a heat insulating peripheral wall with a lower refrigerant passage capable of flowing refrigerant. A bottom board temperature sensor is attached to the bottom board block, an upper heat transfer block is placed on the bottom board block through a heat insulating joint member, formed with an upper refrigerant passage for flowing the refrigerant. A temperature control heater, an upper block temperature sensor, a plurality of erecting tube charging spaces of tubes opened at the top thereof with the bottom board block as a bottom member are disposed between the peripheral wall and the upper block in such a manner that the tubes erected and charged into the spaces are cooled at the lower ends thereof by said bottom board block and at the upper part containing articles to be frozen such as fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like are contained in buffer solution in said tubes. Thus, the buffer solutions in the tubes can be controlled to be cooled at the buffer solution of the lower noncontaining part by the bottom board block and the buffer solution of the containing part above the buffer solution of the lower noncontaining part by the upper block.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hiroshi Kaneta
  • 👤 Nobuo Sakao
  • 👤 Yasuo Kuraoka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 11:33
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D3/00; F25D3/10; A; A01; A01N; A01N1/00; A01N1/10; A01N1/14; A01N1/142; A01N1/144; A01N1/145; A01N1/146; A01N1/147; B; B01; B01L; B01L7/00; F17; F17C; F17C13/00; F17C13/02; F17C13/026; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/19; G05D23/1927; G05D23/193; G05D23/1932; G05D23/1934; G05D23/20; F17C2250/00; F17C2250/04; F17C2250/0404; F17C2250/0439; F17C2250/06; F17C2250/0605; F17C2250/0631

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 176 words
An apparatus for freezing fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like comprising: a heat transfer bottom board block formed at the lower end of a heat insulating peripheral wall with a lower refrigerant passage capable of flowing refrigerant, a bottom board temperature sensor attached to said bottom board block for detecting the temperature of said bottom board block, an upper heat transfer block placed on said bottom board block through a heat insulating joint member, formed with an upper refrigerant passage for flowing the refrigerant, a temperature control heater, an upper block temperature sensor, and a plurality of erecting tube charging spaces of tubes opened at the top thereof with the bottom board block as a bottom member between said peripheral wall and said upper block in such a manner that the tubes respectively erected and charged into the spaces are cooled at the lower ends thereof by said bottom board block and at the upper part containing articles to be frozen such as fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like contained in buffer solution in said tubes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 176 words
An apparatus for freezing fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like comprising: a heat transfer bottom board block formed at the lower end of a heat insulating peripheral wall with a lower refrigerant passage capable of flowing refrigerant, a bottom board temperature sensor attached to said bottom board block for detecting the temperature of said bottom board block, an upper heat transfer block placed on said bottom board block through a heat insulating joint member, formed with an upper refrigerant passage for flowing the refrigerant, a temperature control heater, an upper block temperature sensor, and a plurality of erecting tube charging spaces of tubes opened at the top thereof with the bottom board block as a bottom member between said peripheral wall and said upper block in such a manner that the tubes respectively erected and charged into the spaces are cooled at the lower ends thereof by said bottom board block and at the upper part containing articles to be frozen such as fertilized ova, spermatozoa or the like contained in buffer solution in said tubes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat transfer bottom board block is annularly fixedly secured by an internal bonding to the lower end of the inner periphery of the peripheral wall and made of copper.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 54 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lower refrigerant passage is formed of a refrigerant cavity formed in said bottom board block, an inflow pipe connected to the cavity and an outflow pipe connected to the cavity, and a control valve provided at the inflow pipe for opening and closing the pipe.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper heat transfer block is constructed to fill a copper mesh unit in a copper outer shell in such a manner that an upper refrigerant passage formed with a heat exchange unit, in which a coiled metal pipe is mounted, is buried in the mesh unit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said temperature control heater is attached to the heat exchange unit for controlling a current to said temperature control heater to regulate the temperature of the upper heat transfer block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said upper block temperature sensor is provided in the vicinity of the lower portion thereof in contact with the surface of the outer shell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 64 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a controller is provided to receive input signals from said bottom board temperature sensor and said upper block temperature sensor and to produce an output signal to control for opening or closing said control valve provided at the inflow pipe and said control valve provided at a guide passage extended externally of said upper refrigerant passage.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4107937A Cited
US4030314A Cited
US4117881A Cited
US4232453A Cited
US4324285A Cited
US4314459A Cited
US4314450A Cited
US4388814A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-11-06 1988-05-07 1988-11-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-11-06 1992-05-07 1992-11-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-11-06 1996-05-07 1996-11-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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