United States Patent [191
`Knmada et :11.
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`4,928,502
`May 29, 1990
`
`[73] Assignee:
`
`[54] EQUIPMENT FOR STORING BLOOD
`[75] Inventors: Susumu Kumada; Mikio Mori; Ryoji
`Nagatani; Tadami Ano, all of
`Nagasaki, Japan
`Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha,
`Tokyo, Japan
`[21] Appl. No.: 386,116
`[22] Filed:
`Jul. 28, 1989
`[30]
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Aug. 26, 1988 [JP]
`Japan .............................. .. 63-213210
`
`[51] Int. Cl.5 ............................................ .. F25D 11/00
`[52] US. Cl. ......................................... .. 62/440; 62/6;
`62/78; 62/457.9
`[58] Field of Search .................... .. 62/60, 78, 6, 457.9,
`62/ 440
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`..
`3,163,994 l/1965 Haumann et al.
`4,827,736 5/1989 Miura et al. ............................ .. 62/6
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`54-41838 12/1979 Japan .
`57-54692 11/1982 Japan .
`
`62-33503 7/1987 Japan .
`Primary Examiner—-Ronald C. Capossela
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-—Burns, Doane, Swecker &
`Mathis
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`The equipment of the present invention has a plurality
`of storing cases in which the blood is stored and which
`is refrigerated by respectively provided Stirling refrig
`erator, in a keeping-cool room kept at a low tempera
`ture. According to the present invention, it is possible to
`obtain a very low temperature condition less than the
`recrystallization temperature of the ice in each of the
`storing cases, refrigerating each storing case wherein
`the blood is stored by each Stirling refrigerator with
`high performance coefficient in a very low temperature.
`A very low temperature condition is realized at a low
`cost and a high recovery is obtained, which results in
`that a great deal of blood is stored stably. Furthermore,
`taking blood in and out is carried out automatically and
`without the necessity of the operator’s entering the
`keeping-cool room, by providing means for putting the
`blood in each storing case and taking it out from each
`storing case and performing the remote control of this
`means.
`
`11 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
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`56565656
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`5656565656 la
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`US. Patent May 29,1990
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`Sheet 1 of7
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`4,928,502
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`Fig.1
`Prior Art
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`28
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`US. Patent May 29, 1990
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`Sheet 2 0f 7
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`4,928,502 ’
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`14
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`US. Patent May 29, 1990
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`Sheet 3 of 7
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`US. Patent May 29, 1990
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`US. Patent May 29, 1990
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`Sheet 5 of 7
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`Fig.5
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`U.S.v Patent May 29, 1990
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`Sheet 6 of 7
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`US. Patent May 29, 1990
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`Sheet 7 of 7
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`1
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`4,928,502
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`EQUIPMENT FOR‘ STORING BLOOD
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to an equipment for
`storing blood, sorting out various kinds of and a great
`deal of blood.
`2. Description of Related Art
`In order to store blood stably over a long period, it is
`necessarry to freeze blood at a very low temperature
`less than — 135° C., that is, the recrystallization temper
`ature of ice. As a device for storing a great deal of blood
`in such purpose for transfusion or the like, a Dewar
`bottle has conventionally been used, as shown in FIG.
`1.
`
`10
`
`20
`
`2
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention has been made in order to
`solve the above-mentioned problems. The equipment
`for storing blood according to the present invention is
`such that a plurality of storing cases for storing blood
`are provided in a keeping-cool room which is kept at a
`low temperature, and that each storing case is refriger
`ated by a correspondingly-provided Stirling refrigera
`tor.
`An object of the present invention is to provide an
`equipment for storing blood wherein a very low tem
`perature condition can be obtained at a low price.
`Other object of the present invention is to provide an
`equipment for storing blood wherein the recovery rate
`of the stored blood is high.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide
`an equipment for storing blood wherein it is possible to
`store a great deal of blood stably.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide
`an equipment for storing blood which can save trouble
`someness in the management of the equipment.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide
`an equipment for storing blood capable of automatically
`performing taking blood in and out by providing a ma
`nipulating means which carries out putting blood in the
`storing case and taking out blood from the storing case.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide
`an equipment for storing blood capable of performing
`taking blood in and out without the necessity of the
`operator’s entering the keeping-cool room by providing -
`an operating means which carries out remote controls
`of the above-mentioned manipulating means in addition
`to that manipulating means.
