Container assembly and method for containing biological graft

{
  "publication_number": "US2012160714A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Container assembly and method for containing biological graft",
  "abstract": "A container assembly for containing a biological graft can include a housing member sized to be able to contain the biological graft while keeping the size of an original shape of the biological graft. An aqueous fluid can fill the housing member such that the biological graft is contained in a suspended state in the aqueous fluid.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A container assembly for containing a biological graft, comprising: a housing member sized to be able to contain the biological graft while keeping the size of an original shape of the biological graft; and an aqueous fluid filling the housing member, wherein the housing member and aqueous fluid are configured such that the biological graft is contained in a suspended state in the aqueous fluid. 2. The container assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: an outer housing member configured to contain the housing member, wherein the housing member has a lower-side opening section which is open to a lower side and is greater in plan-view shape than the biological graft, and the lower-side opening section is closed by contact of a lower circumferential end of the housing member with a surface of a bottom section of the outer housing member. 3. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein a fluid which is the same as or different from the aqueous fluid is contained in the outer housing member outside of the housing member. 4. The container assembly according to claim 3, further comprising: a stabilizing member floating on the surface of the fluid present outside the housing member and in the outer housing member. 5. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein a gel-like material is contained in the outer housing member outside of the housing member. 6. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein the outer housing member has an outer housing member body having an upper-side opening section open to the upper side and a covering member configured to close the upper-side opening section, the container assembly further includes a connecting mechanism configured to connect the outer housing member body and the covering member to each other, and an intervening member configured to be clamped between the lower-side opening section of the housing member and the covering member when the outer housing member body is closed with the covering member. 7. The container assembly according to claim 6, wherein an upper end of the intervening member forms line or surface contact with the covering member when the outer housing member body is closed with the covering member. 8. The container assembly according to claim 6, wherein the connecting mechanism includes at least one clip configured to make contact with a lower surface of the outer housing member body and an upper surface of the covering member to thereby constrain the outer housing member body and the covering member. 9. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein a wall of the housing member includes a hole in communication with an area inside of the housing member and an area outside of the housing member, the housing member includes an occluding member, and the hole is configured to be closed with the occluding member. 10. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein the outer housing member body includes a horizontal positioning-determining member configured to horizontally position the housing member relative to the outer housing member body, wherein the horizontal positioning-determining member is located at a bottom section of the outer housing member body. 11. A method of containing a biological graft, comprising: preparing a housing member sized to be able to contain the biological graft while keeping an original shape of the biological graft; and containing the biological graft in a suspended state in an aqueous fluid contained in the housing member. 12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: suspending the biological graft in the aqueous fluid when the aqueous fluid is contained in an outer housing member body of an outer housing member; positioning the housing member having an opening defined by a lower end so that the lower end of the housing member is located in the aqueous fluid while also being spaced from a bottom surface of the outer housing member body; discharging air present in the housing member by use of a tubular member through a gap between the lower end of the housing member and the bottom surface of the outer housing member body so as to fill up the housing member with the aqueous fluid; placing the housing member on the bottom surface of the outer housing member body to thereby suspend the biological graft in the aqueous fluid in the housing member; and closing the outer housing member body with a covering member so that the housing member containing the biological graft is hermetically sealed in the outer housing member. 13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: suspending the biological graft in the aqueous fluid contained in an outer housing member body of an outer housing member; placing the housing member, which has an opening located at a lower side of the housing member and which has a hole formed in a wall of the housing member, on a bottom surface of the outer housing member body so as to fill up the housing member with the aqueous fluid and to suspend the biological graft in the aqueous fluid in the housing member; and closing the outer housing member body with a covering member so that the housing member containing the biological graft is hermetically sealed in the outer housing member. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein closing the outer housing member body with a covering member includes screwing the covering member onto the outer housing member body. 15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: placing an occluding member in the hole in the wall of the housing member after air has been discharged from the housing member and the housing member is substantially full of the aqueous fluid. 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein placing the housing member includes placing the housing member in a horizontal positioning-determining member located in the outer housing member body such that movement of the housing member in a horizontal direction with respect to the outer housing member body is prevented. 17. A container assembly configured to contain a biological graft, comprising: a housing member having a top end, a lower end, and a wall located at the lower end defining a lower end opening in the housing member; a container body including a lower surface configured to mate with the wall of the lower end opening of the housing member to define a chamber within the housing member, the chamber being configured to contain aqueous fluid and the biological graft suspended in the aqueous fluid; a covering member configured to connect to the container body and contact with the housing member to maintain contact between the wall of the lower end opening of the housing member and the lower surface of the container body in order to form the chamber; and a connecting structure configured to connect the covering member and the container body and to maintain contact between the wall of the lower end opening of the housing member and the lower surface of the container body in order to form the chamber. 18. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein the connecting structure is one of, a clip, and a screw and thread structure located on the container body and the covering member. 19. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein the housing member includes an aperture in the top end and an occluding member configured to seal the aperture in the housing member such that the chamber is hermetically sealed when the occluding member is located in the aperture and the container body is connected with the covering member by the connecting structure. 20. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein the housing member includes an intervening member located at the top end of the housing member and configured to contact the covering member and be clamped between the covering member and the container body when the container body is closed with the covering member."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "A01N 1/146",
    "A01N 1/148",
    "C12M 21/08"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "NOZAKI YUSUKE"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-12-09",
  "publication_date": "2012-06-28",
  "priority_date": "2010-12-22",
  "application_number": "US-201113315858-A",
  "family_id": "45491275",
  "citations": [
    "US2302698A",
    "US6939516B2"
  ]
}