The subject of the invention is a container for the safe transport of tubes with biological material, in particular for the safe transport of infectious material, including the transport of tubes with swabs containing biological material collected from patients suspected of being infected or infected with a pathogen, such as microorganisms or viruses.

One of the necessary steps in the medical diagnosis of infections is the presence and identification of the pathogen. In case of some infections, the tested material is, inter alia , swabs, e.g., from the upper respiratory tract (e.g., nose, mouth, nasopharynx, etc.) or fluid samples (e.g., lavage, sputum, etc.).

Swabs are collected using special sterile swabs closed in a plastic casing, which is a kind of test tube filled with a transport medium, which is usually in a liquid form. If such a tube is damaged, there is a risk of the pathogen being released into the environment. In cases where a large number of tubes containing the collected, potentially dangerous biological material is required to be transported in a short time, the availability of appropriate transport containers is very important, which will ensure the safety of the collected material but also optimal temperature conditions during transport. The availability of such transporters becomes particularly important in epidemic conditions. And so, in the case of the COVID-19 epidemic, it was noted that laboratory diagnosticians very often complained about the lack of safe containers for transport of swabs with samples taken from patients. The used methods of transporting samples often did not allow for safe opening or extraction of swabs from frequently improvised transport containers used. According to the data of the National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, "approx. 5% of samples sent to diagnostic laboratories are prepared and sent in a way that prevents their diagnosis" (source: https://www.pzh.gov.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Komunikat- ws-pakowania-i-transportu- probek-do-badah-COVID-19-14.03.2020-gjrg.pdf).

From the above, it is clear that there is a need for a solution which would enable safe transport of samples with biological material, ensuring appropriate and flexible temperature conditions for the transport of samples, while ensuring physical protection against damage to the sample.

The solution to the abovementioned problems in the art is provided by a transport container having the features recited in the independent claim in the present disclosure, preferred embodiments of the solution according to the invention are defined in the appended dependent claims.

The subject of the invention therefore is a container for the safe transport of tubes with biological material, comprising an open at a first end and double-walled container body and a container closing means coupleable with the body and adapted to seal the container at said first end of the container body, the container body according to the invention having an inner circumferential wall and surrounding it an outer circumferential wall, wherein both the inner and outer walls extend coaxially, at the second end of the body the inner wall of the body is peripherally tightly joined with the bottom wall of the body, forming a transport chamber open at the first end of the body and intended to receive a tube with biological material, the outer wall of the container at the second end of the body is also peripherally tightly joined to said bottom wall and is also tightly joined over its entire extension between the first and second ends of the body with said inner and bottom walls by means of at least two partition walls, thus forming at least two insulating chambers, sealed one from another by said partition wall, which insulating chambers surround said transport chamber arranged between them and which insulating chambers are open at the first end of the container body, and wherein at its first end, the body is provided with coupling means adapted to engage corresponding coupling means provided in said closing means of the container, wherein engaging of said coupling means tightly closes said transport chamber, and preferably also said insulating chambers.

In a preferred aspect of the container according to the invention, the outer wall of the body in the cross-section has a regular polygonal contour. In such a preferred aspect, the number of said partition walls connecting the circumferential outer wall of the body with its circumferential inner wall corresponds to the number of angles of said polygon.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, the outer circumferential wall of the body has in the cross-section the contour of an equilateral triangle, square or regular pentagon, and most preferably has the cross-section shape of a regular hexagon.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, means for closing the container are further provided with sealing means for the closure of said insulation chambers and the transport chamber. In a particularly preferred example, said sealing means is in the form of a ring provided with protrusions shaped so as to correspond to the shape of the opening of the insulating chambers and / or the transport chamber.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the insulation chambers is filled with a coolant or a bio-contamination neutralizing substance, and particularly preferably each of the insulation chambers in the body comprises one of said fillers and the opening of each of said insulation chambers at the first end of the body is closed with said sealant.

