Cover removal system for use in controlled environment enclosures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE50633-E
Application number	US-202217950997-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	May 3, 2012
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus and method are presented for removing container covers within a controlled environment enclosure without using gloves. The apparatus comprises an articulated arm apparatus and a gripping apparatus and can further comprise a controller. The articulated arm apparatus can be configurable for holding and moving a container in three dimensions; and the gripping apparatus can be configured for gripping a container cover sealing the container. The method comprises moving the container using the articulated arm apparatus while holding a gripping area of the container cover substantially stationary using the gripping apparatus. The apparatus can further comprise a sensor configured for supplying information to the controller for determining the location of the container cover gripping area and an orientation of the container cover. The method can further comprise inspecting the container cover using the sensor. The container can be moved along a path and within a space determined by the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a controlled environment enclosure having an aseptic interior;
within the controlled environment enclosure an articulated arm apparatus and a separate rotary gripping apparatus;
wherein the articulated arm apparatus is configurable for holding and moving a container in three dimensions; and
the rotary gripping apparatus is configured for gripping in a substantially stationary position a gripping area of a container cover sealing the container when the articulated arm apparatus is moving the container; and
a sensor configured for supplying information to the controller for determining at least one of a location of the container cover gripping area and an orientation of the container cover.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the articulated arm apparatus is configurable for holding and moving a container in three dimensions;
the rotary gripping apparatus is configured for gripping a gripping area of a container cover sealing the container.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the rotary gripping apparatus comprises two gripping elements having facing mutually engagable surfaces, at least one of the two gripping elements being rotatable about a common axis with the other of the two gripping elements to grip the gripping area of the container cover between the two facing mutually engagable surfaces; and
the articulated arm apparatus comprises at least two arm segments, at least one arm segment being configurable to hold the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the articulated arm apparatus and the rotary gripping apparatus can be separated by a distance large enough for the gripping apparatus to not interfere with the working of the articulated arm apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a controller for controlling at least the articulated arm apparatus and the gripping apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the moving the container is moving the container along a path that is determined by the controller and the moving the container is contained within a space determined by the controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a sensor configured for supplying information to the controller for determining at least one of a location of the container cover gripping area and an orientation of the container cover.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the articulated arm apparatus is at least one of automatically controlled and reprogrammable.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the gripping apparatus is at least one of automatically controlled and reprogrammable.

10. An apparatus for peeling a cover from a pharmaceutical tub sealed with the cover, the apparatus comprising:
a controlled environment enclosure configured for maintaining within an interior of the enclosure an aseptic condition and an air pressure different from an air pressure exterior to the enclosure;
a mechanical gripper positioned within the controlled environment enclosure, the gripper having mutually facing upper and lower arms, the arms disposed and configured for gripping and holding substantially stationary a gripping area of the cover by mutually engaging the cover between grip surfaces of the arms when the arms are mutually engaged; and
an automated mechanical holder positioned within the controlled environment enclosure, disposed and configured for engaging the pharmaceutical tub and for moving the tub to peel the cover from the tub while the gripper holds the gripping area of the cover substantially stationary; and
a sensor configured for supplying information to the controller for determing at least one of a location of the pharmaceutical tub cover gripping area and an orientation of the pharmaceutical tub cover.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an air filter in fluid communication with an interior of the controlled environment enclosure, the filter configured for providing within the interior of the enclosure air filtered through the filter.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a controller for controlling at least the automated mechanical holder and the gripper.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller determines a path for movement of the pharmaceutical tub and the controller determines the movement of the pharmaceutical tub to be contained within a space.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising
a sensor configured for supplying information to the controller for determining at least one of a location of the pharmaceutical tub cover gripping area and an orientation of the pharmaceutical tub cover.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the automated mechanical holder is at least one of automatically controlled and reprogrammable.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the gripper is at least one of automatically controlled and reprogrammable.

17. The method apparatus of claim 10 1 wherein the controlled environment enclosure is configured for maintaining with an interior of the enclosure and air pressure different from an air pressure exterior to the enclosure.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the gripper is rotatable and may rotate while the gripper holds the gripping area of the cover.

Assignees

• Vanrx Pharmasystems Inc

Inventors

• Procyshyn Christopher
• Gold Ross M
• Park Steve Sang Joon
• Immerzeel Jeroen
• NOWAKCZYK Paul

Classifications

• B67B7/38

  Power-operated cutting devices (machines for domestic use with a plurality of interchangeable units A47J43/06, A47J44/00) · CPC title

• G01N2035/0405

  manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers · CPC title

• G01N2035/00277

  Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material) · CPC title

• G01N35/0099

  comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J) · CPC title

• B67B7/00

  Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers (nail pullers or extractors B25C11/00; attached to, or incorporated in, containers or container closures {B65D75/58, B65D77/30}) · CPC title