Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means – Interlocked discharge means – support and/or coupling
Patent
1998-05-21
2000-05-30
Douglas, Steven O.
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means
Interlocked discharge means, support and/or coupling
141114, 141329, B65B 104
Patent
active
060680318
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns a transfer system, guaranteed sterile, between a bag and a sterile enclosure, by means of a cutting transfer lock chamber.
This invention is intended particularly, but not exclusively, for the pharmaceutical industry and/or the medical field, for the economic transfer of loose products or liquids or individual sterile articles from a bag to a sterile enclosure or the reverse.
The transfer of previously sterilised products contained in a bag (or other container) to a sterile enclosure or zone presents a problem when the said products cannot be autoclaved or heat-sterilised or when they cannot be filtered (in the case of liquids).
The principal methods currently known for carrying out such a transfer are as follows:
1) Bags or containers are used which are equipped with special doors such as those marketed by "LA CALHENE", DPTE ("airtight transfer double door"), in accordance with the principle which is the subject of patent FR-A-1 346 486.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This method guarantees a sterile transfer; however, it also carries the inconvenience that the doors are expensive and have a limited lifetime, furthermore, the return circulation of the containers equipped with these doors must be managed, which poses practical problems of storage and maintenance.
2) Also known is the external sterilisation using a sterilising agent (notably of the paracetic acid +H.sub.2 O.sub.2 type) of bags or containers placed in an entry enclosure, then put in communication with the sterile enclosure once sterilisation of the bags or containers and the entry enclosure has been carried out.
This type of method guarantees a sterile transfer but it is a slow method. In effect, desorption of the sterilisation product must be awaited before carrying out the transfer; in addition, the problem of migration of the sterilising products into the bags or containers must also be taken into account.
3) Finally, another known method is the sterilisation of bags or containers together, placed in another bag.
The first bag having been opened on the non-sterile side, the interior bag is transferred into the sterile area through a lock chamber which can be equipped with germicide tubes. This method does not guarantee a strictly sterile transfer. This is why it is mainly used in semi-sterile blocks, in the interior of which the operating personnel is physically present as, here again, sterility is not guaranteed.
Through document FR-A-2 338 869, a process and an appliance are also known which are supposed to enable the discharge of a sterile receptacle in a sterile environment.
According to this process, the bottom of the receptacle containing the items to be transferred, such as stacked cups for example, is cut by a knife with a closed outline, on which the cutting edge can have been previously heated.
To prevent contamination, before the bottom is cut, it is covered with an adhesive strip of which the exterior surface, on the side of the sterile enclosure, is also sterile.
In practice, the effectiveness of such a process is problematic, as contaminated particles sandwiched between the bottom of the receptacle and the adhesive, in which airtightness is not monitored at all, are also liable to be transferred during the operation following cutting.
Furthermore, this process requires the affixing of an adhesive film, the sterility of which is also difficult to monitor and which--in any event--puts a marked strain on the costs of the transfer operation.
This invention has as its objective the resolution of the difficulties associated with the above-mentioned technique, by offering a system which can provide a guaranteed sterile transfer, particularly suited, although not limited to, sterile objects and materials, the design of which enables in addition a reduction in the cost both of the operation and of the packaging required, as well as in the time needed for the operation.
These different objectives are achieved by means of the transfer system which is the subject of the invention, in tha
REFERENCES:
patent: 4715165 (1987-12-01), Thorogood
patent: 5370164 (1994-12-01), Galloway
patent: 5743313 (1998-04-01), Josefsson
Lataix Gilbert
Wicky Charles
Daniel Mark R.
Douglas Steven O.
Hunter, Jr. James M.
Korsen Elliott
Laboratoires MSD - Chibret
LandOfFree
Transfer system between a bag and a sterile enclosure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Transfer system between a bag and a sterile enclosure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Transfer system between a bag and a sterile enclosure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1903718