Method of transferring a plurality of containers and/or closure elements into a clean room, transport and packaging container and packaging structure therefore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034477-B2
Application number	US-201715442941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A transport and packaging container for a plurality of pharmaceutical containers and a method for transferring the pharmaceutical containers from the transport and packaging containers into a clean room are provided. By placing a side wall of the transport and packaging container in close proximity to or in contact with the side wall of the clean room and by opening the side wall of the transport and packaging container and a transfer port door of the clean room, the pharmaceutical containers can be transferred into the inside space of the clean room via the access opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transferring a plurality of containers for storage of substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic purposes and/or closure elements of such containers from a transport and packaging container into a clean room, wherein the transport and packaging container has a side wall having an access opening, which is sterile sealed by a gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the transport and packaging container together with the plurality of containers and/or closure elements accommodated therein, so that the side wall of the transport and packaging container is disposed directly at a side wall of the clean room and in close proximity to a transfer port door of the clean room;
opening the transfer port door, wherein by coupling the gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover with the transfer port door the gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover is separated from the side wall of the transport and packaging container at the same time so that the access opening of the transport and packaging container is in communication with an inside space of the clean room;
transferring the plurality of containers and/or the closure elements from the transport and packaging container into the inside space of the clean room; and
closing the transfer port door.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the side wall of the transport and packaging container is placed so close to the side wall of the clean room that a gap between the side wall of the transport and packaging container and the side wall of the clean room is sealed by a sealing element.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the sealing element is an elastic sealing element, which is disposed on the side wall of the transport and packaging container and/or on the side wall of the clean room.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling of the gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover with the transfer port door is performed by latching, by temporarily fixing the gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover on an outside of the transfer port door by adjustable grippers or by sucking the gas-permeable protective sheet or gas-permeable cover against the outside of the transfer port door by suction devices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas-permeable protective sheet is a gas-permeable plastic film consisting of a mesh of plastics fibers that is bonded to the side wall of the transport and packaging container.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover, when present, has a gas-impermeable frame having an opening, which is sterile sealed by a gas-permeable plastic film, or wherein the gas-permeable protective sheet, when present, is a gas-permeable plastic film consisting of a mesh of plastics fibers that is bonded to the side wall of the transport and packaging container.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , comprising the further step of sterilizing an inside space of the transport and packaging container and/or the containers accommodated therein and/or the closure elements by a flow of a gas or vapor through the gas-permeable protective sheet.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising the further step of sterilizing an inside space of the transport and packaging container and/or the containers accommodated therein and/or the closure elements by a flow of a gas or vapor through the gas-permeable protective sheet.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a heating device is disposed at the transfer port door in correspondence with an adhesive rim along which the gas-permeable plastic film is bonded to an edge of the side wall of the transport and packaging container, wherein:
the adhesive rim is heated and softened by activating the heating device, and
the gas-permeable plastic film is coupled with the transfer port door in such a manner that the gas-permeable plastic film is pulled off from the side wall of the transport and packaging container by opening the transfer port door after the softening of the adhesive rim.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a heating device is disposed at the transfer port door in correspondence with an adhesive rim along which the gas-permeable plastic film is bonded to the frame, wherein
the adhesive rim is heated and softened by activating the heating device, and
the gas-permeable plastic film is coupled with the transfer port door in such a manner that the gas-permeable plastic film is pulled off from the frame by opening the transfer port door after the softening of the adhesive rim.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
the gas-permeable protective sheet is disposed on the side wall of the transport and packaging container,
a plurality of recesses or depressions is formed in the side wall of the transport and packaging container,
adjustable gripping devices corresponding to the recesses or depressions are disposed on an outside of the transfer port door,
the gripping devices are adjusted such that, in a first position of the gripping devices, the transport and packaging container is brought freely to a vicinity of the transfer port door of the clean room,
the gripping devices are then adjusted to a second position, in which the gripping devices engage with the corresponding recesses or depressions in the side wall of the transport and packaging container behind the gas-permeable protective sheet for temporarily fixing the gas-permeable protective sheet to the transfer port door,
the transfer port door is opened in the second position of the gripping devices, and
the gripping devices are adjusted back to the first position after closing the transfer port door.

12. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:
the gas-permeable protective sheet is disposed on a frame-like projection formed on the side wall of the transport and packaging container,
a plurality of recesses or depressions is formed in the frame-like projection,
adjustable gripping devices corresponding to the recesses or depressions are disposed on an outside of the transfer port door,
the gripping devices are adjusted such that, in a first position of the gripping devices, the transport and packaging container is brought freely to a vicinity of the transfer port door of the clean room,
the gripping devices are then adjusted to a second position, in which the gripping devices engage with the corresponding recesses or depressions in the frame-like projection behind the gas-permeable protective sheet for temporarily fixing the gas-permeable protective sheet to the transfer port door,
the transfer port door is opened in the second position of the gripping devices, and
the gripping devices are adjusted back to the first position after closing the transfer port door.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein all the containers and/or the closure elements are supported in a supporting structure which is accommodated in said transport and packaging container and wherein the supporting structure together with the containers and/or the closure elements supported by it are transferred from the transport and packaging container into the inside space of the clean room by shifting.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the supporting structure comprises a box-shaped bottom part having a bottom, on which the containers are directly supported, and wherein the box-shaped bottom part is shifted directly on a bottom of the transport and packaging container and transferred to the clean room.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Deutschle Gregor Fritz
• Pawlowski Edgar

Classifications

• B01L1/02 Primary

  Air-pressure chambers; Air-locks therefor · CPC title

• G21F7/005

  Shielded passages through walls; Locks; Transferring devices between rooms (between glove-boxes G21F7/047) · CPC title

• B01L3/527

  for a plurality of reagents · CPC title

• B01L9/06

  Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders · CPC title

• A61B50/30

  Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments (for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40) · CPC title