WO2011086265A1 - Device for transporting and distributing heat-sensitive products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for transporting and dispensing heat-sensitive products, comprising a container provided with an upper cover for closing the container, and characterized by the implementation of the following measures: an isothermal box capable of receiving an amount of ice or dry ice is placed in the container; one or more eutectic plates is/are positioned within the container, inserted between the box and the area of the container, which is to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported, and a thermal barrier is positioned, said thermal barrier surrounding the box and the plates, the thermal barrier being provided with openings on the surface thereof in contact with the plates, said surface located between the plates and the area of the container which is to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported.

Description

 Device for transporting and dispensing heat-sensitive products

The present invention relates to the field of transport and distribution of thermosensitive products, it is particularly interested in the case of pharmaceutical products (drugs, vaccines ...), and food products (ferments ...).

 It is known that such equipment ensures the respect of the cold chain in a range typically between +2 and + 8 ° C, or between 2 and +4 ° C.

 Considering the example of drugs or vaccines, such products are conditioned between 0 and + 4 ° C and are placed in structures (envelopes or stacked cardboard ...) whose purpose is to ensure relative isothermal ...

 According to the methods commonly practiced, a plastic container or box receives the products and a quantity of eutectic plates intended for the thermal protection of the products transported, taking into account in particular the parameters of the mean outside temperature and the expected duration of the transport.

This type of standard tray is equipped with a top closure lid, it is delivered to pharmacies, where the drugs are unloaded, then the bins are returned with their eutectics to the base ("central") distribution of drugs. The following disadvantages can be mentioned in these prior systems:

The organization of the recovery of eutectics Packaging and handling of eutectics (heavy system)

 The viability of eutectics (aging, dosage ...)

 The necessary labor (packaging of the bins with installation of the internal structures of separation of lots etc)

 The results of temperature maintenance of the products currently observed which hardly respect the specifications in general imposed, namely:

 • Duration of transport: commonly from 5 to 72 hours

 • Average ambient temperature up to 25 ° C

 • Products to be maintained between +0 + 8 ° C

 Not to mention the major drawback related to unavoidable air intakes in the box, which cause very significant moisture condensation phenomena; in practice it is common that when arriving at the pharmacy, products are found "bubbling" in the water, so unfit for sale and to be returned to the vending platform.

It should be noted that the AFNOR S99E700 Standard was developed to better define the transport packaging of such health products and the performance to be achieved imperatively.

As an illustration of the prior art, the Applicant had proposed in FR-2 916 189 another transport solution (see Figure 2 attached) consisting in equipping a tray (which may be a traditional tray usually shaped parallelepiped and provided with an upper closure cover) of an ice receptacle or dry ice packaged in a particular arrangement. According to this previous solution; the "receptacle" device is positioned at the bottom of the tank and comprises:

 • a reservoir capable of receiving ice or dry ice, especially packaged, and minimizing the exchange surface with the ice or snow reserve;

 • a dry ice slab or a dry ice dose is able to be positioned in the bottom of the tank;

· A thermal barrier interposing between the CO ₂ reserve and the heat-sensitive products to be transported, products that can be deposited on the thermal barrier for transport;

 An insulating lid interposed between the products and the upper lid for closing the container, which insulating lid is advantageously deformable, and which makes it possible in particular to isolate the products from the environment;

 • Evoked elements of "tank", "thermal barrier" and "insulating lid" that can be made for example polypropylene expanded because of its high insulation properties, washable, and recyclable.

Exchanges of heat with the surrounding atmosphere, inevitable, lead to the sublimation of the plate of dry ice or the amount of dry ice in the bottom of the tank, the resulting cold gases will exert pressure on the underside of the thermal barrier, on which the products are laid. The document recommends, according to the desired performances (12h, 24h, 48h, 72h), to use a different density (porosity) for the manufacture of the thermal barrier so as to regulate the loss of frigories over time. The cold gases that result from the sublimation then crossing the barrier by capillarity.

As will be seen in more detail in the following, the present invention proposes a new solution, mixed, eutectic / cryogenic, which is autonomous, easy to use, and economical.

 This solution is based on the establishment of a "motor" refrigeration inside the transport tray, to maintain the eutectic gel (s), loaded in cold, throughout the service.

More precisely, the following operations are carried out:

 - It has an isothermal tank (which can be a traditional tray of generally parallelepipedal shape and provided with an upper lid closure), for example polystyrene or polyurethane;

 an insulated box (for example made of polystyrene) is provided in the tank, suitable for receiving a quantity of ice or dry ice;

- Positioned inside the tray, inserted between the box and the tray area to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported, one or eutectic gels (plates), a thermal barrier is positioned (for example a cardboard form but other embodiments and materials are of course conceivable), surrounding the box ("inside"), and the gels, a thermal barrier provided with openings on its surface, contact with the gels.

