The invention relates to a method of transferring into a clean room at least one object that is packed in a bag an sterilised.
The invention also relates to an airlock for a clean room for transferring at least one object packed in a bag through an inlet opening.
A method of the type set out above is known from DE 10 044 117 A1. The aim of the known method is to transfer into a clean room objects, more particularly medical objects, in a sterile state. Here, the objects, for example syringes, are arranged in a container made of plastic, which is open at the top and covered there with a gas-permeable, but germ-proof material. The covering of germ-proof material is sealed onto the container with a sealing seam. The thus sealed container is packed into a bag which in turn is made entirely or partially of the same, or similar material to the cover, and again seals the container in a germ-proof but gas-permeable manner. After placing the objects in the container, sealing of the container and packing the container into the bag, the entity is sterilised in a sterilisation chamber. After removal from the sterilisation chamber the packed objects as well as the complete container are sterile. The same applies to the intermediate space between the bag and the container. The outer packaging by way of the bag prevents recontamination of the container. The thus packed container with the objects is then taken its destination. There, the container is taken out of the bag and passed through an airlock into a sterile clean room.
The principal disadvantage of the known method is that due to the necessary removal of the outer packaging before transferring the container into the clean room, there is a risk of contamination of the surface of the container. A further disadvantage is the relatively costly and time-consuming packaging process.
One of the tasks of the invention is therefore to create a method and/or a device which can guarantee complete prevention of contamination when transferring already sterilised objects from a transporting bag into a clean room.
This objective is achieved without a method of the type set out in the introduction, in that a bag is connected with an inner liner connecting the clean room with the outside room and opened at an area facing the inner liner, so that a tube-like connection, closed to the outside room, is formed between the interior of the bag and the inner liner, through which the at least one object is transferred into the clean room.
As a result of the closed system comprising the inner liner and bag, during the transfer procedure contamination of the object(s) in the bag, for example, replacement parts, production accessories, bottles, closures, containers, syringes, flasks, tools etc. can be prevented. The inner liner is designed in the manner of a hose. It can, for example, be formed from an internally and externally weldable and endless flexible tube which is peelable on its inner side after welding.
In accordance with an advantageous variant of the invention the bag is made of an endless flexible tube which can be welded on its outside and inside, whereby after welding the inside of the endless flexible tube it is peelable, and after filling with the at least one object, the bag is closed by welding and the at least one object is sterilised.
To transfer the at least one object into the clean room, an inlet of the inner liner can be arranged around the outside of the bag in such a way that the lateral edge of the inlet comes to lie above a welding seam closing the bag, whereupon the bag is welded to the inlet, so that between its existing welding seam and the inlet-side edge of the inlet, at least one continuous new second welding seam is produced, which connects the inside of the inlet with the outside of the bag, and, at the same point, the inside of the bag, whereupon the peelable inner side of the bag is loosened and the bag is opened in the direction of the clean room to transfer the at least one object.
An alternative variant of the invention envisages that the bag has an inlet and the inner liner is also formed of an endless flexible tube, which is closed with a welding seam, whereby the inlet is arranged so that the edge of the inlet comes to rest above the welding seam, whereupon the endless flexible tube is welded to the inlet, so that between the existing welding seam and the edge of the inlet at least one continuous new second welding seam is produced, which connects the inside of the inlet with the outside of the endless flexible tube, and, at the same point, the inside of the endless flexible tube, whereupon the peelable inside of the endless flexible tube (1a) is loosened and the bag is peeled open and opened in the direction of the clean room to transfer the at least one object.
A further variant of the invention, which is characterised in that with it contamination of objects to be transferred can be very effectively prevented, envisages that a sterilised sack is welded to the inlet of the inner liner, whereby the sterilised sack has a tube-like transition film, which is not internally, but externally weldable and is connected with its side turned away from the inlet to a sack-like sealing film, the sack base of which is within the transition film, and the sack edge of which is connected, for example, welded, to the side of the transition film turned away from the inlet, whereby for the sealing film a synthetic material is selected which is easily weldeable, and the sack-like sealing film is arranged around the outside of the bag containing the at least one object in such a way that the welding seam closing this bag comes to lie within the sack, whereby the bag containing the at least one object is welded to the sealing film so that between the existing welding seam of the bag containing the at least one object and the free edge of the sealing film at least one new welding seam, preferably a double welding seam, is produced, which connects the inside of the sealing film with the outside of the bag containing the at least one object, and, at the same point, the inside of the bag containing the at least one object, whereby during this welding procedure in the middle of the welding seam, preferably between the double welding seams, a separating seam is applied, so that the part, facing the inner liner, of the bag containing the object, is separated in the form of a token enclosing a material together with the surrounding sealing film, whereupon the peelable inner side of the bag containing the at least one object is loosened at a second welded point, so that the at least one object can be transferred into the clean room.
Alternatively to the above variant of the invention the bag can have an inlet to which a sterilised sack is welded, whereby the sterilised sack has a tube-like transition film, which is not internally, but externally weldable and is connected with its side turned away from the inlet to a sack-like sealing film, the sack base of which lies within the transition film and the sack edge is connected, for example welded, to the side of the transition film turned away from the inlet, whereby for the sealing film a synthetic material is selected which is easily weldable, and the sack-like sealing film is arranged around the outside of the inner liner in such a way that a welding seam closing the inner liner comes to lie within the sack, whereby the inner liner is welded to the sealing film, so that between the already existing welding seam of the inner liner and the free edge of the sealing film at least one continuous new welding seam, preferably a double welding seam, is produced, which connects the inside of the sealing film with the outside of the inner liner and, at the same point, the inside of the inner liner, whereby during this welding procedure in the middle of the welding seam, preferably between the double welding seam, a separating weld is produced, so that the part of the bag facing the inner liner is separated in the form of token enclosing a material along with the sealing film surrounding it, whereupon the peelable inside of the inner liner is loosened at its second welded point, so that the at least one object can be transferred into the clean room after peeling open the bag.
