US 12313320

US Patent 12313320 Summary

Title: Integrated dilution refrigerators

Assignee: Maybell Quantum Industries Inc

Inventors: Corban I. Tillemann-Dick, Kyle J. Thompson, Bryan J. Choo, John Ogando Dos Santos Allan, Jonathan Michael Byars

Filing Date: 2022-07-08

Issue Date: 2025-05-27

Abstract:
A dilution refrigerator is described, featuring an outer vacuum chamber that includes at least one flat surface and an opening in that surface. This opening is designed to provide access to the interior of the outer vacuum chamber.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a dilution refrigerator that includes an outer vacuum chamber. This outer vacuum chamber has at least one flat surface, and there is an opening in this flat surface that allows access to the inside of the chamber.

• Claim 11: This claim outlines a dilution refrigerator system that consists of a cryocooler, an outer vacuum chamber surrounding internal components, and a helium cleaning device located inside the outer vacuum chamber. The helium cleaning device has a heat exchanger, a trap for impurities, and a weak thermal contact. The cryocooler is connected to the outer vacuum chamber by a vibration isolation stage. This system also includes a pump that circulates a helium mixture through the cryocooler and internal components.

• Claim 19: This claim describes a dilution refrigerator comprising a cryocooler that uses air for cooling. It also includes an outer vacuum chamber and a pump that circulates a helium mixture through the cryocooler and the internal components of the refrigerator.

• Claim 20: This claim is for a dilution refrigerator that has a primary impedance stage (like a Joule-Thomson expander) and a bypass device. The bypass device is positioned in parallel with the primary impedance stage and allows helium to diffuse through it when the temperature is above a certain threshold.

• Claim 25: This claim covers a dilution refrigerator with a still that includes a device designed to separate helium-3 (3He) and helium-4 (4He) using second sound effects.

• Claim 31: This claim describes a dilution refrigerator with a still and a mixing chamber. It includes a heat exchange line that cools the incoming helium mixture before it reaches the primary impedance stage. This heat exchange line then transfers the warmed mixture back to the still.

• Claim 34: This claim is directed to a dilution refrigerator that contains a continuous heat exchanger, a discrete heat exchanger, and an intermediate cold plate (ICP). The continuous heat exchanger is located below the ICP.

• Claim 36: This claim details a dilution refrigerator that has a cooling stage containing a dilute helium mixture. There is an outlet from this cooling stage, and the refrigerator includes a barrier positioned to prevent helium-4 film from creeping out of the outlet.

• Claim 39: This claim describes a dilution refrigerator that uses a heat exchanger made from sintered nanomaterials.

• Claim 40: This claim focuses on a dilution refrigerator that has an outer vacuum chamber and multiple thermal stages within it. There is a first suspension system for some upper thermal stages, and at least one second suspension system configured to independently suspend lower thermal stages from the outer vacuum chamber.

• Claim 47: This claim describes an inverted dilution refrigerator. It has an outer vacuum chamber, internal components, and a mixing chamber that is the coldest thermal stage. This mixing chamber is located above warmer thermal stages.

• Claim 55: This claim is for a distributed cooling system that includes a single cooling system and multiple cryogenic devices thermally connected to it by a cooling line and a return line. The cooling system is designed to cool the first stage of the cryogenic devices to at least 5 K.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search of CAFC 2026 dockets for patent number US12313320 did not yield any direct results indicating a case related to this specific patent number in the Federal Circuit during 2026. The Google Patents link for US12313320 does mention a PTAB case IPR2026-00291 and a US case filed in Delaware District Court, but these are not CAFC dockets.