`Yet another object of the present invention is to pro
`vide an equipment for storing blood capable of check
`ing the increase in temperature in the keeping-cool
`room and the storing cases accompanying operations
`for storing blood by providing a means for refrigerating
`blood to some extent blood is put in the storing case.
`The above and further objects and features of the
`invention will more fully be apparent from the follow
`ing detailed description with accompanying drawings.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a Dewar bottle which is
`a conventional blood storing device;
`FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an entire structure of
`an equipment for storing blood according to the present
`invention;
`FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the entire struc
`ture of the equipment for storing blood according to the
`present invention; and
`FIGS. 4-7 are sectional views for giving explanations
`of the operations of the Stirling refrigerator.
`
`In FIG. 1, numeral 21 is an inner globe which is in a
`globular shape having an opening on a side and holds
`lique?ed nitrogen 20 within. The inner globe 21 is sup
`ported in an outer globe 22 which is a little larger than
`it and of substantially a similar ?gure with it, by a plu
`rality of supporting members 23 provided between both
`globes substantially concentrically therewith. A space
`24- formed between the inner globe 21 and the outer
`globe 22 is kept at a high vacuum by the action of a low
`temperature absorbent 25 held in a space which is
`formed at the bottom of the inner space 21 and commu
`nicates with the space 24. The inner globe 21 and the
`outer globe 22 are supported in a housing 26 by a sup
`port spring 27 provided between the housing 26 and the
`outer globe 22 with an opening portion upside. The
`opening portion is hermetically sealed by a lid 28. The
`stored blood is packed separately and held in a retainer
`35
`29 provided with a handle 29a, and inserted in the inner
`globe 21 together with the retainer 29 where the blood
`is stored being immersed in lique?ed nitrogen 20 of
`— 196° C. that is by far less than the recrystallization
`temperature of the ice.
`In the Dewar bottle, the evaporation of the lique?ed
`nitrogen 20 held in the inner globe 21 is prevented by
`maintaining the space 24 at a highly vacuum condition
`and restraining the heat transmission through this space.
`It, however, is dif?cult to fully prevent the evaporation,
`and it is necessary to replenish lique?ed nitrogen by the
`degree of decrease, usually watching the residual quan
`tity of the liqui?ed nitrogen 20. The Dewar bottle has
`such disadvantages that not only this replenishing work
`is troublesome but also that equipments such as a tank
`for holding a great deal of lique?ed nitrogen to be used
`for replenishing are required.
`As a device for storing microbes, cells and the like in
`laboratories in the area of biotechnology, a very low
`temperaure freezer has been put to practical use
`wherein multiple freezing cycle is made use of, and this
`device can be used as a blood storing device. In this
`very low temperature freezer, vapor compression re
`frigerating machines having different refrigerants are
`used in multistage combination. Therefore, it has such
`disadvantages that the cost of equipment is high, the
`performance coef?cient is low at a very low tempera
`ture and the running cost is high. In addition, because of
`the limit in the lowness in temperatures to be obtained
`the recovery rate of blood is low, in contrast with the
`Dewar bottle. Therefore, such a freezer is not suitable
`for a device for storing a great deal of blood.
`
`40
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`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`The present invention will be described hereinafter in
`detail with reference to the drawings showing embodi
`ments thereof. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are a plan view and a
`perspective view respectively, showing the entire struc
`ture of an equipment for storing blood according to the
`present invention.
`In the ?gures, numeral 1 denotes a keeping-cool room
`surrounded by an insulating wall 10. The air in the
`keeping-cool room 1 is forced to circulate within a
`refrigerator 2 provided outside thereof, and the keep
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`4,928,502
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`ing‘cool room 1 is kept at a low temperature condition
`by the operations of the refrigerator 2 and the insulation
`effect of the insulating wall 1a. As the temperature in
`the keeping-cool room 1, such a low temperature as
`obtainable under a high performance coefficient by a
`vapor compression refrigerating machine wherein a
`refrigerant for the room temperature is used will do,
`while a general vapor compression refrigerating ma
`chine can be used as the refrigerator 2. The refrigerator
`2 is connected to a heat exchanger 3 and a cooling
`tower 4 installed in the open, and refrigerates the inte
`rior of the keeping-cool room 1, carrying out the well
`known operations, that is, absorbing the retention heat
`of the circulating air from the keeping-cool room 1
`upon the evaporation of the refrigerant, radiating this
`heat into the cooling water upon the condensation of
`the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 3, further radiating
`it in the open air in the cooling tower 4.