Within the meaning of the invention, the double-walled body of the container according to the invention is understood as a body having two walls, i.e. an inner circumferential wall and a circumferential outer wall surrounding it, both walls being circumferentially and tightly connected at the second end of the body to the bottom wall while the first end of the body remains open, providing access to the space limited by said walls. As a result, the circumferential inner wall with the bottom wall tightly connected to it defines the space of the first chamber of the container, open at the first end of the body and constituting in the container according to the invention a transport chamber, intended to contain the transported tube, wherein the shape and dimensions of the transport chamber are adapted to correspond to the shape and dimensions of the transported tube.

The circumferential outer wall with the bottom wall tightly thereto connected define a space surrounding the transport chamber, said space also being open at the first end of the body, and according to the invention, said space is divided by at least two partition walls into at least two spaces separated one from another constituting isolation chambers. Within the meaning of the invention, said partition wall is a wall connecting the peripheral inner wall to the peripheral outer wall over the entire extent of the outer wall between the first and second ends of the body and also sealingly connecting to the bottom wall. Placing two partition walls tightly connecting the inner, outer and bottom walls results in the creation of two spaces that are sealed to each other and separated from each other, which in the solution according to the invention play the role of insulating chambers. Correspondingly, three partition walls provide three chambers, four walls provide four chambers, etc.

As indicated above, the insulating chambers are open at the first end of the body, providing access to the spaces surrounding the transport chamber and defined by the partition walls. Depending on the needs, through the openings of the insulating chambers, the chambers can be filled with a cooling medium or an insulating medium and the solution according to the invention provides full flexibility for the preparation of a transport container depending on the type of transported material. Thus, the chambers can be filled alternately with: gel or cooling fluid (maintaining a certain temperature after cooling), or with activated carbon or other neutralizing agent, depending on the intended use of the transporter according to the invention.

At the first end of the body, provided are the coupling means that are adapted to engage with corresponding coupling means provided in the container closing means. An example of container closing means may be a cap, adapted in shape and size to allow the opening of the transport chamber to be closed and preferably also to close the opening of the insulating chambers. Such a cap is provided with coupling means which are engageable with corresponding coupling means provided at a first end of the container body, and by engaging said coupling means at least said transport chamber get sealed off, and preferably also insulation chambers are sealed off when they are filled with the above-mentioned agents. An example of the coupling means provided at the first end of the body which is adapted to engage the coupling means provided in the container closure may be an external thread provided on the surface of the body that engages an internal thread provided in the cap. Mutually engaging the coupling means, i.e. in this embodiment screwing the cap onto the body, seals the container tightly. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cap is provided of a material identical to the material of the container body. In another advantageous embodiment, the cap is also provided with additional means for sealing the closure.

If the insulating chambers are not used as reservoirs for the isolating / neutralizing agents, it is sufficient to provide a tight closure of the transport chamber. In case of filling the insulating chambers, the opening of each of the filled insulating chambers at the first end of the body can be closed with a sealing means. Within the meaning of the invention, a sealing means is understood to mean a gasket adapted in size and shape to the shape of the opening of the insulating chambers. The sealing means maybe in the form of e.g. plugs made of chlorobutyl isoprene rubber or other material with similar properties, which plugs conform to the shape of the opening of the chambers and are intended to close said opening, for example by pressing into the openings which seals the chambers. Additional sealing in such a solution can be provided by the cap closing the transport chamber, the screwing of which on the thread provided at the first end of the body can simultaneously ensure the pressure on the said plugs, additionally securing the closure of the insulating chambers and ensuring the tightness of the system. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing means may also take the form of a circumferential O-ring gasket with an internal diameter corresponding to the diameter of an opening of the transport chamber, additionally provided with protrusions matching the size and shape of the openings of the insulating chambers. The projections close the openings of the insulating chambers through the form-fit connection, and additionally, the peripheral sealing means can also be pressed by the mentioned cap. Alternatively, instead of the said O-ring shape, the sealing means can also take the form of a disc, on the edge of which the said protrusions are provided, which match in size and shape the size and shape of the openings of the insulating chambers. In such variant, the projections close the openings of the insulating chambers by form fitting, and in addition the circumferential seal, after tightening the cap, additionally seals off the transport chamber.

