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An apparatus and method for dehydrating biological materials, such as vaccines and microorganism cultures, in which the materials are dehydrated in an evacuated container which is in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere. The apparatus comprises means for freezing the container of bio

An apparatus and method for dehydrating biological materials, such as vaccines and microorganism cultures, in which the materials are dehydrated in an evacuated container which is in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere. The apparatus comprises means for freezing the container of biological material, a microwave generator, a waveguide, means for introducing the container into the waveguide, means for applying a vacuum to the container and means for removing the dehydrated material from the waveguide. In the method of the invention, the container of biological material is put in a microwave waveguide open to the atmosphere, a vacuum is applied to the container, the material is frozen and is radiated to dehydrate it. The dehydrated material is then removed from the waveguide.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d)

1. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) further comprising means for sealing the container of dehydrated material. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microwave sink at an end of the waveguide remote from the generator. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a condenser. 4. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) further comprising means for removing a cap from the container. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for removing a cap comprises a capholder operatively connected to a piston, the capholder being movable by the piston from a lower position to remove or replace the cap on the container and an upper position to hold the cap off the container. 6. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) wherein the means for introducing the container into the waveguide comprises a container-lifting mechanism having a piston for lifting the container through a port in a lower side of the waveguide. 7. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) wherein the means for removing the material from the waveguide comprises a container-lowering mechanism having a piston for lowering the container through a port in a lower side of the waveguide. 8. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the dehydrated material from the waveguide;(f) wherein the means for applying a vacuum to the container comprises a container pickup head operatively connected to a vacuum source. 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pickup head comprises a sleeve adapted to form a vacuum seal with the container. 10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the container pickup head comprises a base portion and an upper portion rotatable on the base portion, the upper portion having at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. 11. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) a microwave-transparent container in the waveguide for holding the material;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) further comprising means for effecting relative motion between the material in the container and a microwave field produced by the generator. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for effecting relative motion comprises means for moving the material in the container. 13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for effecting relative motion comprises means for moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end of the waveguide. 14. A method for dehydrating biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microwave-transparent container holding the biological material to be dehydrated;(b) putting the container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(c) applying a vacuum to the container;(d) freezing the material;(e) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation;(f) removing the material from the waveguide; and(g) the step of effecting relative movement between the material in the waveguide and the microwave field. 15. A method for dehydrating a biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microwave-transparent container holding the biological material to be dehydrated;(b) putting the container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(c) applying a vacuum to the container;(d) freezing the material;(e) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation;(f) removing the material from the waveguide;(g) moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end thereof; and(h) the step of sealing the container of dehydrated material. 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the sealing is done before removing the container from the waveguide. 17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of sealing the container comprises placing a cap onto the container. 18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the biological material is a protein. 19. A method for dehydrating a biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microwave-transparent container holding the biological material to be dehydrated;(b) putting the container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(c) applying a vacuum to the container;(d) freezing the material;(e) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation;(f) removing the material from the waveguide;(g) moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end thereof; and(h) wherein the container of material to be dehydrated is capped, and the method includes the step of removing the cap therefrom. 20. A method for dehydrating a biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microwave-transparent container holding the biological material to be dehydrated;(b) putting the container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(c) applying a vacuum to the container;(d) freezing the material;(e) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation;(f) removing the material from the waveguide;(g) moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end thereof; and(h) wherein the freezing is done before putting the container in the waveguide. 21. A method for dehydrating a biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microwave-transparent container holding the biological material to be dehydrated;(b) putting the container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(c) applying a vacuum to the container;(d) freezing the material;(e) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation;(f) removing the material from the waveguide;(g) moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end thereof; and(h) wherein the freezing is done in the waveguide by the applying of the vacuum to the container. 22. A method for dehydrating a biological material, comprising the steps of: (a) providing the material to be dehydrated in a microwave-transparent container in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere;(b) applying a vacuum to the container;(c) freezing the material;(d) applying microwave radiation to dehydrate the material in the container by sublimation; and(e) removing the dehydrated material from the waveguide further comprising the step of effecting relative movement between the material in the waveguide and the microwave field. 23. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) further comprising means for effecting relative motion between the container in the waveguide and a microwave field produced by the generator. 24. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, comprising: (a) a microwave generator;(b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator, the waveguide being open to the atmosphere;(c) means for introducing a microwave-transparent container of the material into the waveguide;(d) means for applying a vacuum to the container sufficient to cause or maintain freezing of the material;(e) means for removing the material from the waveguide; and(f) means for effecting relative motion between the container in the waveguide and a microwave field produced by the generator;(g) wherein the means for effecting relative motion comprises means for moving the container through the waveguide from an input end to a discharge end of the waveguide; and(h) wherein the means for moving the container through the waveguide comprises a moveable support platform for a container pickup head, the support platform being connected to a drivebelt arranged generally parallel to the waveguide.