Inflatable container for transporting a biopharmaceutical fluid and system and method implementing such a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008148-B2
Application number	US-201616060131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a container for transporting a biopharmaceutical fluid, the container including a leak-tight wall having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion and the inner portion delimiting between them an intermediate space that may be inflated under pressure with an inflation gas, the container being adapted to be alternately in: a non-inflated state in which the container is empty of pressurized inflation gas; an inflated state in which the wall of the container is inflated and delimits an internal cavity adapted to contain the biopharmaceutical fluid. The wall includes a peripheral lateral wall around the internal cavity, the peripheral lateral wall being completely rigid or semi-rigid when the container is in the inflated state so as to ensure a protection of the biopharmaceutical fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container and a biopharmaceutical fluid, the container comprising:
a leak-tight wall having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion and the inner portion delimiting between them an intermediate space being inflatable under pressure with an inflation gas, the intermediate space comprising a plurality of rigid plastic material filaments, each of the plurality of rigid plastic material filaments being spaced from each other and each of the plurality of rigid plastic material filaments extending between the outer portion and the inner portion,
the container being adapted to be alternately in:
a non-inflated state in which the container is empty of pressurized inflation gas,
an inflated state in which the leak-tight wall of the container is inflated and delimits an internal cavity adapted to contain the biopharmaceutical fluid,

the leak-tight wall comprising a peripheral lateral wall around the internal cavity, the peripheral lateral wall being completely rigid or semi-rigid when the container is in the inflated state so as be adapted to ensure a protection of the biopharmaceutical fluid,
wherein the outer portion or the inner portion each comprise a plurality of layers of plastic material stuck together superposed one on top of the other,
wherein the internal cavity of the container has a capacity of between 100 liters and 1000 liters, and
wherein in the inflated state, the container is sufficiently rigid to support itself while containing the biopharmaceutical fluid during transport.

2. The container according to claim 1 , in which the internal cavity is completely surrounded by the leak-tight wall so as to form a closed and sterile internal cavity.

3. The container according to claim 1 , in which the inner portion is compatible with or neutral to the biopharmaceutical fluid, the biopharmaceutical fluid being directly in contact with the inner portion.

4. The container according to claim 1 , comprising at least one injection orifice for inflation gas fluidically connected with the intermediate space, an injection tube being associated with the injection orifice by a leak-tight link and having an injection inlet opposite the injection orifice.

5. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity of the container has a capacity of between 200 liters and 500 liters.

6. The container according to claim 1 , in which the container comprises a bottom wall linked to the lateral peripheral wall, the lateral peripheral wall being arranged vertically and transversely to the bottom wall such that the container in the inflated state is in the form of a tank.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein in the inflated state the leak-tight wall provides the container with an elastic nature that provides a damping function in an event of an impact or a turbulence during operations of transporting the container.

8. The container of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of rigid plastic material filaments is comprised of a polyester.

9. The container according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one injection orifice for inflation gas fluidically connected with the intermediate space, an injection tube being associated with the injection orifice by a leak-tight link and having an injection inlet opposite the injection orifice, wherein in the inflated state, the at least four layers of plastic material that comprise each of the outer portion and the inner portion remain superposed one on top of the other with adjacent interior surfaces in all of an area defined within a perimeter of the outer portion and a perimeter of the inner portion being stuck together.

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Fmt Sas

Inventors

• Schlack Stefan
• Cappia Jean-Marc

Classifications

• A01N1/148

  with provisions specially adapted for transporting · CPC title

• A01N1/144

  for temperature control, e.g. refrigerators or freeze-drying apparatus · CPC title

• B01F35/513

  Flexible receptacles, e.g. bags supported by rigid containers · CPC title

• B01F23/233

  using driven stirrers with completely immersed stirring elements · CPC title

• B01F23/231

  by bubbling (mixers with gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes B01F33/40) · CPC title