Readiness and Technical Coordinator Report

Overseas Neuro Dry Ice Shipping Container 
With specific performance goals provided by Max More and Steve Graber have been developing a super-duty dry ice international neuro shipping container. (SDDIINSC) The unit that Steve developed with input from Hugh Hixon and Aaron Drake provides a superior level of insulation and travel protection, and a dry ice performance period (sub -70C) of ~4.5 days. The case shell is a cube shape Peli 340 with detachable roller feet and wide lifting handles on either side. It appears to be virtually indestructible. The case innards consist of a standard U-Line brand styrofoam dry ice shipping box which has been modified to our specification and press-fit into the Peli plucked foam protective liner.

Prior dry ice tests performed on the U-line box alone resulted in a dry ice temperature period of ~2.5 days, the insertion of the Styrofoam into the Peli container has extended this time period to at minimum 4.5 days. Steve has several ideas as to how to extend that time frame an additional day or possibly two. During the test, a 4 liter bottle filled with E.G. gel simulating a cryoprotected cephalon was placed in the box. The container was plunge cooled to -70C over a period of 1.5 days using 25 Lbs of crushed dry ice. Once dry ice temp was achieved an additional 12 Lbs of crushed dry ice was added to the box and the box was closed. A thermocouple probe was inserted into the center of the bottle and a second probe was attached to the outer surface of the bottle. The test was run until both thermocouples warmed to ~-50C.  development team added venting to the Peli case to allow the CO2 to vent and the Peli case was opened several times during the test to simulate inspections that will likely occur at various points along its trip. The ‘reload with dry ice’ spike in the graph below was inserted artificially for display clarity.