Method for determining a weld integrity test result

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11927503-B2
Application number	US-201917276981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2019
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer implemented method for determining a weld integrity test result performed by a system configured to aseptically transferring cells to a container (BR), the method comprising welding ( 710 ) a vial to a connector to obtain a fluid-tight seal between the vial (V) and a connector (C), the connector being provided with a pair of conduits each having one end protruding through the connector and into the vial, sealing ( 720 ) an opposite end of one of the conduits, generating ( 730 ) a fluid pressure different to an ambient fluid pressure at an opposite end of the other conduit, measuring ( 740 ) a fluid pressure within at least one of the conduits, determining ( 750 ) a fluid pressure change based on the ambient pressure and the measured fluid pressure, determining ( 760 ) the weld integrity test result as pass or as fail based on the fluid pressure change.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for determining a weld integrity test result performed by a system configured to aseptically transferring cells to a container, the method comprising:
welding a vial to a connector to obtain a fluid-tight seal between the vial and a connector, the connector being provided with a pair of conduits each having one end protruding through the connector and into the vial,
sealing an opposite end of one of the conduits,
generating a fluid pressure different to an ambient fluid pressure at an opposite end of the other conduit,
measuring a fluid pressure within at least one of the conduits,
determining a fluid pressure change based on the ambient pressure and the measured fluid pressure, and
determining the weld integrity test result as pass or as fail based on the fluid pressure change.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weld integrity test result is determined as pass if the fluid pressure change is equal to or above a threshold or determining the test result as fail if the pressure is below the threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
sealing the opposite end of the other conduit,
halting the generation of the fluid pressure,
performing multiple fluid pressure measurements over a period of time,
determining a fluid pressure trend based on the multiple fluid pressure measurements, and,
determining the weld integrity test result as fail if the fluid pressure trend is indicative of increasing or decreasing measured fluid pressure.

4. A control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

5. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a control unit, when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit comprised in the control unit, to perform any of the method steps according to claim 1 .

6. A carrier containing the computer program of claim 5 , wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, optical signal, radio signal, or computer readable storage medium.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the fluid pressure is generated at a higher pressure which is greater than the ambient fluid pressure, or
the fluid pressure is generated at a lower pressure which is less than the ambient fluid pressure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the steps of generating a fluid pressure, measuring a fluid pressure and determining a fluid pressure change are performed both for the higher pressure and for the lower pressure, and
wherein the weld integrity test result is based on the fluid pressure change resulting from generating both the higher pressure and from the lower pressure.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lower pressure comprises a vacuum pressure.

Assignees

• Cytiva Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Hindupur Sameera Simha
• Ramakrishna Manoj Kumar
• Castan Andreas
• Puranik Swapnil
• Gebauer Klaus

Classifications

• G01M3/2884 Primary

  for welds (G01M3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/8246

  Pressure tests, e.g. hydrostatic pressure tests · CPC title

• B29C66/522

  Joining tubular articles (B29C66/53241 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C12M23/40

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title

• C12M37/04 Primary

  Seals · CPC title