The circumferential outer wall may be circular in cross-section or have in the cross- section the shape of a regular polygon, such as an equilateral triangle, square, or regular pentagon. The inventors have surprisingly found that the providing of the outer wall of the container body in the form of a regular hexagon not only ensures the best transport and operator ergonomics, but also ensures a longer duration of maintaining the lowered temperature.

The container body, the closing means and the sealing means can be produced by known methods, e.g. by injection molding or 3D printing. Particularly preferred materials for making the container according to the invention are known in the art and include metal, hardened resins or other materials known to the person skilled in the art (e.g. aluminum, composite materials).

The dimensions of the container body are preferably selected in such a way that the tube protrudes from the container and fits into the cap, which allows easy removal of the tube from the container. In such a variant, the sealing means used is provided in the shape of the O-ring. It should be emphasized that by choosing the dimensions of the container body at the production stage (especially the length and diameter of the transport chamber), it is possible to adapt the container to transport the target type of tubes.

The invention enables safe transport of biological material, including infectious material, collected into appropriate test tubes (in particular test tubes containing swabs), in a way that prevents the release of the pathogen into the environment in the event of a tube damage. The achievement of this aim is ensured by the construction of the container according to the invention. The test tubes placed in the containers according to the invention can be transported in bulk in any other collective packaging (such as e.g. cardboard boxes, baskets), subject to transport in an upright position, in accordance with the recommendations for the transport of biological material to the laboratory. The most advantageous shape of the body in the form of a correct hexagonal prism, equipped with six insulating chambers surrounding the transport chamber, allows efficient use of collective packaging and - importantly when using a coolant - it allows such an arrangement of the many containers so that they adjoin each other with their walls, which further reduces the heat exchange with the outside environment ensuring that temperature inside the containers is lower than the ambient temperature for a longer time, which is of particular importance when transporting some type of samples, e.g. samples from which genetic material in the form of ribonucleic acid (RNA) is to be isolated.

The solution is easy to make and use. It should be emphasized that the container according to the invention may constitute a secondary package as well as an outer package which are connected together but separated from each other. Thus, the container according to the invention can be used to transport samples in accordance with the general packaging principle required for biological agents that cause human diseases (source http://www.wsse.gda.pl/aktualnosci-i-komunikaty/aktualnosci/ 1037-wymagania-dotyczace- pobrania-i-transportu-materialu-do-badan-metoda-rt-pcr-w-kie runku-zakazen-ukladu- oddechowego-powodowanych-przez-koronawirusy-sars-mers-2019nc ov-wuhan-chiny).

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments which are presented for illustrative purposes only and do not in any way limit the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

The subject of the invention is shown in the examples on the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a container having an outer wall with a regular hexagonal contour,

Fig. 2 shows a schematic section view of the container according to Fig. 1 along the longitudinal axis of the container,

Fig. 3 is a schematic section view of the container body according to Fig. 1 in top view.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a container having an outer wall with a circular contour,

Fig. 5 shows a schematic section view of the container according to Fig. 4 along the longitudinal axis of the container,

Fig. 6 is a schematic section view of the container body according to Fig. 4 in top view.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a container having an outer wall with a triangular contour,

Fig. 8 shows a schematic section view of the container according to Fig. 7 along the longitudinal axis of the container,

Fig. 9 is a schematic section view of the container body of Fig. 7 in top view.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a container having a square-shaped outer wall, Fig. 11 shows a schematic section view of the container according to Fig. 10 along the longitudinal axis of the container,

Fig. 12 is a schematic section view of the container body according to Fig. 10 in top view.

