Device for controlling gas, vapor, pressure within a package
A device for controlling package pressure and gas flow for a packaged good comprises a film having a first opening for exposure to the inside of a package and a second opening for exposure to the outside of a package. A channel extends between the first opening and the second opening. The dimensions of the channel are configured to control the rate of flow of CO 2 (cc/min @ 1 PSI) from the inside of the package to the outside of the package and control the oxygen transmission rate (cc/day/Atm) from the outside of the package to the inside of the package so that a flow of CO 2 /OTR ratio is at an acceptable level for the packaged good.
1. A device for controlling package pressure and gas flow for a perishable packaged good comprises:
a film having a first opening for exposure to the inside of a package and a second opening for exposure to the outside of a package; and
a laser-ablated microchannel extending between the first opening and the second opening, wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are configured to control the rate of flow of CO 2 (cc/min @ 1 PSI) from the inside of the package to the outside of the package and control the oxygen transmission rate (cc/day/Atm) from the outside of the package to the inside of the package so that a flow of CO 2 /OTR ratio is between about 0.1 and about 100.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow of CO 2 /OTR ratio is between about 0.2 and about 50.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow of CO 2 /OTR ratio is between about 0.2 and about 16.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are further configured to control the rate of flow of CO 2 from about 0.001 cc/min to about 1000 cc/min at 1 PSI.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are further configured to control the rate of flow of CO 2 from about 0.010 cc/min to about 100 cc/min at 1 PSI.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are further configured to control the rate of flow of CO 2 from about 0.03 cc/min to about 35 cc/min at 1 PSI.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are configured using the cross-sectional area of the microchannel and the length of the microchannel.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the microchannel is between about 1,500 μm 2 to about 1 mm 2 .
9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the cross-section area of the microchannel is between about 1,500 μm 2 to about 100,000 μm 2 .
10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the length of the microchannel is between about 1 mm to about 100 cm.
11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the length of the microchannel is between about 3 mm to about 200 mm.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the film is a multilayer film.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the packaged good comprises coffee, and wherein the dimensions of the microchannel are further configured to maintain a percentage of headspace oxygen of less than or equal to about 5% over a period of 120 days from the day of packaging the coffee.
14. A method for controlling package pressure and gas flow for a perishable packaged good comprises:
identifying an acceptable CO 2 level and oxygen transmission rate requirements for the packaged good;
determining the appropriate cross-sectional area and length of a microchannel that can control the rate of flow of CO 2 from the inside of a package to the outside of a package and control the oxygen transmission rate from the outside of a package to the inside of a package such that both the acceptable CO 2 level and oxygen transmission rate requirements would be satisfied; and
laser-ablating a microchannel in a film structure based on the determined appropriate cross-sectional area and length.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining an appropriate number of microchannels having an appropriate cross-sectional area and length such that both the acceptable CO 2 level and oxygen transmission rate requirements would be satisfied.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising affixing the film structure onto a package to form a gas-tight communication between the microchannel and the package contents.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the microchannel in a film structure of a package.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the package comprises coffee, and further comprising maintaining a percentage of headspace oxygen of less than or equal to about 5% over a period of 120 days from the day of packaging the coffee.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the package comprises living produce, and further comprising maintaining a percentage of oxygen inside the package to prolong the shelf-life of the living produce.