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US-20260126309-A1 - INSULATED WIRELESS DATA LOGGER SHUTTLE FOR BLAST FREEZING AND LYOPHILIZATION

US20260126309A1US 20260126309 A1US20260126309 A1US 20260126309A1US-20260126309-A1

Abstract

A shuttle includes an upper housing having a top surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical upper cavity, the upper housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of upper concavities, and a lower housing having a bottom surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical lower cavity, the lower housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of lower concavities, wherein the upper concavities and the lower concavities are aligned with one another, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing comprise an insulating porous structure.

Inventors

  • John P. Murphy
  • Nicholas Roscioli
  • Derrick M. Smith

Assignees

  • MERCK SHARP & DOHME LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251028

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A shuttle, comprising: an upper housing having a top surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical upper cavity, the upper housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of upper concavities; and a lower housing releasably couplable to the upper housing and having a bottom surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical lower cavity, the lower housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of lower concavities configured to be aligned with the plurality of upper concavities, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing comprise an insulating porous structure.
  2. 2 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper concavities and the lower concavities has a radius of curvature between 16.05 mm and 16.25 mm.
  3. 3 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper concavities and the lower concavities has a radius of curvature that corresponds to a curvature of a vial.
  4. 4 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the semi-cylindrical upper cavity and the semi-cylindrical lower cavity collectively define a combined cylindrical cavity for receiving a cylindrical data collector.
  5. 5 . The shuttle of claim 1 , further comprising silicone surrounding the cylindrical cavity.
  6. 6 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the upper housing defines a lateral channel.
  7. 7 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the lower housing defines a lateral channel.
  8. 8 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the upper housing and the lower housing collectively define a lateral channel.
  9. 9 . The shuttle of claim 8 , further comprising a perpendicular channel in communication with the lateral channel, the perpendicular channel extending through the upper housing.
  10. 10 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the upper housing defines an inner chamfer, and the lower housing defines an inner rib couplable to the inner chamfer.
  11. 11 . The shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the insulating porous structure defines a number of regularly-arranged interior cells.
  12. 12 . The shuttle of claim 11 , wherein the interior cells are honeycomb-shaped.
  13. 13 . The shuttle of claim 11 , wherein the lower housing and the upper housing comprise polylactic acid.
  14. 14 . The shuttle of claim 1 , further comprising a groove disposed on at least the top surface of the upper housing and the bottom surface of the lower housing.
  15. 15 . A system comprising: a shuttle including an upper housing having a top surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical upper cavity, the upper housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of upper concavities, and a lower housing releasably couplable to the upper housing and having a bottom surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical lower cavity, the lower housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of lower concavities configured to be aligned with the plurality of upper concavities the lower housing and the upper housing comprising an insulating porous structure; and a data collector disposed within the shuttle, the data collector having a main unit and a sensor wire.
  16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the insulating porous structure defines a number of regularly-arranged interior cells.
  17. 17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the semi-cylindrical upper cavity and the semi-cylindrical lower cavity collectively define a combined cylindrical cavity for receiving the data collector.
  18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising silicone surrounding the cylindrical cavity.
  19. 19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the upper housing and the lower housing collectively define a lateral channel, and a perpendicular channel in communication with the lateral channel, the perpendicular channel extending through the upper housing.
  20. 20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the sensor wire extends through the perpendicular channel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/715,205, filed November 1, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates generally to data loggers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to containers, known as shuttles, for protecting data loggers during a manufacturing process. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Liquid nitrogen blast freezing is a process used to rapidly freeze products, such as pharmaceuticals, food items, or other goods by exposing them to extremely low temperatures. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of -196°C (-321°F), making it highly effective for quick freezing. In a typical liquid nitrogen blast freezing, a product is first prepared and placed on a conveyor belt, often in several trays. The product is then exposed to liquid nitrogen via a spraying process, an immersion, a liquid nitrogen vapor bath or other technique. The extreme cold causes the water in the product to freeze almost instantly, forming very small ice crystals. This rapid freezing helps preserve the inherent characteristics of the product. Once frozen, the products are usually transferred to cold storage at a temperature that maintains their frozen state. Blast freezing is much faster than traditional freezing methods, and can help maintain the quality of the product by preventing large ice crystals, which can damage cell structures. Specifically, blast freezing effectively preserves the cellular structures of samples at optimum levels by minimizing the formation of ice crystals that can negatively impact the viability of cell membranes. The extremely low temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria and other pathogens. Blast freezing may also be used as part of a lyophilization process in pharmaceutical products. In the lyophilization process, a drug product may be frozen using blast freezing or the like, and may be followed by establishing a vacuum and drying the drug product under vacuum at a low temperature, which results in a freeze-dried cake that can be reconstituted using sterile diluents. By way of example, a biologic or drug product may be dissolved in an appropriate solvent, typically water for injectable material. The bulk solution may be sterilized, for example, through a 0.22-micron bacteria-retentive filter, and the solution may then be placed in individual sterile containers, typically glass vials, which are then partially stoppered under aseptic conditions. These partially stoppered vials are transported to the lyophilizer and loaded under aseptic conditions. The solution is then frozen within the freeze-drying chamber and vacuum is applied to the chamber. Using heat, the water is sublimed from the frozen state. The vials are then completely stoppered, typically using a hydraulic or screw rod stoppering mechanism. It would be beneficial to accurately measure, log and record product temperature data as it undergoes a blast freezing and/or a lyophilization process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In some examples, a shuttle includes an upper housing having a top surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical upper cavity, the upper housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of upper concavities, and a lower housing having a bottom surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical lower cavity, the lower housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of lower concavities, wherein the upper concavities and the lower concavities are aligned with one another, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing comprise an insulating porous structure. In some examples, a system includes a shuttle having an upper housing having a top surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical upper cavity, the upper housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of upper concavities, and a lower housing having a bottom surface, a thickness and a semi-cylindrical lower cavity, the lower housing having a perimeter that includes a plurality of lower concavities, the lower housing and the upper housing comprise an insulating porous structure, wherein the upper concavities and the lower concavities are aligned with one another, and a data collector disposed within the shuttle, the data collector having a main unit and a sensor wire. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various embodiments of the presently disclosed shuttles are disclosed herein with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a data collector. FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate a system including a vial, a data collector and a shuttle according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 2D-2E are schematic cross-sectional illustrations showing possible examples of the interior of the porous structure for the upper and lower housings. FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate shuttles being disposed in a tray of vials, according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 4A-4F illustrate a shuttle v