Device and method for sterilizing a packaging container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850014-B2
Application number	US-201515115509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for sterilization of the interior surface of packaging containers with electron beam, comprising an emitter provided with an electron exit window. The emitter is adapted to emit charge carriers, such as electrons, through the electron exit window, said electrons forming an electron cloud. The device comprises at least one outlet for conditioning at least a sterilized volume in the packaging container. The outlet is adapted to provide a flow of a sterile gaseous medium, thereby generating a first condition at least inside the sterilized volume of the packaging container. The first condition is adapted to prevent any flow of medium from outside the sterilized volume from coming into the sterilized volume without first being sterilized by the electron cloud. The invention also relates to a method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Device for sterilization of an interior surface of a packaging container with electron beam, comprising:
an emitter provided with an electron exit window, said emitter being adapted to emit charge carriers through the electron exit window, said electrons forming an electron cloud;
at least one outlet for conditioning at least a sterilized volume in an interior of the packaging container, the packaging container comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in an axial direction of the packaging container;
wherein the outlet is adapted to provide a flow of a sterile gaseous medium, thereby generating a first condition at least inside the sterilized volume of the packaging container, the outlet being positioned within the interior of the packaging container at an intermediate position in the axial direction between the first and second ends of the packaging container when the outlet provides the flow of the sterile gaseous medium; and
wherein the first condition is adapted to prevent any flow of medium from outside the sterilized volume from coming into the sterilized volume without first being sterilized by the electron cloud.

2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet is adapted to be provided within the electron cloud generated by the electrons emitted from the electron exit window.

3. Device according to claim 2 , wherein said electron cloud and said flow of sterile gaseous medium together create an aseptic barrier during sterilization, and
wherein said aseptic barrier is adapted to prevent any unsterile medium from reaching into the sterilized volume before being sterilized.

4. Device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the emitter and the packaging container are adapted to perform a movement relatively to each other between first and second positions,
wherein the first position is a position in which the packaging container and the emitter are not engaged with each other, and
wherein the second position is a position in which an emitter portion, being provided with the electron exit window, is fully inserted into the packaging container, through an opening of the packaging container, for sterilization of the interior surface of the packaging container.

5. Device according to claim 4 , wherein, during a movement from the second to the first position, the first condition is a flow of sterile gaseous medium configured to be controlled such that a volume of sterile gaseous medium added, per time unit, to the packaging container through the outlet is adapted to at least compensate for the volume of a portion of the emitter leaving the packaging container during the same time unit.

6. Device according to claim 4 , wherein, during a movement from the second to the first position, the first condition is a flow of sterile gaseous medium configured to be controlled such that a volume of sterile gaseous medium added, per time unit, to the packaging container through the outlet is adapted to be larger than the volume of a portion of the emitter leaving the packaging container during the same time unit, such that an outflow of sterile gaseous medium can be created out from the sterilized volume of the packaging container.

7. Device according to claim 4 , wherein, during a movement from the second to the first position, the first condition is a flow of sterile gaseous medium configured to be controlled such that a volume of sterile gaseous medium added, per time unit, to the packaging container through the outlet is adapted to be less than the volume of a portion of the emitter leaving the packaging container during the same time unit, but large enough to prevent any flow of medium from outside the sterilized volume from coming into the sterilized volume without first being sterilized by the electron cloud.

8. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilized volume is formed inside the packaging container, comprises the electron cloud and is separated from an ambient volume by means of the electron cloud.

9. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted to control, adjust and/or adapt the flow of the sterile gaseous medium over time.

10. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a tube, said tube being provided with the outlet.

11. Device according to claim 10 , wherein the tube is arranged on the emitter.

12. Device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the emitter extends basically along an axis,
wherein the electron exit window is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis,
wherein the emitter is adapted to be axially inserted along an extension of the packaging container,
wherein the relative movement is made along the axis, and
wherein the tube extends along the emitter.

13. Device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the tube comprises an end surface in the plane of the electron exit window or a plane parallel to the plane of the electron exit window, and
wherein the end surface comprises the at least one outlet.

14. Device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the tube comprises an outer envelope surface in the vicinity of the electron exit window,
wherein the outer envelope surface comprises the at least one outlet.

15. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is arranged in an irradiation chamber in a filling machine, which filling machine also comprises at least one filling station for filling content into the packaging container, and at least one station for sealing the opening after filling.

16. Method for sterilizing an interior surface of a packaging container with electron beam, the method comprising:
positioning an emitter inside the packaging container, the emitter including an electron exit window
emitting charge carriers through the electron exit window to form an electron cloud,
conditioning at least a sterilized volume inside the packaging container comprising introducing a flow of a sterile gaseous medium inside the container from an outlet positioned inside the packaging container when the flow of the sterile gaseous medium is introduced, the outlet being movable relative to the packaging container while the outlet is positioned inside of the packaging container and the flow of the sterile gaseous medium is being introduced, and
generating, by said flow, a first condition at least inside the sterilized volume of the packaging container that prevents any flow of medium outside the sterilized volume from coming into the sterilized volume without first being sterilized by the electron cloud.

17. Device for sterilizing an interior surface of a packaging container with electron beam comprising:
an emitter comprised of a body that houses a sealed vacuum chamber in which is produced electrons, the body including a free end portion configured to be positioned inside the packaging container and at which is located an electron exit window from which is emitted the electrons while the electron exit window at the free end portion of the body is located in the packaging container to form an electron cloud in the packaging container that produces a sterilized volume in the packaging container;
the emitter and the packaging container being relatively movable so that the emitter moves between one position in which the electron exit window at the free end portion of the body is positioned inside the packaging container to an other position in which the electron exit window at the free end portion of the body is positioned outside the packaging container; and
a sterile gaseous medium tube configured to be connected to a sterile gaseous medium source, the tube being connected to

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Dickner Jonas
• Mellbin Håkan
• Lindgren Roger
• Hansen Fredrik

Classifications

• A61L2103/23

  Containers other than laboratory or medical, e.g. bottles or mail · CPC title

• A61L2/087

  Particle radiation, e.g. electron-beam, alpha or beta radiation · CPC title

• B65B55/08 Primary

  by irradiation · CPC title

• A61L2202/121

  Sealings, e.g. doors, covers, valves, sluices · CPC title

• B65B55/10

  by liquids or gases · CPC title