The present invention relates to a temperature treatment apparatus (1) for solidifying portions of fluid. The apparatus comprises an endless product conveyor belt (7) comprising a plurality of moulds (8) made of elastic material, each of the plurality of moulds having an open end and each of the plurality of moulds being arranged to convey a portion of fluid during solidifying of the same, a first impingement temperature treatment device (4) arranged in a first temperature treatment zone (A), a second impingement temperature treatment device (5) arranged in a second temperature treatment zone (B), wherein the first temperature treatment zone is arranged upstream the second temperature treatment zone with regard to a direction of movement of the portions of fluid during use of the apparatus, wherein the first temperature treatment zone is arranged to solidify a crust on the portions of fluid at least on a surface of the fluid closest to the open end of the moulds when the moulds comprising portions of fluid are conveyed through the first temperature treatment zone, and wherein the second temperature treatment zone is arranged to further solidify each portion of foodstuffs such that at least partly solidified portions are formed when the moulds comprising portions of fluid are conveyed through the second temperature treatment zone.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a method and scalable devices for hyperfast cooling and re-warming of samples. More specifically, it relates to cryogenic preservation of biological samples via vitrification. It includes: a liquid sample placed at ambient temperature in a flat thermo conductive container that in some embodiments additionally contains a detachable disposable or sterilizable thermo conductive spiral; transferring the sample to a cooling chamber using a linear percussion stepping motor drive; hyperfast cooling of the sample using streams of pressurized liquid coolant; transferring the sample to a detachable shipping/storage chamber filled with liquid coolant, from which the sample can be transferred to another vessel that contains liquid cryogenic coolant and moved back to the shipping/storage chamber. This chamber can be then attached to a re-warming chamber, in which the sample is heated to a biologically tolerant temperature above 0 degrees Celsius in a hyperfast manner.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a method and scalable devices for hyperfast cooling and re-warming of samples. More specifically, it relates to cryogenic preservation of biological samples via vitrification. It includes: a liquid sample placed at ambient temperature in a flat thermo conductive container that in some embodiments additionally contains a detachable disposable or sterilizable thermo conductive spiral; transferring the sample to a cooling chamber using a linear percussion stepping motor drive; hyperfast cooling of the sample using streams of pressurized liquid coolant; transferring the sample to a detachable shipping/storage chamber filled with liquid coolant, from which the sample can be transferred to another vessel that contains liquid cryogenic coolant and moved back to the shipping/storage chamber. This chamber can be then attached to a re-warming chamber, in which the sample is heated to a biologically tolerant temperature above 0 degrees Celsius in a hyperfast manner.

An apparatus and method for reducing the temperature of a product include a housing having a chamber therein, and an inlet and an outlet in communication with the chamber; a plurality of zones in the chamber between the inlet and the outlet and arranged in descending order of heat transfer rate atmospheres for the product from the inlet to the outlet; a conveyor assembly for transferring the product from the inlet through the plurality of zones to the outlet; and a controller in communication with the chamber, the plurality of zones, the heat transfer apparatus, the conveyor assembly and the heat transfer rate atmospheres, the controller having stored therein physical characteristics and a heat transfer profile of the product to adjust and control the heat transfer rate atmospheres for the product such that a heat transfer rate of the product will decrease as the product is transferred from the inlet through each one of the plurality of zones to the outlet.

An apparatus and method for reducing the temperature of a product include a housing having a chamber therein, and an inlet and an outlet in communication with the chamber; a plurality of zones in the chamber between the inlet and the outlet and arranged in descending order of heat transfer rate atmospheres for the product from the inlet to the outlet; a conveyor assembly for transferring the product from the inlet through the plurality of zones to the outlet; and a controller in communication with the chamber, the plurality of zones, the heat transfer apparatus, the conveyor assembly and the heat transfer rate atmospheres, the controller having stored therein physical characteristics and a heat transfer profile of the product to adjust and control the heat transfer rate atmospheres for the product such that a heat transfer rate of the product will decrease as the product is transferred from the inlet through each one of the plurality of zones to the outlet.

A tunnel 2 for the in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked poultry carcasses (or other animal carcasses) with a liquid cryogen or a cold gas at a temperature of less than 0 C. has an entrance 18 and an exit 20 for the poultry carcasses. A monorail conveyor 22 extends from the entrance 18 to the exit 20 and passes thorough the tunnel 2. Poultry suspension shackles 24 are able to pass along the conveyor 22. Thus, poultry carcasses are able to be conveyed through the tunnel 2. The conveyor 22 may follow a path which reverses direction at least once.

A tunnel 2 for the in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked poultry carcasses (or other animal carcasses) with a liquid cryogen or a cold gas at a temperature of less than 0 C. has an entrance 18 and an exit 20 for the poultry carcasses. A monorail conveyor 22 extends from the entrance 18 to the exit 20 and passes thorough the tunnel 2. Poultry suspension shackles 24 are able to pass along the conveyor 22. Thus, poultry carcasses are able to be conveyed through the tunnel 2. The conveyor 22 may follow a path which reverses direction at least once.

An apparatus for providing a liquid-gas entrained cryogen mixture onto a food product includes a first pipe through which is provided a flow of liquid cryogen; a second pipe through which is provided a flow of gaseous cryogen, the second pipe in fluid communication with the first pipe at a mixing region; and a pulsing valve disposed at an interior of the second pipe upstream of the mixing region, the pulsing valve adapted for releasing the gaseous cryogen into the liquid cryogen at select intervals of time to provide a pulsating flow of the liquid-gas entrained cryogen mixture downstream of the mixing region for contacting the food product. A related method is also provided.

A spiral conveyor cryogenic freezer for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels. A two-stage inline system for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels that includes the spiral conveyor cryogenic freezer and a spiral conveyor thermal tempering unit and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels. A redundant two-stage inline system for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels that includes a pair of units each capable of independently cryogenically freezing and thermal tempering of cold chain phase change material panels and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels.

A spiral conveyor cryogenic freezer for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels. A two-stage inline system for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels that includes the spiral conveyor cryogenic freezer and a spiral conveyor thermal tempering unit and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels. A redundant two-stage inline system for thermal conditioning of cold chain phase change material panels that includes a pair of units each capable of independently cryogenically freezing and thermal tempering of cold chain phase change material panels and associated method of expedited ready-for-use thermal conditioning of thermally-spent cold chain phase change material panels.