Packaging system for small-volume aseptic filling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679902-B2
Application number	US-202117332024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A packaging system for sealing a medicine container having a filling opening with a stopper includes a container tray having a container cell for receiving and stabilizing the medicine container. A shuttle has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The interior surface is configured for releasably securing the stopper. The shuttle is configured to release the stopper into the fill opening upon application of a releasing force to the exterior surface of the shuttle. A shuttle tray has a shuttle cell. The shuttle cell forms a body with a proximal opening, an interior space, a bottom inner surface opposite the proximal opening, and a side inner surface. The shuttle cell releasably secures the shuttle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A packaging system comprising:
a container tray having a container cell configured to receive a medicine container;
a plurality of shuttles, each of the plurality of shuttles having:
a body, and
at least one projection having an interior surface and a distal portion having a protrusion, the interior surface being configured to releasably secure a stopper to the shuttle and the protrusion extending radially outwardly of the body, wherein the protrusion includes a tool fitting configured to releasably engage a tool; and

a shuttle tray having a plurality of shuttle cells configured to releasably secure the plurality of shuttles,
wherein a shuttle of the plurality of shuttles is individually removable from the shuttle tray by the tool when the tool engages the tool fitting, and the at least one projection is configured to be deformed by the tool when engaged with the tool fitting to release the stopper from the shuttle and insert the stopper into a fill opening of the medicine container.

2. The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one projection of each of the plurality of shuttles includes:
a first leg extending from the body and configured to releasably secure the stopper to the shuttle; and
a second leg extending from the body and configured to releasably secure the stopper to the shuttle,
wherein the first leg and the second leg are configured to deform and release the stopper.

3. The packaging system of claim 2 , wherein, for each of the plurality of shuttles, the first leg extends radially outwardly of the body in a first direction, and the second leg extends radially outwardly of the body in a second direction opposite of the second direction.

4. The packaging system of claim 2 , wherein the first leg has a first proximally facing surface configured to support a major diameter of the stopper, and the second leg has a second proximally facing surface configured to support the major diameter of the stopper.

5. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttle cells has a lock opening for engaging the protrusion of the at least one projection to releasably secure the plurality of shuttles in the plurality of shuttle cells.

6. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttles comprises a second projection including a second protrusion with a second tool fitting configured to engage the tool.

7. The packaging system of claim 6 , further comprising the tool configured to deform each of the plurality of shuttles, the tool having a first arm configured to engage the tool fitting and a second arm configured to engage the second tool fitting.

8. The packaging system of claim 6 , wherein the tool fitting comprises a first opening through the protrusion and the second tool fitting comprises a second opening through the second protrusion.

9. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the container tray has a plurality of container cells configured to receive a plurality of medicine containers.

10. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the container tray has a flexible latch configured to secure the medicine container.

11. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each stopper is releasably secured to the interior surface of the respective shuttle of the plurality of shuttles.

12. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttle cells has a bottom inner surface and a proximal opening.

13. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle tray has a plurality of lock openings configured to secure the plurality of shuttles to the plurality of shuttle cells.

14. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttles has notches that provide the plurality of shuttles a point of flexion to release the stopper.

15. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttles has distally extending ribs.

16. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the container tray is configured to support the medicine container at an outward angle relative to a vertical axis of the container tray.

17. A method comprising:
receiving a medicine container in a container cell of a container tray;
releasably securing, in a plurality of shuttle cells of a shuttle tray, a plurality of shuttles each with a stopper secured to an interior surface;
individually removing a shuttle of the plurality of shuttles from the shuttle tray with a tool; and
releasing the stopper from the shuttle into a fill opening of the medicine container by deforming the shuttle with the tool.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising supporting the medicine container in the container cell at an outward angle relative to a vertical axis of the container tray.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising flexing the shuttle outwardly to release the stopper.

20. A packaging system comprising:
a container tray having:
a first container cell configured to receive a first medicine container, wherein the container tray is configured to support the first medicine container in the first container cell at a first outward angle relative to a vertical axis of the container tray, and
a second container cell configured to receive a second medicine container, wherein the container tray is configured to support the second medicine container in the second container cell at a second outward angle relative to the vertical axis of the container tray, and the first outward angle and the second outward angle are at different orientations;

a shuttle having an interior surface configured to secure a stopper and to release the stopper into a fill opening of one of the first medicine container when in the first container cell at the first outward angle and the second medicine container when in the second container cell at the second outward angle; and
a shuttle tray having a shuttle cell configured to releasably secure the shuttle.

21. The packaging system of claim 20 , wherein the shuttle has:
a body;
a first leg extending from the body and configured to releasably secure the stopper to the shuttle; and
a second leg extending from the body and configured to releasably secure the stopper to the shuttle,
wherein the first leg and the second leg are configured to deform and release the stopper.

22. The packaging system of claim 20 , further comprising a plurality of shuttles, wherein the shuttle tray has a plurality of shuttle cells configured to releasably receive the plurality of shuttles.

23. The packaging system of claim 20 , wherein the container tray has a plurality of first container cells in a first row and configured to support a plurality of first medicine containers at the first outward angle relative to the vertical axis of the container tray, and a plurality of second container cells in a second row and configured to support a plurality of second medicine containers at the second outward angle relative to the vertical axis of the container tray.

24. The packaging system of claim 20 , wherein the container tray has a flexible latch configured to secure the first medicine container.

25. The packaging system of claim 20 , further comprising a second shuttle having an interior surface configured to secure a second stopper and to release the second stopper into the fill opening of the second medicine container, wherein the shuttle tray has a second shuttle cell configured to releasably secure the second shuttle.

Assignees

• West Pharmaceutical Services Inc

Inventors

• Dinka John
• Claude Eric
• Carlton Robert A
• Erler Lynessa
• Mchugh Kathleen
• Pascale Maria

Classifications

• B65B3/003

  Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like · CPC title

• B65B7/2821 Primary

  applying plugs or threadless stoppers (for bottles or jars B67B1/04) · CPC title

• B65D71/50 Primary

  comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed otherwise than by folding a blank · CPC title

• B67B1/04

  by inserting threadless stoppers, e.g. corks · CPC title

• B65B67/02

  Packaging of articles or materials in containers · CPC title