Fig. 13 schematically shows a container having an outer wall with a regular pentagonal contour,

Fig. 14 schematically shows the container according to Fig. 13 in section along the longitudinal axis of the container,

Fig. 15 is a schematic section view of the container body according to Fig. 13 in top view.

Fig. 16 schematically shows an embodiment of a sealing means in the form of a circumferential ring with protrusions corresponding to the shape and size of the opening shape of the insulating chambers in the container body shown in Figs. 1-3 in a bottom view.

Fig. 17 schematically shows an embodiment of a sealing means in the form of a circumferential ring with protrusions corresponding to the shape and size of the opening shape of the insulating chambers in the container body shown in Figs. 1-3 in a side view.

In the above-described drawing figures, the same technical features are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows schematically, in an exemplary embodiment, a container (100) for the safe transport of tubes with biological material, comprising a container body (1) and a container closing means (2). As better shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the container (100) in a section view along the longitudinal axis (A), the container body (1) is open at the first end (G) of the body and closed at the second end (1") of the body and has the double-walled structure, i.e. it has a circumferential inner wall (5), a circumferential outer wall (6) and wherein a bottom wall (7) is tightly joined with the inner (5) and outer (6) walls. The inner (5) and outer (6) circumferential walls extend coaxially along the longitudinal axis (A). At the first end (G) of the body (1), the circumferential outer wall (6) of the body is provided with a coupling means (4), while the container closing means (2) is provided with the coupling means (4) corresponding to and engageable with the coupling means (4'). In the embodiment shown, said engaging means (4, 4') are provided in the form of a thread which enables the closing means (2) of the container to screw onto the body (1), ensuring a sealed container (100). In the embodiment shown in figures 1-3 (and similarly in further embodiments), the closing means (2) of the container is provided with a sealing means (3) disposed therein, which in this embodiment is in the form of a disk mounted inside the closing means (2). The sealing means (3) is made of an elastic material which, after screwing the closure means (2) onto the body (1), seals the closure of the transport chamber (5') and the insulating chambers (6'). As shown hereinafter, the sealing means (3) can also be an O-ring provided with protrusions corresponding to the shape of the opening of the insulating chambers. As better shown in Fig. 3, showing the body (1) in cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body (1), the inner circumferential wall (5) and the outer circumferential wall (6) are joined together in six locations by partition walls (8), said partition walls connecting the circumferential inner wall (5) with the circumferential outer wall (6) and the bottom wall over the entire extension of the outer wall (5). Thus, between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6), the partition walls (8) define six tightly separated insulation chambers (6'), wherein, as it can be seen in Fig. 3, the insulation chambers (6') surround the placed between them and a transport chamber (5') defined by the peripheral inner wall (5) (open at the first end (G) of the body (1) and closed at the second end (1") of the body, as shown in the section presented on Fig. 2). The transport chamber (5') in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a cylinder, the dimensions of which are selected according to the size of the tube that the transport chamber (5') is to receive. As the insulating chambers (6') surrounding the transport chamber (5') are open at the first end of the body (1), said chambers can be filled with a liquid absorbing or neutralizing substance (e.g. activated carbon) and / or with a coolant providing adequate protection in case of a damage of the container and tube being transported and / or keeping the temperature below ambient temperature. After the tube has been placed in the transport chamber (5'), the insulating (6') and transport (5') chambers can be closed by engaging the coupling means (4, 4') of the body (1) and the container closing means (2) respectively, which ensures tight closure of the container (100), enabling safe transport of test tubes with biological material. As best seen on Fig. 3, the circumferential outer wall (6) in the illustrated embodiment has a regular hexagonal cross-section, and consequently the body (1) of the container (100) has an outer form of the hexagonal prism. This solution is the most advantageous variant of the container according to the invention. As the partition walls (8) define as many as six insulating chambers (6'), it is possible to fill the above-mentioned chambers with the above-mentioned substances in various combinations, e.g. by filling every second space with a neutralizing substance alternately with a coolant.

