Method and device for sterilizing packaging material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053252-B2
Application number	US-201715682141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A method for sterilizing packaging material comprises an emitter that is adapted to emit charge carriers, in particular electrons, wherein the charge carriers form at least one cloud, and wherein the emitter and the packaging material are moved relative to each other so that a flow of a gaseous medium is established in between the emitter and the packaging material. The method comprises the steps of: controlling a movement profile between the emitter and the packaging material; sterilizing the flow of the medium in between the emitter and the packaging material by adjusting the movement profile so that the flow of the medium in between the emitter and the packaging material is sterilized. Also disclosed is a device for sterilizing packaging material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for sterilizing tube-shaped packaging material through use of an emitter that emits charge carriers forming at least one cloud, the tube-shaped packaging material possessing an open end that opens into an interior of the tube-shaped packaging material, the emitter including an electron exit window through which the charge carriers are emitted, the method comprising:
relatively moving the emitter and the packaging material from a first position at which the electron exit window and the open end of the tube-shaped packaging material are at the same level to a second position at which the electron exit window is in the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material;
relatively moving the emitter and the packaging material from the second position to the first position while emitting the charge carriers that form the at least one cloud to produce a flow of a gaseous medium between the emitter and the packaging material;
sterilizing, by the at least one cloud, the flow of the gaseous medium between the emitter and the packaging material by adjusting a movement profile between the emitter and the packaging material; and
the adjusting of the movement profile comprising adjusting the movement profile so that a time span for moving from the first position to the second position is shorter than a time span for moving from the second position to the first position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the relatively moving of the emitter and the packaging material comprises moving the emitter to insert the emitter into the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tube-shaped packaging material extends along an axis, the method comprising: wherein the at least one cloud formed by the emitting of the charge carriers is sufficiently large to at least cover an inner cross-section of the tube-shaped packaging material, said inner cross section being perpendicular to the axis.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tube-shaped packaging material extends along an axis, the cloud possesses a width that extends perpendicular to the axis, and the cloud possesses a length that extends along the axis,
the method comprising:
providing a power supply configured to influence the width and the length of the at least one cloud; and
operating the power supply so that the width of the cloud covers at least an area between the emitter and the packaging material.

5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising: adapting an energy level of the charge carriers and/or a dose rate of the emitter as a function of a flow-speed of the gaseous medium in between the emitter and the packaging material.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tube-shaped packaging material extends along an axis, and the at least one cloud possesses a width that extends perpendicular to the axis and a length that extends along the axis,
the method comprising adapting the length and/or the width of the at least one cloud when the emitter is outside the packaging material after moving from the second position to the first position to cover the opening of the tube-shaped packaging material with the at least one cloud.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
lowering and/or stopping a speed of the emitter when the emitter is above the opening after moving from the second position to the first position; and
sterilizing an inflow of the gaseous medium.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tube-shaped packaging material extends along an axis,
the method comprising moving the tube-shaped packaging material along the axis through operation of a drive unit to produce the movement profile.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising creating overpressure in the interior of the tube shaped packaging material to prevent the gaseous medium from flowing into the tube shaped packaging material.

10. Method for sterilizing packaging material, comprising
relatively moving packaging material and an emitter while the emitter is emitting charge carriers forming a cloud to produce relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material and to sterilize a surface of the packaging material;
the relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material also establishing a flow of a gaseous medium between the emitter and the packaging material; and
controlling the relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material while the emitter is emitting charge carriers so that the cloud forms an aseptic barrier between the sterilized surface of the packaging material and the emitter that sterilizes the flow of the gaseous medium between the emitter and the packaging material so that for all of the gaseous medium that comes into contact with the sterilized surface of the packaging material, all of such gaseous medium that comes into contact with the sterilized surface of the packaging material is sterilized before coming into contact with the sterilized surface of the packaging material.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the packaging material is tube-shaped packaging material possessing an interior that is accessible by an open end of the tube-shaped packaging material, and further comprising moving at least one of the packaging material and the emitter to introduce the emitter into the open end of the tube-shaped packaging material before producing the relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the controlling of the relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material comprises moving at least one of the packaging material and the emitter to withdraw the emitter from the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling of the relative movement between the emitter and the packaging material comprises moving at least one of the packaging material and the emitter to cause the emitter and the packaging material to move away from one another.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the packaging material is tube-shaped packaging material possessing an interior that is accessible by way of an open end of the tube-shaped packaging material, the surface of the packaging material being an interior surface of the tube-shaped packaging material, the emitter being positioned in the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material while the emitter is emitting the charge carriers forming the at least one cloud to sterilize the interior surface of the tube-shaped packaging material.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the packaging material is tube-shaped packaging material possessing a central axis, the emitter emitting the charge carriers so that the at least one cloud at least covers an inner cross-section of the tube-shaped packaging material that is perpendicular to the central axis.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the packaging material is tube-shaped packaging material possessing an interior that is accessible by way of an open end of the tube-shaped packaging material, and further comprising moving at least one of the packaging material and the emitter to introduce the emitter into the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material by way of the open end of the tube-shaped packaging material, the introduction of the emitter into the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material creating an outflow of the gaseous medium out of the interior of the tube-shaped packaging material.

17. The method according to claim 10 , w

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Lindgren Roger
• Mellbin Håkan
• Dickner Jonas
• Hansen Fredrik

Classifications

• A61L2/087 Primary

  Particle radiation, e.g. electron-beam, alpha or beta radiation · CPC title

• B65B55/08

  by irradiation · CPC title

• G21K5/10

  with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated · CPC title

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title

• B65B55/16 Primary

  by irradiation · CPC title