US 11,884,910 B2
Incubator with air curtain
Kyong-su Son, San Diego, CA (US); Royal Q. Le, San Diego, CA (US); and Barry E. Rothenberg, Del Mar, CA (US)
Assigned to Embrient, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Embrient, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/364,725.
Application 18/364,725 is a continuation of application No. 18/191,453, filed on Mar. 28, 2023.
Application 18/191,453 is a continuation of application No. 17/745,473, filed on May 16, 2022, granted, now 11,634,681, issued on Apr. 25, 2023.
Application 17/745,473 is a continuation of application No. 17/523,558, filed on Nov. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,365,385, issued on Jun. 21, 2022.
Application 17/523,558 is a continuation of application No. 17/357,131, filed on Jun. 24, 2021, granted, now 11,203,737, issued on Dec. 21, 2021.
Application 17/357,131 is a continuation of application No. 17/102,795, filed on Nov. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,072,773, issued on Jul. 27, 2021.
Application 17/102,795 is a continuation of application No. 17/011,249, filed on Sep. 3, 2020, granted, now 10,900,010, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/895,587, filed on Sep. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0374437 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 46/00 (2022.01); B01D 53/04 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01); B01D 53/047 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 41/34 (2013.01) [B01D 46/0028 (2013.01); B01D 46/0036 (2013.01); B01D 53/04 (2013.01); B01D 53/047 (2013.01); C12M 23/34 (2013.01); C12M 29/24 (2013.01); B01D 2253/102 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas supply system for a controlled atmosphere incubator, comprising:
an ambient air compressor fluidly coupled to a gas mixing unit via a first conduit;
a second conduit coupling the ambient air compressor to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit or a membrane filtration unit, wherein the PSA or membrane unit is configured to produce a nitrogen rich product;
wherein the second conduit further couples the PSA or membrane unit to the gas mixing unit;
a third conduit configured to allow coupling of the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator;
a control unit operationally coupled to the controlled atmosphere incubator; and
a first gas sensor located in the controlled atmosphere incubator and electronically coupled to the control unit,
wherein the control unit is configured to regulate flow and/or composition of a gas stream flowing from the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator in response to a signal from the first gas sensor, thereby maintaining a desired gas mix in the controlled atmosphere incubator.
 
13. A method of supplying gas to a controlled atmosphere incubator, comprising:
providing a gas supply system that comprises (a) an ambient air compressor fluidly coupled to a gas mixing unit via a first conduit, (b) a second conduit coupling the ambient air compressor to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit or a membrane filtration unit, wherein the PSA or membrane unit is configured to produce a nitrogen rich product, wherein the second conduit further couples the PSA or membrane unit to the gas mixing unit, and (c) a control unit configured to independently operate respective valves in the first and second conduits;
feeding a gas stream from the gas supply system to the controlled atmosphere incubator via a third conduit that fluidly connects the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator;
receiving, by the control unit, a signal from a first gas sensor located in the controlled atmosphere incubator; and
using the signal in the control unit to operate at least one of the valves in the gas supply system to thereby regulate flow and/or composition of the gas stream flowing from the gas mixing unit to the controlled atmosphere incubator.