Sterile container comprising a gas-permeable filter cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856949-B2
Application number	US-201716079731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A filter cassette which is part of a filter system can be fastened to a sterile container lid. The sterile container lid serves to close a sterile container and to make a gas exchange possible between the container exterior and the container interior, without recontaminating the container material. In addition, the filter system fulfils a valve function. In order to center the filter cassette with respect to the sterile container lid, a first centering portion is provided on the filter cassette. The first centering portion interacts with a second centering portion on the sterile container wall section when the filter cassette is inserted into the sterile container lid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sterile container comprising:
a sterile container wall section having at least one gas exchange opening;
a gas-permeable filter cassette configured for insertion in or arrangement on the sterile container wall section;
a cover which is mountable on the sterile container wall section; and
a spring which is fastened to the cover, the spring being configured to exert a prestressing force in order to press the filter cassette onto the sterile container wall section, when the cover is mounted on the sterile container wall section,
the filter cassette comprising a filter element arranged in the filter cassette and a first conical centering portion configured for centering the filter cassette with respect to the sterile container wall section,
the sterile container wall section comprising a second centering portion,
the first conical centering portion of the filter cassette cooperable in a non-self locking manner with the second centering portion provided on the sterile container wall section for centering the filter cassette with respect to the sterile container wall section when the filter cassette is inserted in or arranged on the sterile container wall section.

2. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the first conical centering portion comprises one of a conical projection and a conical seating, and the second centering portion comprises the other of said conical projection and conical seating so that the first conical centering portion and the second centering portion form a non-self locking conical seat when the filter cassette is inserted in or arranged on the sterile container wall section.

3. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the filter cassette is formed from an upper clamping disc and a lower clamping disc.

4. The sterile container according to claim 3 , wherein the filter element is arranged between the upper clamping disc and the lower clamping disc.

5. The sterile container according to claim 1 further comprising a sealing ring provided on the filter cassette.

6. The sterile container according to claim 5 , wherein the sealing ring is provided on an outer peripheral region of the filter cassette and on a side of the filter cassette that faces the sterile container wall section when the filter cassette is inserted in or arranged on the sterile container wall section.

7. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein, when the cover is mounted to the sterile container wall section, the filter cassette is received in the cover so as to be axially movable against the prestressing force of the spring.

8. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring or a disc spring.

9. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is fastened to the cover.

10. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is fastened to the cover by a central pin.

11. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is supported on the filter cassette.

12. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is supported in the center of the cover.

13. The sterile container according to claim 1 further comprising a sterile container lid, wherein the sterile container lid comprises the filter cassette, cover and spring, and wherein the cover is lockable to the sterile container lid.

14. The sterile container according to claim 13 further comprising a bayonet lock, wherein the cover is lockable to the sterile container lid with the bayonet lock.

15. The sterile container according to claim 13 further comprising a container bottom and container walls, wherein the container bottom and container walls form a receiving space, and wherein the sterile container lid is configured for closing the receiving space.

16. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the filter cassette, cover and spring comprise a filter system, and wherein the filter system performs a valve function so that, when a critical pressure difference is reached between an exterior of the container and an interior of the container, a flow path is opened.

17. The sterile container according to claim 16 , wherein the spring transfers a biasing force to the filter cassette so that the filter cassette is pressed against the sterile container wall section, and wherein, when the critical pressure difference is reached or exceeded, an outside force acts on the filter cassette in a direction opposite of the prestressing force of the spring, said outside force being greater than the prestressing force of the spring, so that the filter cassette is forcefully opened from the sterile container wall section against the prestressing force of the spring.

18. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the cover, the spring, the filter cassette and the sterile container wall section are arranged in this order from a sterile container inner side towards a sterile container outer side.

19. The sterile container according to claim 18 , further comprising a sealing ring provided on the filter cassette, wherein the sealing ring is provided on an outer peripheral region of the filter cassette and on a side of the filter cassette that faces the sterile container wall section when the filter cassette is inserted in or arranged on the sterile container wall section, the sealing ring providing a seal between the filter cassette and the sterile container wall section and completely surrounding the gas exchange opening provided in the sterile container wall section, and wherein the spring presses the sealing ring onto the sterile container wall section.

20. The sterile container according to claim 18 , wherein the filter cassette is formed from an upper clamping disc and a lower clamping disc, wherein a sealing ring is provided in an outer peripheral portion of the lower clamping disc and faces the sterile container wall section, the sealing ring providing a seal between the lower clamping disc and the sterile container wall section and completely surrounding the gas exchange opening provided in the sterile container wall section, and wherein the spring presses the sealing ring onto the sterile container wall section.

21. The sterile container according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a disc spring and is fastened to the cover by a central pin.

Assignees

• Aesculap Ag

Inventors

• Bellikli Serkan
• Gray-Dreizler John
• Elisch Andreas
• Weiss Josef-Benedikt

Classifications

• B01D46/0002

  Casings; Housings; Frame constructions · CPC title

• A61L2202/182

  Rigid packaging means · CPC title

• A61L2/07

  Steam · CPC title

• A61L2/26

  Accessories · CPC title

• B01D46/0004

  Details of removable closures, lids, caps or filter heads · CPC title