`In the keeping-cool room 1 as constructed in this
`way, a plurality of storing cases 5 are provide in order
`to put stored blood within, for example, in a row length
`wise on both sides Widthwise thereof. Each storing case
`5 has a plurality of slide-out shelves 5a being multistage
`drawers vertically. Correspondingly to the address
`assigned to each slide-out shelf 50, for example, the
`blood sorted out, for example, according to a blood
`type, a collected date, a donor’s name and the like, is put
`in the slide-out shelf 5a. Each storing case 5 is con
`nected to each of Stirling refrigerators 6 installed out
`side of the keeping-cool room 1, by means of respective
`circulating pipes 6a, 6b, and refrigerated to a very low
`temperature by the operations of the Stirling refrigera
`tor 6 as will be described later.
`Widthwise at the central portion of the keeping-cool
`room 1, a guide rail 7 is laid lengthwise substantially
`over the full length thereof, and a manipulator 8 is pro
`vided which moves along this rail 7. The manipulaor 8
`has a carrier arm 8a capable of moving vertically within
`the range of the height of the storing case 5 and width
`wise within a prescribed range. The manipulator 8
`carries out taking out the stored blood which is put in a
`prescribed slide-out shelf 5a of a prescribed storing case
`5 and bringing it out outside of the keeping-cool room 1
`as well as bringing blood in the keeping-cool room 1
`and putting it in a prescribed slide-out shelf 5a of a
`prescribed storing case 5, by the manipulator’s travel
`along the guide rail 7 and the travel of the carrier arm
`8a. Bringing-out blood outside of the keeping-cool
`room 1 and bringing-in blood inside of the keeping-cool
`room 1 are carried out through a bringing-in-and-out
`port 9 which is opened piercingly through the insulat
`ing wall 10 and faced an end portion of the guide rail 7
`and a stage 15 attached to the insulating wall 10. This
`port 9 is provided with a lid plate (not shown). This lid
`plate opens only when blood is brought out and brought
`in, and the port 9 is normally closed sealingly.
`Outside the keeping-cool room 1, provided are an
`operational board 10 near the port 9 for operating the
`manipulator 8, a control unit 11 for not only carrying
`out drivingcontrol of the refrigerator 2 so as to keep the
`interior of the keeping-cool room 1 at a prescribed tem
`perature but also carrying out driving-control of the
`Stirling refrigerators 6 so as to keep the interiors of the
`storing cases 5 at a prescribed temperature, a filing
`computer 12 for registering and ?ling the informations
`on the blood stored in each slide-out shelf 5a of a storing
`case 5. Numeral 13 is a program freezer to cool blood
`brought in the keeping-cool room 1 to a prescribed
`
`4
`temperature and it is installed near the port 9 in the
`keeping-cool room 1. Numeral 14 is a private generator
`of electricity for the power compensation in a power
`failure and it is installed outside of the keepingcool
`room 1.
`Each Stirling refrigerator 6 has a well-known ar
`rangement wherein a very low temperature is realized,
`causing a refrigerant gas with a very low boiling point
`such as helium to suffer from a state-change, for exam
`ple, and radiating outside in the isothermal compression
`process the absorbed heat in the isothermal expansion
`process, according to the reverse cycles of Stirling
`repeating the process of the isothermal compression, the
`isovolumetric cooling, the isothermal expansion and the
`isovolumetric heating in this sequence. Now the struc
`ture and the operation of each Stirling refrigerator 6
`will be described brie?y.
`FIGS. 4-7 are sectional views showing schematically
`the principal parts of a Stirling refrigerator 6 for an
`explanation of the operation. The Stirling refrigerator 6
`is constructed as such that an expansion piston 62 and a
`compression piston 63 are slidably ?tted in a cylinder 61
`which is capable of communicating longitudinally by a
`commnication path 60. Both pistons 62 and 63 are
`driven through a transmission mechanism (not shown)
`such as a crank mechanism to reciprocate vertically
`with the same cycle as will be mentioned later. Halfway
`in the communication path 60, provided are a cooler 64
`which carries out a heat exchange between the cooling
`water, a heat acumulator 65 positioned above the cooler
`64, and further a heat exchanger 66 having a plurality of
`?ns and carrying out a heat exchange between the ob
`ject to be cooled at the outside of the top of the cylinder
`61.
