MODULAR COMPARTMENT SUBLIMATOR

摘要

An apparatus particularly adapted for freeze drying various materials and for stoppering, under vacuum, receptacles containing these materials after freeze drying having a plurality of individual drying chamber modules, each chamber forming a self-supporting drying module capable of receiving a number of receptacles upon one wall of the chamber also which serves as a shelf for supporting them. Each chamber is independently connected to a vacuum source, a condenser and heat transfer means mounted on an adjacent but separate equipment unit in such a manner that thermal transfer and the duration of the freeze drying cycle may be varied independently with respect to each individual module to permit freeze drying of diverse materials and allow different drying rates. A latching means and a door support means mounted adjacent the chamber door permit doors of adjacent modules to be opened without obstruction and act to maintain each door in an open position. Stoppering means having upper and lower plates sandwiching an expansible means may be removably mounted within the separate drying modules and independently activated by operation of fluid pressure means mounted on the equipment unit to pressurize the expansible means and urge the plates apart to stopper the receptacles. Stoppering control means require the force exerted by the stoppering means on the receptacles to remain constant despite variation in height of the receptacle and permit discontinuation of the stoppering operation at any time.