Fig. 4 shows schematically, in an exemplary embodiment, a container (100) for the safe transport of tubes with biological material, the body of which is in the form of a cylinder. Thus, analogous to the previous embodiment, the container (100) has a container body (1) and a container closing means (2). As better shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the container (100) in a section view along the longitudinal axis (A), the container body (1) is open at the first end (G) of the body and closed at the second end (1”) of the body and has the double-walled structure, i.e. it has a circumferential inner wall (5), a circumferential outer wall (6) and a bottom wall (7) tightly joined to the inner (5) and outer (6) walls. The inner (5) and outer (6) circumferential walls extend coaxially along the longitudinal axis (A). At the first end (G) of the body (1), the circumferential outer wall (6) of the body is provided with a coupling means (4), and the container closing means (2) is provided with a coupling means (4) corresponding to and engageable with the coupling means (4'). In the embodiment shown, said coupling means (4, 4') is provided in the form of a thread which enables the closing means (2) of the container to screw onto the body (1), ensuring a sealed container (100). Similar to the previous embodiment (Fig. 1-3), in the embodiment shown in Figures 4-6, the container closing means (2) is provided with a sealing means (3) arranged therein. As better shown in Fig. 6, showing the body (1) in cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body (1), the inner circumferential wall (5) and the outer circumferential wall (6) are joined together in four locations by partition walls (8), said partition walls connecting the circumferential inner wall (5) with the circumferential outer wall (6) and the bottom wall over the entire extension of the outer wall (5). Thus, between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6), the partition walls (8) define four tightly separated insulating chambers (6'), where, as it can be seen in Fig. 6, the insulating chambers (6') surround the placed between them, defined by the peripheral inner wall (5), a transport chamber (5') (open at the first end (G) of the body (1) and closed at the second end (1”) of the body, as shown in the cross-section shown in Fig. 5). The transport chamber (5') in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a cylinder, the dimensions of which are selected according to the size of the tube that the transport chamber (5') is to receive. As the insulating chambers (6') surrounding the transport chamber (5') are open at the first end of the body (G), the said chambers can be filled with a liquid absorbing or neutralizing substance (e.g. activated carbon) and / or with a coolant providing adequate protection in case of damage container and tube being transported and / or keeping the temperature below ambient temperature. After the test tube has been placed in the transport chamber (5'), the insulating (6') and transport (5') chambers can be closed by engaging the closing means (4, 4') of the body (1) and the container closing means (2) respectively, which ensures tight closure of the container (100), enabling safe transport of test tubes with biological material. As best seen in Fig. 6, the circumferential outer wall (6) in the illustrated embodiment has a circular cross section, and consequently the body (1) of the container (100) is in the form of an outer cylinder.

