Patent ID: 7201638

Claim:
A centrifugal processor comprising: an outer frame having an inner surface and an axis; at least one inner vessel positioned within the outer frame and adapted to receive a first medium and an object to be processed, the inner vessel having an interior; a drive system for rotating the inner vessel with respect to the outer frame and along the inner surface of the outer frame, the drive system including a central shaft engaged with the vessel for rotating the vessel about the axis; and an environmental control system for channelling a second medium to or from the vessel to assist in the processing of the object, the environmental control system including a manifold formed in at least a portion of the central shaft and adapted to channel the second medium, at least one port formed in the central shaft and connected to the manifold, and a conduit connected to the port and the inner vessel for channelling the second medium between the manifold and the interior of the vessel, wherein the environmental control system includes a supply which contains the second medium to be channelled into the vessels, and a conduit connecting the supply to the manifold, and wherein the second medium is a cooled gas that is supplied into the vessel to reduce the temperature of the interior of the vessel, and wherein the environmental control system includes a refrigeration unit for cooling the gas.