`As shown in FIG. 4, the compression piston 63 moves
`upward as shown by a white arrow in the figure, at a
`state where the expansion piston 62 stands still at the top
`dead center thereof, and the refrigerant gas is com
`pressed at a compression space 67 formed between the
`lower surface of the expansion piston 62 and the upper
`surface of the compression piston 63. This compression
`is carried out under a substantially isothermal state due
`to the radiation of the heat to the coolers 64. This pro
`cess is the isothermal compression process.
`When the compression piston 63 reaches a prescribed
`position to stand still, the expansion piston 62 starts
`moving downward, as shown by a white arrow in FIG.
`5. As a result, the volume of a expansion space 68 (see
`FIG. 6) formed above the expansion piston 62 increases,
`while that of the compression space 67 decreases. Con
`sequently, the refrigerant gas in the compression space
`67 is introduced into the expansion space 68 through the
`communication path 60 with its volume kept fixedly. At
`this time, the refrigerant gas is deprived of its retention
`heat by the heat accumulator 65 to be at a low tempera
`ture, while the heat accumulator 65 accumulates this
`heat. This process is the isovolumetric cooling process.
`After the expansion piston 62 moves downward to a
`prescribed position, the compression piston 63 also
`starts moving downward, as shown by white arrows in
`FIG. 6. As a result, the volume in the expansion space
`68 increases, and the refrigerant gas in the expansion
`space 68 expands. This expansion is carried out under an
`isothermal state where the retention heat of the object
`to be cooled which contacts the heat exchanger 66 is
`absorbed through the heat exchanger 66. This process is
`the isothermal cooling process. In the equipment for
`storing blood according to the present invention, a
`
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`4,928,502
`5
`6
`storing case 5 and a Stirling refrigerator are connected
`In the equipment for storing blood according to the
`to each other by means of circulating pipes 6a and 6b,
`present invention, each storing case 5 wherein blood is
`and the air in the storing case 5 is caused to circulate in
`put is refrigerated by each Stirling refrigerator 6 with
`contact to the heat exchanger 66, which results in that
`an excellent performance coef?cient in a low tempera
`the retention heat of the air is absorbed in the refriger
`ture. Consequently, it is possible to realize a very low
`ant gas in the expansion space 68.
`.
`temperature less than - 135° C. that is the recrystalliza
`After both pistons 62 and 63 ?nish moving down
`tion temperature of the ice at a low cost. Moreover, as
`ward, the expansion piston 62 alone moves upward until
`these storing cases 5 are provided in the keeping-cool
`it reaches the top dead center, as shown by a white
`room I kept at a low temperature, the load in the Stir
`arrow in FIG. 7. As a result, the volume of the expan
`ling refrigerator 6 is small. In addition, in bringing in or
`sion space 68 decreases, while that of the compression
`out blood as mentioned above, a prescribed slide-out
`space 67 increases. Consequently, the refrigerant gas in
`shelf 50 alone is drawn out, so that the increase in tem
`the expansion space 68 is introduced into the compres
`perature generated in the storing case 5 is small, and the
`sion spacer 67 through the communication path 60 with
`resulting increase in the load in the Stirling refrigerator
`its volume kept ?xedly. At this time, the refrigerant gas
`6 is small.
`is heated due to the acumulated heat in the heat accu
`In this embodiment of the present invention, taking
`mulator 65. This process is the isovolumetric heating
`out stored blood from the storing case 5 and putting
`process.
`blood on the storing case 5 are automatically carried out
`The Stirling refrigerator 6 repeats the operation of
`by the operation of the manipulator 8. There, however,
`absorbing the retention heat of the air which contacts
`20
`is another alternative that one operator putting on a
`the heat exchanger 66, that is, the air in the storing case
`heavy winter cloth enters the keeping-cool room 1 and
`5 in the refrigerant gas inthe isothermal expansion‘pro
`he himself carries out taking-out and putting-in opera
`cess, and radiating this absorbed heat in the cooling
`tion.
`water introduced into the cooler 64 in the isothermal
`Also in this embodiment, a program freezer 13 is
`compression process. Consequently, the interior of the
`provided in the keeping-cool room 1 for cooling
`storing case 5 is sequentially refrigerated until it reaches
`brought-in blood. But a Dewar bottle can be used in
`a very low temperature.