Fig. 7 shows, in an exemplary embodiment, a container (100) for safe transport of test tubes with biological material, the body of which has the form of a normal triangular prism. Thus, analogous to the previous embodiments, the container (100) has a container body (1) and a container closing means (2). As better shown in Fig. 8, illustrating the container (100) in a section view along the longitudinal axis (A), the container body (1) is open at the first end (G) of the body and closed at the second end (1”) of the body and has the double-walled structure, i.e. it has a circumferential inner wall (5), a circumferential outer wall (6) and a bottom wall (7) tightly joined to the inner (5) and outer (6) walls. The inner (5) and outer (6) circumferential walls extend coaxially along the longitudinal axis (A). At the first end (G) of the body (1), the circumferential outer wall (6) of the body is provided with a coupling means (4), and the container closing means (2) is provided with a coupling means (4) corresponding and engageable with the closing means (4'). In the embodiment shown, said coupling means (4, 4') are provided in the form of a thread which enables the closing means (2) of the container to screw onto the body (1), ensuring a sealed container (100). In the embodiment shown in figures 7-9, the container closing means (2) is provided with a sealing means (3) arranged therein. As better shown in Fig. 9, showing the body (1) in cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body (1), the inner circumferential wall (5) and the outer circumferential wall (6) are sealed together in three locations by partition walls (8), said partition walls connecting the circumferential inner wall (5) with the circumferential outer wall (6) and the bottom wall (7) over the entire extension of the outer wall (5). Thus, between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6), the partition walls (8) define three tightly separated insulating chambers (6'), where, as it can be seen in Fig. 9, the insulating chambers (6') surround the placed between them, defined by the peripheral inner wall (5), a transport chamber (5') (open at the first end (G) of the body (1) and closed at the other end (1”) of the body, as shown in the cross-section presented in Fig. 8). The transport chamber (5') in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a cylinder, the dimensions of which are selected according to the size of the tube that the transport chamber (5') is to receive. As the insulating chambers (6') surrounding the transport chamber (5') are open at the first end of the body (1), said chambers can be filled with a liquid absorbing or neutralizing substance (e.g. activated carbon) and / or with a coolant providing adequate protection in case of damage container and tube being transported and / or keeping the temperature below ambient temperature. After the tube has been placed in the transport (5') chamber, the insulating (6') and transport (5') chambers can be closed by engaging the coupling means (4, 4') of the body (1) and the container closure means (2) respectively, which ensures tight closure of the container (100), enabling safe transport of test tubes with biological material. As best seen in Fig. 9, the circumferential outer wall (6) in the illustrated embodiment has an isosceles triangle cross- section, and consequently the body (1) of the container (100) has an outer form of a regular triangular prism.

Fig. 10 shows, in an exemplary embodiment, a container (100) for the safe transport of test tubes with biological material, the body of which has the form of a regular square prism. Thus, analogous to the previous embodiments, the container (100) has a container body (1) and a container closing means (2). As better shown in Fig. 11, illustrating the container (100) in a section along the longitudinal axis (A), the container body (1) is open at the first end (G) of the body and closed at the second end (1") of the body and has the double-walled structure, i.e. it has an inner circumferential wall (5), an outer circumferential wall (6) and a bottom wall (7) tightly joined to the inner (5) and outer (6) walls. The inner (5) and outer (6) circumferential walls extend coaxially along the longitudinal axis (A). At the first end (G) of the body (1), the circumferential outer wall (6) of the body is provided with a coupling means (4), and the container closing means (2) is provided with a coupling means (4) corresponding to and engageable with the engaging means (4'). In the embodiment shown, said coupling means (4, 4') are provided in the form of a thread which enables the closing means (2) of the container to screw onto the body (1), ensuring a sealed container (100). Analogously to the previous examples, in the embodiment shown in figures 10-12, the container closure means (2) is provided with a sealing means (3) arranged therein. As better shown in Fig. 12, showing the body (1) in cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body (1), the inner circumferential wall (5) and the outer circumferential wall (6) are sealed together in four locations by partition walls (8), said partition walls connecting the circumferential inner wall (5) with the circumferential outer wall (6) and the bottom wall over the entire extension of the outer wall (5). Thus, the partition walls (8) define between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6) four tightly separated insulating chambers (6'), where, as can be seen in Fig. 12, the insulating chambers (6') surround the placed between them, defined by the peripheral inner wall (5), a transport chamber (5') (open at the first end (G) of the body (1) and closed at the second end (1") of the body, as shown in the cross-section presented in Fig. 11) . The transport chamber (5') in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a cylinder, the dimensions of which are selected according to the size of the tube that the transport chamber (5') is to receive. As the insulating chambers (6') surrounding the transport chamber (5') are open at the first end of the body (1), said chambers can be filled with a liquid absorbing or neutralizing substance (e.g. activated carbon) and / or with a coolant providing adequate protection in case of damage of the container and tube being transported and / or keeping the temperature below ambient temperature. After the tube has been placed in the transport (5') chamber, the insulating (6') and transport (5') chambers can be closed by engaging the coupling means (4, 4') of the body (1) and the container closure means (2) respectively, which ensures tight closure of the container (100), enabling safe transport of test tubes with biological material. As best seen in Fig. 12, the circumferential outer wall (6) has a square cross-section in the illustrated embodiment, and consequently the body (1) of the container (100) has an outer form of rectangular prism.

