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`CLAIMS
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`What is claimed is:
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`A cryovial storage system comprising:
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`a hexagonal box configured for receiVing cryovials; the box comprising:
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`an open top end;
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`a bottom end;
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`six intersecting sides positioned there between; and
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`a frame with a central axis parallel to the sides; the frame comprising:
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`a rod hole centered on the central axis and configured to receive a rod; and
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`an array of Vial holes configured to hold cryovials arrayed around the central
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`axis in one or more concentric rings; each concentric ring from innermost to outermost
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`comprising increasing numbers of holes starting at six; and increasing by six in each
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`concentric ring.
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`A cryovial storage system comprising:
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`a hexagonal box configured for receiVing cryovials; the box comprising:
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`an open top end;
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`a bottom end;
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`six intersecting sides positioned there between; and
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`a frame with a central axis parallel to the sides; the frame comprising:
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`a rod hole centered on the central axis and configured to receive a rod; and
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`an array of Vial holes configured to hold cryovials arrayed around the central
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`axis in one or more concentric rings; each concentric ring from innermost to outermost
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`comprising increasing numbers of holes wherein the frame comprises 11 concentric rings and
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`3*n*(n+l) holes.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the frame comprises a first ring of six
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`holes.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 3 wherein the frame comprises a second ring distal
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`from the central axis; the second ring comprising 12 holes.
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`-19-
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 4 wherein the frame comprises a third ring distal from
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`the central axis; the third ring comprising 18 holes.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 1 additionally comprising:
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`a canister with an open top end;
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`a bottom end;
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`a sidewall positioned there between; and
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`a central axis equidistant from the canister wall;
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`wherein the canister wall has a circular or hexagonal cross section;
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`wherein the canister is configured to contain the hexagonal box; the hexagonal box
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`configured to removably fit within the canister; such that the sides of the hexagonal box are
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`parallel to and in proximity to the sidewall of the canister.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 6 comprising a stacked multiplicity of hexagonal boxes.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 6 wherein the cross section of the canister is circular.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 6 wherein the cross section of the canister is hexagonal.
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`10.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 7 additionally comprising:
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`a canister insert; the insert comprising a base with a center;
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`wherein the insert is configured to fit within the canister parallel to the bottom of the
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`canister;
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`wherein the center of the base is affixed to the rod; and
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`wherein the rod extends perpendicularly upward from the base along the central axis
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`of the canister.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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`11.
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`12.
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`13.
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`14.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 10 wherein the hexagonal boxes are configured to be
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`stacked upon the base such that the rod passes through the rod holes of the hexagonal box.
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`_ 20 _
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 11 wherein the canister is hexagonal.
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`The cryovial storage system of claim 12 wherein the open top end of the canister is
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`castellated with six regularly spaced notches, each within a side of the canister, and each
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`notch is configured to receive an intersecting corner of the hexagonal box when the
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`hexagonal box is placed within the notches.
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`A method of accessing vials from the hexagonal box of claim 12 comprising:
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`a.
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`raising the rod vertically thereby lifting the stack of hexagonal boxes such that
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`the bottom of the topmost hexagonal box in the stack is above the open top end of the
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`canister;
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`b.
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`rotating the topmost hexagonal box around the rod such that each pair of
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`intersecting sides of the topmost box rests upon an edge of the canister;
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`c.
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`d.
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`lowering the rod back into the canister; and
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`removing cryovials from the topmost hexagonal box.
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`15.
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`The method of claim 13 comprising a castellated open top end of the canister; with six
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`regularly spaced notches; each within a side of the canister; and each notch adapted to
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`receive the comer of intersecting sides of the hexagonal box.
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`16.
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`A cryovial storage system comprising:
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`a hexagonal box; the hexagonal box comprising:
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`six sidewalls;
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`a base coupled to the sidewalls; and
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`a frame coupled to the base and sidewalls;
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`wherein the frame defines a plurality of vial holes configured for holding
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`cryovials; and wherein the frame further defines a central channel.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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`-21-
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`17.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 16, further comprising:
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`a canister, the canister comprising:
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`a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
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`a base coupled to the sidewall; and
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`an interior void defined by the sidewall inner surface and the base,
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`wherein the interior void is configured such that the hexagonal box can be
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`placed within the interior void.
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`18.
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`19.
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`20.
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`21.
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`22.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 17, wherein the base further comprises an
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`upwardly projecting rod extending vertically through the void, and wherein the central
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`channels of the frames of the hexagonal boxes are configured for slideably receiving the rod
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`when the hexagonal boxes are placed within the interior void.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 18, wherein the canister comprises a
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`hexagonal cross-sectional structure, and wherein the canister comprises six discrete
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`sidewalls.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 19, wherein the six sidewalls extend upward
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`to form a topmost edge, and wherein the six sidewalls include a plurality of castellations, one
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`per sidewall, among them projecting downward from the topmost edge of each sidewall.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 20, wherein each of the six sidewalls
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`includes a single one of the plurality of castellations.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 21, wherein each one of the plurality of
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`castellations is rectangular, centered in the sidewall of the canister and measuring 1/3 of the
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`width of one side of the hexagonal box with a vertical dimension equivalent to the height of
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`one hexagonal box or a portion of the height thereof.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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`_ 22 _
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`23.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 22, wherein the hexagonal box is a first
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`hexagonal box, the cryovial storage system further comprising:
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`a second hexagon box configured similarly to the first hexagonal box,
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`wherein the first and second hexagonal boxes are configured to be stacked on top of
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`one another and for slideably receiving the rod through their central channels.
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`24.
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`25.
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`26.
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`27.
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`28.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 23, wherein the first hexagonal box is
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`configured to be stacked on top of the second hexagonal box in a first configuration where
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`faces of the six sidewalls of each of the first and second hexagonal boxes are aligned with
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`one another.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 24, wherein the first hexagonal box is
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`configured to rest upon the castellations of the canister above the second hexagonal box in a
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`second configuration where the faces of the six sidewalls of each of the first and second
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`hexagonal boxes are offset from one another.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 25, wherein the first hexagonal box is moved
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`from the first configuration to the second configuration by elevating the rod and then rotating
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`first hexagonal box about the rod before being placed to rest upon the castellations of the
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`canister.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 17, wherein the canister is substantially
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`cylindrical having a circular cross-section, wherein the interior void comprises a substantially
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`cylindrical volume, and wherein the plurality of vial holes are circles having a consistent
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`diameter D.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 27, wherein the number of vial holes having
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`a diameter D that can be accommodated by the frame of the hexagonal box that can be placed
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`into the void of the canister is greater than the number of vial holes having the same diameter
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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`D that could be accommodated by a frame of a rectangular box that could be placed into the
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`void of the canister.
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`_ 23 _
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`29.
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`The cryovial storage system according to claim 27, wherein the frames of the hexagonal
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`boxes that can be placed into the void of the canisters in the payload compartment of the dry
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`shipper or cryobank can accommodate a greater density of vial holes having diameter D than
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`the density of vial holes having diameter D that could be accommodated by the frames of
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`rectangular boxes that could be placed into the void of the dry shipper or cryobank.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 2602.0190001
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