`stead. This Dewar bottle is used only for cooling
`When blood is brought in the equipment for storing
`brought-in blood and it is provided in the keeping-cool
`the blood having such a structure as mentioned above,
`room I kept at a low temperature, so that the consump
`a blood type, a collected date and a donor’s name are
`tion of the lique?ed nitrogen in the Dewar bottle is very
`?rst registered on the ?ling computer 12. Then the
`small.
`blood put in a prescribed vessel is placed on the stage
`In FIGS. 4-7, an integrally formed type of Stirling
`15, and the operational board 10 is operated. Following
`refrigerator 6 is shown which has an expansion space 68
`this, the manipulator 8 travels and its carrier arm 8a is
`and a compression space 67 at the upper portion and the
`projected from the port 9. The vessel is grasped by the
`lower portion respectively of one cylinder 61. It, how
`carrier arm 8a and brought in the keeping-cool room 1.
`ever, it needless to say that a separate type can also be
`The blood brought in the keeping-cool room 1 is ?rst
`used which has an expansion cylinder for an expansion
`introduced into the program freezer 13 by the operation
`piston 62 and a compression cylinder for a compression
`of the carrier arm 80 and cooled in the program freezer
`piston 63, as Stirling refrigerator 6.
`13 until it reaches the prescribed temperature. The
`40
`As this invention may be embodied in several forms
`cooled blood is taken out by the operation of the carrier
`without departing from the spirit of essential character
`arm 80, carried to the front portion of a prescribed
`istics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illus
`storing case 5 by the travel of the body of the manipula
`trative and not restrictive, since the scope of the inven
`tor 8, then it is raised to a position of the height of a
`tion is de?ned by the appended claims rather than by
`prescribed slide-out shelf 5a of the storing case 5. Then
`45
`the description preceding them, and all changes that fall
`the carrier arm 8a draws out the slide-out shelf 5a to put
`within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equiva
`the blood in at a prescribed position in the slide-out shelf
`lence of such meets and bounds thereof are therefore
`50, and further, carries out closing the slide-out shelf 5a
`intended to be embraced by the claims.
`to end the bringing-in operation of the blood. The posi
`What is claimed is:
`tion where the blood is put is registered on the ?ling
`1. An equipment for storing blood, comprising:
`computer 12 correspondingly to the information on the
`blood that has already been registered.
`a keeping-cool room kept at a low temperature,
`a plurality of storing cases for storing blood provided
`When stored blood which is put in a slide-out shelf 50
`in said keeping-cool room, and
`of a storing case 5 is brought out, the desired type of
`Stirling refrigerators each of which is connected to
`blood or the like is ?rst inputted in the filing computer
`12. Then the operational board 10 is operated. The ?ling
`each of said storing cases and refrigerates the inte
`computer 12 retrieves the position where the blood
`rior of each of them to a very low temperature.
`corresponding to the inputted content is put and sends a
`2. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`1, wherein said keeping-cool room is refrigerated by a
`command to travel to the manipulator 8. In accordance
`vapor compression refrigerating machine.
`with this command, the manipulator 8 travels to the
`front portion of the storing case 5 corresponding to the
`3. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`position where ‘the blood is put, then draws out the
`1, further comprising a manipulating means for putting
`slide-out shelf 5a by the operation of the carrier arm 80,
`the blood in said storing cases and taking out the blood
`takes out the vessel where the desired blood is put from
`from said storing cases.
`the slide-out shelf 5a, further closes the slide-out shelf
`4. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`5a, then travels toward the port 9, then places this ves
`3, further comprising an operating means being pro
`sel on the stage 15 outside the keeping cool room 1,
`vided outside of said keeping-cool room, for operating
`?nally returns to a prescribed waiting position.
`said manipulating means.
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`7
`5. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`1, wherein blood is put in a vessel and said vessel is
`stored in said storing cases.
`6. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`5, further comprising a manipulating means having an
`arm portion for grasping said vessel, for manipulating
`the taking in and out of said vessel.
`7. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`1, further copmrising a filing means for ?ling the infor
`mations on the blood stored in said storing cases.
`
`8
`8. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim ‘
`7, wherein the informations on the stored blood include
`a blood type, a collected date and a donor’s name.
`9. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in claim
`1, wherein said Stirling refrigerators refrigerate said
`storing cases in accordance with a change of the state of
`a helium gas.
`10. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in
`claim 1, further comprising a cooling means for cooling
`the blood before storing the blood in said storing cases.
`11. An equipment for storing blood as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein said very low temperature is — 135° C.
`or less.
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