US-20260126232-A1 - DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF SUBSTANCES

US20260126232A1US 20260126232 A1US20260126232 A1US 20260126232A1US-20260126232-A1

Abstract

An environmental control assembly for controlling at least one environmental condition of one or more substances, the one or more substances being uncontained or contained within a substance container, the assembly comprising a first enclosure comprising a thermal insulator configured to provide a thermal shield to the substance, a second enclosure comprising at least one deformable environmental control material configured to regulate at least one environmental condition of the substance, wherein the second enclosure at least partially physically contacts with at least one of the substance and the substance container, and a housing at least partially comprising the first enclosure and the second enclosure.

Inventors

Ron Nagar

Assignees

Ron Nagar

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250718

Claims (12)

1 - 30 . (canceled)
31 . A temperature control assembly for controlling a temperature of one or more substances, the one or more substances being uncontained or contained within a substance container, the assembly comprising: a housing having first and second portions movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position, the housing defining an internal cavity; a first enclosure disposed in the internal cavity and comprising a thermal insulator configured to provide a thermal shield relative to an external environment; and a second enclosure disposed in the internal cavity and at least partially encased by the first enclosure, the second enclosure defining a receiving chamber configured to receive at least one of the one or more substances and the substance container, the second enclosure comprising: at least one deformable temperature-control body comprising a phase change material configured to regulate the temperature of the one or more substances; and at least one deformable interface surface bounding the receiving chamber and thermally coupled to the phase change material; wherein: with the at least one of the one or more substances and the substance container received in the receiving chamber and with the housing in the closed position, the at least one deformable interface surface being urged into conforming physical contact with the at least one of the one or more substances and the substance container so as to reduce air gaps therebetween and increase thermal coupling between the phase change material and the at least one of the one or more substances and the substance container; and the phase change material has a phase transition temperature selected such that, during ordinary storage of the assembly in a non-freezing ambient environment, at least a portion of the phase change material is capable to solidify to restore-heat capacity for a subsequent use.
32 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the housing is configured to apply a compressive force to the second enclosure when moved to the closed position.
33 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the deformable interface surface comprises a flexible wall of the second enclosure.
34 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the deformable temperature-control body is contained within a sealed flexible enclosure.
35 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the second enclosure is configured to conform to an external shape of the substance container.
36 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the first enclosure at least partially surrounds the second enclosure within the internal cavity.
37 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the thermal insulator reduces heat transfer between the second enclosure and the external environment during use.
38 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the housing is reusable for a plurality of temperature-control cycles.
39 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the second enclosure is removably received within the housing.
40 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the receiving chamber is configured to receive at least one of a medical container, a food container, or a laboratory container.
41 . The temperature control assembly of claim 31 , wherein the at least one deformable temperature-control body comprises: a first phase change material having a first phase transition temperature; and a second phase change material having a second phase transition temperature different from the first phase transition temperature.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.: 62/749,769, filed Oct. 24, 2018, titled: “Devices, Systems and Methods for Controlling and Maintaining Conditions of Substances” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.: 62/790,485, filed Jan. 10, 2019, titled “Devices, Systems and Methods for Controlling and Maintaining Conditions of Substances”. Each of the foregoing disclosures are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD Some embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the targeted controlling of substance environmental conditions. BACKGROUND Drugs and other substances can be sensitive to environmental conditions such as light, humidity, temperature, atmosphere, pressure and other conditions. Many drugs and other substances have limited boundaries to such conditions that if exceeded, can degrade the drug efficacy or degrade the substance. Additionally, users receive drugs at the pharmacy and must carry these drugs to their home. When these drugs have to be kept refrigerated, users have trouble making sure that the volume of drug is refrigerated during transport to their domestic refrigerator. While they use icepacks, these icepacks do not come in contact with the drug and as a result do not assure that the drug is at proper refrigeration temperature. In some cases, should the ice packs make direct contact with the drug it might freeze, causing the drug to degrade. While apparatuses exist that can maintain drugs and substance containers, such as drug-containing delivery devices, under controlled environmental conditions, such current apparatuses are quite large and typically require a regular AC power supply for their operation, or large batteries of limited duration. Other devices, such as cooling packs, require large amounts of cooling material (ice or water evaporation) to maintain a case under cooled temperatures. To date there is no simple, inexpensive device for maintaining drugs and other temperature sensitive substances at refrigeration temperatures (e.g. 0-8° C. or 2-8° C.) or at any other desired temperature, that is portable and does not require the user to perform an unordinary activity in order for the device to keep providing the controlled conditions for time periods of hours, days, weeks and even years, without need for the user to use external electrical power or other special unordinary activity to specially “charge” the device. Specifically, there is a need for maintaining substance temperatures stored in domestic refrigerators during power outages. Furthermore, there is a need for ensuring the substances do not freeze while being stored in domestic or any other type of refrigeration. Moreover, there is a need for a transporting apparatus used for maintaining a desired substance temperature when transporting the substance from the pharmacy to the home/domestic refrigerator and/or any time the substance is out of a refrigerator. While assuring that substantially under all such circumstances the substances, that can be either contained in one or more containers or uncontained, will be maintained at the desired, predetermined temperature within a predetermined temperature range. In other words there is a need for a device configured such that the environmental conditions within the device are uniform. SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the environmental conditions of any substance may be controlled. The environmental condition (which may be referred to as “condition” herein) may include light, humidity, temperature, atmosphere, pressure or any other condition affecting the substance. The substance may comprise any material affected by the condition. In a non-limiting example, the substance may comprise a drug, a pharmaceutical, a biological substance, such as hormones, a growth hormone, blood, enzymes, body fluids, body parts, body organs, body tissue, sperms, or eggs. The substance may comprise analyte indicators, analyte sensors and/or analyte detectors comprising any type of material. The analyte indicator or sensor may comprise for example, a blood glucose test strip or blood glucose sensitive materials, configured for indicating the blood glucose level. The blood glucose strip may comprise enzymes or any other biological material. In another example, the analyte indicator or sensor may comprise urine test strips. The analyte indicator or sensor may comprise any diagnostic tool based on a biological indicator comprising a biological and/or chemical material. The substance may comprise cosmetics, such as lipsticks, perfumes, toiletries, hair or skin care products, sprays, mousses, emulsions and gels, for example. The substance may comprise, resins, adhesives, glues, epoxy or cyanoacrylate glue, for example. The substance may include any suitable form, such as a solid, liquid, emulsion, gas, gel, granules, and powder or a combination t