Evacuation/fill station for radioactive fluid container production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186389-B2
Application number	US-201916433181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A unit dose container production system (10) is disclosed where a unit dose container (130) is evacuated and thereafter loaded with a radioactive fluid while remaining at a single location. In this regard, the production system (10) uses a first conveyor (12) to sequentially load unit dose containers (130) into an empty container receptacle (24) of a second conveyor (20) at a first location (90). The second conveyor (20) may be operated to dispose a container receptacle (24) at each of the first location (90), a second location (100), and a third location (110). A unit dose container (130) at the second location (100) is evacuated and thereafter loaded with a radioactive fluid, and is thereafter moved to a third location (110) by the second conveyor (20). The unit dose container (130) is removed from the second conveyor (20) at the third location (110), and thereafter the radioactivity content of a unit dose container (130) may be determined, such as at an ionization chamber or the like.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of producing unit dose containers of radioactive fluid, comprising the steps of:
a first operating step comprising operating a first conveyor to sequentially transport a plurality of containers to a first location;
loading each container of said plurality of containers, that is transported to said first location by said first conveyor, onto a second conveyor;
a second operating step comprising operating said second conveyor to transport said container, that is currently at said first location, from said first location to a second location;
removing a first fluid from said container that is currently at said second location;
dispensing a second fluid into said container that is currently at said second location, wherein said dispensing step is executed after said removing step, and wherein said second fluid is radioactive; and
said second operating step further comprising operating said second conveyor to transport said container, that is currently at said second location, from said second location to a third location,
wherein said removing a first fluid step comprises generating a vacuum within said container while at said second location, wherein said removing a first fluid step comprises removing air from said container while at said second location, and wherein said dispensing a second fluid step comprises dispensing xenon gas into said container that is currently at said second location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said operating a first conveyor step comprises advancing each said container of said plurality of containers along a common axial path, and wherein said second operating step comprise rotating said second conveyor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second conveyor comprises a plurality of container receptacles that are disposed in spaced relation to one another, and wherein an empty container receptacle of said plurality of container receptacles is at said first location for each execution of said loading step.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein when a first container of said plurality of containers is in a first container receptacle of said plurality of receptacles and is disposed at said first location, a second container receptacle of said plurality of receptacles is disposed at said third location, and wherein said second operating step further comprises operating said second conveyor to simultaneously:
transport said first container from said first location to said second location; and
transport said second container receptacle away from said third location and in a direction of said first location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said first conveyor comprises extending at least from said first location to at least to said third location, and wherein a second container of said plurality of containers is in said second container receptacle of said second conveyor when said second container receptacle is at said third location, said method further comprising:
transporting said second container away from said third location prior to transporting said first container from said first location to said second location using said second conveyor; and
measuring a radioactivity content of said second container after being transported away from said third location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said removing a first fluid step comprises operating one pump, and wherein said dispensing a second fluid step comprises operating another pump.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said container of said plurality of containers comprises a seal, said method further comprising:
directing a dispensing needle through said seal of said container that is currently at said second location, wherein said removing step and said dispensing step, for said container that is currently at said second location, are each executed through said dispensing needle and after said directing step.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a first pump and a second pump are each fluidly connectable with said dispensing needle through a diverter valve, said method further comprising:
disposing said diverter valve in a second position to fluidly connect said second pump with said dispensing needle for execution of said removing a first fluid step; and
disposing said diverter valve in a first position to fluidly connect said first pump with said dispensing needle for execution of said dispensing a second fluid step.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
returning said diverter valve from said first position back to said second position after said dispensing a second fluid step; and
directing a third fluid into said container, through said dispensing needle, and after said returning step.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first fluid that is removed from said container that is currently at said second location is air, and wherein said directing a third fluid step comprises passing air through a filter prior to entering said dispensing needle for provision to said container that is currently at said second location.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring a radioactivity content of said container at some point in time after said container has been transported to said third location; and
disposing each said container in its own shielded transport container at some point in time after execution of its corresponding said dispensing a second fluid step.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second operating step comprises moving said second conveyor in predetermined increments where said second conveyor is stationary between each incremental movement of said second conveyor.

13. A system for producing unit dose containers of radioactive fluid, comprising:
a first conveyor operable to sequentially transport a plurality of containers to a first location;
a second conveyor comprising a plurality of container receptacles that are disposed in spaced relation to one another, wherein said second conveyor is operable to sequentially position a given container receptacle of said plurality of container receptacles at each of said first location, a second location, and a third location, wherein said first, second, and third locations are spaced from one another;
a dispensing needle aligned with said second location;
an actuator that is operable to advance said dispensing needle relative to a container when disposed in one of said container receptacles of said second conveyor and while at said second location;
a vacuum source fluidly connectable with said dispensing needle; and
a radioactive fluid source fluidly connectable with said dispensing needle;
wherein at least one of said vacuum source and said radioactive fluid source comprises a syringe.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said first conveyor is a linear conveyor.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein said second conveyor is a rotatable turntable.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein said actuator is a linear actuator that is operable to move said dispensing needle in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein said vacuum source comprises an evacuation syringe.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein said radioactive fluid source comprises a dispensing syringe.

19. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a diverter valve disposed between said dispensing needle and each of said vacuum source and said radioactive fluid source.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein said diverter valve is disposable in a first posit

Assignees

• Curium Us Llc

Inventors

• Verma Sumit
• Graves Kevin B

Classifications

• B65B31/044

  the nozzles being combined with a filling device (B65B31/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B43/52

  using roller-ways or endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B59/001

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged · CPC title

• B65B57/145

  for fluent material · CPC title

• B65B3/12

  mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps · CPC title