 As will be understood from reading the foregoing, the barrier, for example a hardboard, makes it possible at the same time to wedge the assembly, but especially to absorb the condensation in the box, to create a heat shield, and to disseminate, through its openings, the frigories in the area to receive the products to be transported. The present invention thus relates to a device for the transport and distribution of thermosensitive products, characterized by the implementation of the following measures:

 - The device comprises a tray with an upper cover closing the tray;

 - It has in the tray an isothermal box (eg polystyrene), able to receive a quantity of ice or dry ice;

 - Positioned inside the tray, interposed (s) between the box and the tray area to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported, one or eutectic plates;

- Positioning a thermal barrier surrounding the box and plates, a thermal barrier with openings on its surface in contact with the plates, which surface is located between the plates and the area of the tank to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported. As will be understood from reading the foregoing, the barrier, for example a hardboard, makes it possible at the same time to stall the assembly, but especially to absorb the condensation in the box, to create a heat shield, and to disseminate, through its openings, the frigories in the area to receive products to transport.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will thus become more clearly apparent in the following description, given by way of illustration but in no way limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings for which:

 Figure 1 shows two schematic sectional views of a transport tray according to the prior art for the transport of food products;

 Figure 2 shows two schematic sectional views of a container transporting pharmaceuticals according to the document FR-2 916 189 anterior;

 - Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows two schematic sectional views of a transport container of pharmaceuticals existing in this industry. We can see in Figure 1 the presence:

 a substantially standard plastic tray 1

(substantially parallelepipedic), provided with an upper lid 6;

an inner box manufactured in a "flange" 2 inflated with gas, thus insulating, on the bottom of which is laid a CO ₂ "8" plate, if necessary supplemented by a eutectic plate for long periods of transport; the products to be transported 4 are placed on a cardboard plate 3 and lined with a "Coldpack ™" type aluminum film.

 It should be mentioned that such arrangements are already available for the transport of food products, notably via the "Chronopost ™" service.

 Nevertheless, such boxes are typically used to respond to transport not exceeding (for an outside temperature of 25 ° C) 24h or 48h by implementing large amounts of cryogen, with the disadvantages already reported.

It is understood that it was therefore necessary to propose improved structures with respect to the existing structures in accordance with FIG.

Figure 2 shows two schematic sectional views of a transport container of pharmaceuticals according to the solution proposed in the earlier document FR-2 916 189 prior.

 We can see in Figure 2 the presence:

 a substantially standard plastic container 10, provided with an upper lid 11;

 a "receptacle" device capable of receiving ice or packaged dry ice 18,

"Receptacle positioned at the bottom of the tray 10, and comprising:

 a reservoir 12, presenting as a container that occupies all or part of the lower part of the tray;

a thermal barrier 13 pressing on the upper edge of the reservoir 12, the products (for example vaccines or drugs) are placed on the upper face of the barrier thermal 13 as shown in the figure, until full loading of the expected delivery;

 - An insulating cover 14, located above the products, thus interposed between the products and the upper closure lid 11 of the tray when it is closed.

 The insulating cover 14, in the embodiment shown here, does not cooperate with the walls of the tank, but the document in question proposed modes where the insulating cover 14 cooperates with the walls of the tank (for example on a channel which is there arranged) to achieve higher durations and thus achieve a better seal.

FIG. 3 makes it possible to visualize an embodiment of the present invention, and it is immediately understood that it offers an autonomous, easy-to-use and economical solution since, thanks to the arrangement claimed, a " engine "refrigerating inside the transport tray, to maintain the eutectic gels (plates), charged in cold, throughout the service, this avoiding the technical disadvantages listed above.

The elements constituting the invention are clearly shown in FIG.

 the transport container ("outer" boxes), provided with an upper lid for closing the container (nn shown),

- The inner isothermal box, able to receive a quantity of ice or dry ice; - interposed between the inner box and the tray area to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported, a eutectic plate,

 a thermal barrier (here cardboard) circulating inside the tank, to surround the inner box and the plate, a thermal barrier provided with openings on its surface which is opposite the plate, the surface which is located between the plate and the area of the tank to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported.

Preferably, the thermal barrier is not purely vertical, it has lower, upper, and lateral faces, which are in contact with the boxes "inside" and "outside" (tray), on its lower, upper, and lateral faces. .

Claims

1. Device for the transport and distribution of thermosensitive products, comprising a tray with an upper lid closing the tray, and characterized by the implementation of the following measures:  - Is placed in the tray an isothermal box, able to receive a quantity of ice or dry ice;  - positioned inside the tray, inserted (s) between the box and the tray area to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported, one or eutectic plates,  - Positioning a thermal barrier surrounding the box and plates, a thermal barrier with openings on its surface in contact with the plates, which surface is located between the plates and the area of the tank to receive the heat-sensitive products to be transported.