Fig. 13 shows schematically, in an exemplary embodiment, a container (100) for the safe transport of test tubes with biological material, the body of which has the form of a regular pentagonal prism. Thus, analogous to the previous embodiments, the container (100) has a container body (1) and a container closing means (2). As better shown in Fig. 14, illustrating the container (100) in a section along the longitudinal axis (A), the container body (1) is open at the first end (G) of the body and closed at the second end (1") of the body and has the double-walled structure, i.e. it has a circumferential inner wall (5), a circumferential outer wall (6) and a bottom wall (7) sealed to the inner (5) and outer (6) walls. The inner (5) and outer (6) circumferential walls extend coaxially along the longitudinal axis (A). At the first end (G) of the body (1), the circumferential outer wall (6) of the body is provided with a coupling means (4), and the container closing means (2) is provided with a coupling means

(4) corresponding to and engageable with the engaging means (4'). In the embodiment shown, said engaging means (4, 4') are provided in the form of a thread which enables the closing means (2) of the container to screw onto the body (1), ensuring a sealed container (100). In the embodiment shown in figures 13-15, the container closing means (2) is provided with a sealing means (3) arranged therein. As better shown in Fig. 15, showing the body (1) in cross- section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) of the body (1), the inner circumferential wall (5) and the outer circumferential wall (6) are sealed together in five locations by partition walls (8), said partition walls connecting the circumferential inner wall

(5) with the circumferential outer wall (6) and the bottom wall over the entire extension of the outer wall (5). Thus, between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6), the partition walls (8) define five tightly separated insulating chambers (6'), wherein, as it can be seen in Fig. 15, the insulating chambers (6') surround the placed between them a transport chamber (5') defined by the peripheral inner wall (5) (open at the first end (G) of the body (1) and closed at the second end (1") of the body (1), as shown in the cross-section shown in Fig. 14). The transport chamber (5') in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a cylinder, the dimensions of which are selected according to the size of the tube that the transport chamber (5') is to receive. As the insulating chambers (6') surrounding the transport chamber (5') are open at the first end of the body (1), the said chambers can be filled with a liquid absorbing or neutralizing substance (e.g. activated carbon) and / or with a coolant providing adequate protection in case of damage of the container and tube being transported and / or keeping the temperature below ambient temperature. After the tube has been placed in the transport (5') chamber, the insulating (6') and transport (5') chambers can be closed by engaging the coupling means (4, 4') of the body (1) and the container closing means (2) respectively, which ensures tight closure of the container (100), enabling safe transport of test tubes with biological material. As best seen in Fig. 15, the circumferential outer wall (6) in the illustrated embodiment has an isosceles pentagon cross-section, and consequently the body (1) of the container (100) has an outer form of the of a regular pentagonal prism.

Fig. 16 schematically shows an embodiment of a sealing means (3) for sealing the insulating chambers (6') of the container (100) shown in the embodiment in Figs. 1-3 in a bottom view, and Fig. 17 schematically an embodiment of a sealing means (3) a container (100) intended to be sealed in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3 in a side view. The sealing means (3) takes the form of an O-ring-shaped circumferential gasket (9') provided with protrusions (9") which are sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the opening of the insulating chambers. The fact that the sealing means is made of an elastic material in combination with matching the shape of the tabs to the shape of the opening of the insulating chambers at the first end of the body ensures that when the tabs are pressed into said openings of the chambers, the form fit closes said openings of the insulating chambers. In addition, the circumferential seal so provided can also be additionally pressed by the container closing means by screwing it onto the container body (not shown).

