Lightweight chamber having variable configurations and a method for making such
View Patent ↗An anabolic chamber constructed of a plastic with additives to create desirable characteristics such as resistance to corrosion and bacteria growth. The anabolic chamber has a double-wall structure with internal support ribs for creating a water jacket for facilitating maintaining temperature control within the chamber. Features such as handles, mounting blocks and surface detail are created integral to the anabolic chamber.
1. An anabolic chamber for culturing specimens comprising:
a body defining an interior and an opening for accessing the interior, said body having
walls; and
at least one portion of added thickness integrally formed with one of the walls for selectively providing at least one mount;
a door connected to the body to selectively seal the opening; and
a control module secured by the mounts and operatively connected to the interior for maintaining conditions within the interior.
2. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portion is a plurality of shelf supports for supporting a plurality of shelves within the interior.
3. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portion is a plurality of solid portions for securely engaging the shelves and instrumentation.
4. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , wherein the body is fabricated from resin.
5. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 4 , wherein the resin includes an additive.
6. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 5 , wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of a fungicide, a flame-retardant, an anti-static agent, an anti-microbial agent and an improved heat transfer component.
7. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a sensor operatively connected to the control module for determining a temperature of the interior and a heating element attached to the body and activated by the control module based upon the temperature of the interior.
8. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 7 , wherein the heating element is removably coupled to the anabolic chamber.
9. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , wherein the walls of the body are double-walled and define a space therebetween for receiving a fluid.
10. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 9 , further comprising support ribs disposed within the space between the walls to strengthen the body.
11. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 10 , wherein at least one of the ribs defines a throughbore continuously between the walls for providing access to the interior.
12. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 11 , wherein the throughbore is 1.5 inches in diameter.
13. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of shelves within the interior, each shelf defining a hollow in fluid communication with the space.
14. An anabolic chamber as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portion is a solid portion in a bottom of the body capable of being drilled out for creating a threaded drain hole.
15. An anabolic chamber having an interior for storing specimens and a control system for maintaining desired environmental conditions within the interior, comprising:
a box-shaped body portion including inner and outer walls, a fluid jacket space defined between at least three inner walls and the outer walls, the jacket space at least partially surrounding the interior of the anabolic chamber; and
at least one rib extending between the inner and outer walls and through the jacket space for increasing a structural integrity of at least one of the three inner and outer walls and for providing at least one location to allow drilling out a throughbore through the at least one rib, such that the throughbore extends continuously from the interior of the chamber to an exterior of the chamber.
16. A method for creating an anabolic chamber for storing in vitro fertilization embryos comprising the steps of:
forming a chamber having an inner wall, an outer wall and a plurality of support ribs between the inner and outer walls, the chamber defining an opening;
modifying at least one of the plurality of the support ribs to provide access to an interior of the chamber;
providing a door to selectively seal the opening; and
applying a heating element to the double-walled chamber for controlling a temperature of the interior of the chamber.
17. A method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising the step of filling an inner space between the outer and inner walls with treated water.
18. A method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the step of forming is by rotational molding.
19. A method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the chamber is fabricated from resin.
20. A method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the resin is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene and polycarbonite.
21. A method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the resin is treated with an additive.
22. An incubator defining an interior and comprising:
a jacket surrounding the interior of the incubator and defining a jacket space for receiving fluid therein such that the fluid is sealed from the interior; and
a shelf depending from the incubator into the interior and defining an inner sealed hollow in fluid communication with the jacket space.
23. An incubator as recited in claim 22 , wherein the shelf is integrally formed with the incubator.
24. A method for creating a chamber for cell culturing comprising the steps of:
forming a chamber having an inner wall, an outer wall and at least one support rib between the inner and outer walls, the chamber defining an opening;
modifying the at least one support rib to provide access to an interior of the chamber;
providing a door to selectively seal the opening; and
applying a heating element to the double-walled chamber for controlling a temperature of the interior of the chamber.