The illustrated embodiments were tested as described in the following examples.

Example 1

Comparison of the temperature properties of containers with different shapes of the outer wall of the body as shown in Figs. 1-15, made of the same material (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer, ABS)

Containers of various shapes of the outer wall of the body and made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer (ABS), alternately filled with coolant and activated carbon, were placed for 12 hours at -20 °C. After this time, the temperature probes from the MEATER Block set (four wireless probes and a device recording temperature and providing the possibility of sending data to a dedicated application) were placed in the inside of the containers, then the containers were screwed on and left at room temperature. MEATER Block probes sent the read temperature values to a dedicated smartphone application, allowing temperature monitoring. Monitoring until reaching the temperature of 25 °C was planned.

Although the examination revealed no major influence of the shape of the body of a single container on the time of maintaining the reduced temperature, the container whose outer wall in cross section had the shape of a regular hexagon ensured a longer time of maintaining the reduced temperature. All the tested containers ensured that the temperature was kept below 25 °C for approximately 4 hours, however, the container with the outer wall of the regular hexagonal body maintained the temperature below 25 °C for more than 5 hours. Example 2

Comparison of the temperature properties of containers with an external body shape in the form of a regular hexagonal prism made of various materials: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate with glycol (PETG) and polylactide (PL A).

Filled with coolant and activated carbon, containers made of various materials were placed for 12 hours at -20 °C. In this example, NaCl aqueous solution (1-30 % w/w) as the coolant was used. After this time, a temperature probe from the MEATER Block set was introduced into the inside of the containers (four wireless probes and a temperature recording device; the possibility of sending data to a dedicated application), then the containers were screwed on and left at room temperature. MEATER Block probes sent the read temperature values to a dedicated smartphone application, allowing temperature monitoring. Monitoring until reaching the temperature of 25 °C was assumed.

Taking the materials from which the prototypes were made into account, it should be stated that all tested containers required more than 5 hours until room temperature is reached (25 °C is assumed to be room temperature). Among the analyzed materials, PLA showed the longest time to reach the temperature of 25 °C, being the most resistant to the influence of ambient temperature.

Example 3

The effect of testing the mechanical strength of a transporter made of polyethylene terephthalate with glycol admixture (PETG) made by repeatedly dropping a steel element weighing 2 kg from a height of 1 m onto a container placed on a stable, even surface.

A steel element weighing 2 kg was repeatedly dropped from a height of 1 m onto a transporter placed on a stable, level ground. These tests were aimed at verifying the stability of the container when standing on the carrier with the swab. The tests were carried out until the mechanical damage of the coating and the release of the contents (activated carbon and coolant) of the transporter. Multiple dropping of a steel element weighing 2 kg from a height of 1 m resulted in the final (after dropping a 2 kg element at least several times) in breaking the prototypes.

The shape of the prototype did not change the mechanical strength.

Example 4

The effect of testing the mechanical strength of a container made of polyethylene terephthalate with an admixture of glycol (PETG) made by repeatedly dropping it onto a hard concrete substrate from a height of 2 m.

The prototypes were placed at a height of 2 m and dropped on a hard concrete substrate 10 times, each time the integrity of the casing was verified for damage and the contents of individual chambers were checked: (i) for activated carbon, (ii) - cooling substance, (iii) - on a swab. These tests were to simulate the fall of a package with transporters or the transporter itself from the height of the laboratory table top. In case of the analysis of the materials used to make the transporter prototypes, it was found that PETG was the least resistant, wherein the threaded part broke off when the transporter was dropped from a height of 2 m. PL A and ABS showed similar and greater mechanical strength than PETG. The shape of the prototype did not change the mechanical strength.