The formation of a separated token can be avoided in that the bag has a sack-shaped receptacle for a welded end section of the inner liner, whereby the receptacle is double-walled and is made of a externally weldable and internally non-weldable synthetic material and the walls of the receptacle delimit two separate sections, one of which is closed towards the bag, and the other area is connected to the interior of the bag, whereby for transferring the bag contents, the section of the end section of the inner liner is arranged in the receptacle in such a way that the welding seam comes to lie within the receptacle, whereupon the receptacle and the section of the inlet located therein are welded, so that between the edge of the receptacle and the existing welding seam of the inner liner a further welding seam is produced, whereby a separating seam is placed, preferable in the middle of the further welding seam, so that after loosening of the separating layer between the inside of the bag and the inner liner a tube-like connection for transferring the at least one object into the clean room is produced, and the separated section of the inner liner is contained in a space formed by the base of the receptacle and an outer side wall of the area closed towards the bag and separated section of an external wall of the area open to towards the bag. After transferring the at least one object into the clean room the tube-like connection between the bag and the inner liner is interrupted by applying a welding seam and the inner liner is separated from the bag. In connection which this it has been proven to be particularly advantageous for the inner liner to be formed of an endless flexible tube arranged axially around the inlet to the clean room.
The above objective can also be achieved with an airlock of the type set out in the introductory section in that the airlock has an inner liner penetrating through the inlet opening and connecting the clean room with an outer room, whereby welding means are provided for connecting the inner liner with the bag.
Particularly good protection against contamination of the clean room can be achieved in that the inner liner is closed toward the outer room before the transfer process. Advantageously the inner liner is designed as a weldable endless flexible tube, which is peelable on the inside after welding, through which slight opening of the inner liner in the direction of the bag after welding can be assured.
A further advantageous variant of the invention envisages that the airlock has a chamber, arranged annularly around an inlet to the clean room, in which the inner liner is stored axially around the inlet opening.
The invention, and further advantages, is explained in more detail below with the aid of non-restrictive examples of embodiment shown in the drawing. Schematically:
a, b, c show the production and sterilisation of objects as well as packaging into bags;
No longer shown is the detachment of the endless flexible tube after applying the separation weld at the third point of the endless flexible tube. With regard to this reference is made
The figures are described contiguously and in an overall manner. The same components have the same reference number. Similar components or functionally-similar components have the same reference numbers with differing indices.
As shown in
The objects 1′ are then packed into bags 1 (
In accordance with
With one free end, which is closed with a closable welding seam 3a, bag 1 faces an inlet 2a. The inlet 2a is part of the inner liner 4a and is internally weldable. In this form of embodiment it is open and therefore not sterile.
In this way a closed transfer process is brought about. The outer side of both the endless flexible tube 1a and bag 1, as well as the inner liner 4a do not come into contact with the objects 1′ to be transferred.
The same feature, but also in addition thereto, the more sterile working conditions, i.e. the fact that during the transfer no substances, germs etc. at all come into contact with the objects to be transferred, is realised by the further developed process described below, according to which the insides of the films never come into contact with the outside environment during the entire transfer process, whereas in the above process the inside only then does not come into contact with the outside environment if they have been in contact with the objects to be transferred.
The inner liner 4b to be filled has a short inlet 2b which is welded to a special tube-like transition film 5. The transition film 3 is not internally weldable, but is externally weldable. On its side facing away from the inlet 2b the transition film 5 is welded to a sack-lie sealing film 6 forming a sealed edge. The sealing film 6 is made of pure PE and can be easily welded on all its sides. The inner liner 4b is impermeably welded to the transition film 5 and can be gas or gamma sterilised. The entire package can thus be supplied as a sterile pack and placed in the device on site (e.g. in the clean room).
At this point it should be pointed out that transfer of the objects 1′ into the clean room can be carried out both as a horizontal as well as a vertical process. Preferably, however, horizontal transfer is carried out as this guarantees better protection against contamination.
The cycle is completed with the stages shown in
For a new transfer process separating seal 3b with is edge seal would represent welding seam 3a on the endless flexible tube 1.
To transfer the contents of the bag the end section 13 of the inner liner 4c is arranged in the receptacle 12 in such a way that the welding seam 11 comes to lie within the receptacle, whereupon the receptacle 12 and the section 1 e of the inner liner 4c located within it are welded, so that between the edge of the receptacle 12 and the already existing welding seam 11 of the inner liner 4c a further welding seam 11 a is produced. A separating weld can be applied to this in order to separate the welding seam 11a. The further welding seam 11a is then separated so that a section 13′ of the inner liner 4c containing the welding seam 11 of the closed end section 13 of the inner liner 4c is detached and contained in a space 13a. The space 13a is formed by the base of the receptacle 12 and an inner side wall 12b′ of the area 12b closed towards the bag 1 as well as a separated side wall section 12a″ of an inner side wall 12a′ of the area 12a open towards the bag (1).
After separation of the welding seam 11a, through the area 12a of the receptacle connected to the inside of the bag 1 and the inner liner 4c, a tube-like connection is formed for transferring the at least one object into the clean room.
Not shown here is that after transferring the at least one object 1′ into the clean room, the tube-like connection between the bag 1 and the inner liner 4c is interrupted through the application of a separating welding seam and the inner liner 4c can be detached from the bag.
At this point is should be mentioned that all the above processes can also be carried out so that the embodiments of the inner liner 4a, 4b,4c and bag 1 are such that the bag 1 on a connection edge for the inner liner 4a, 4b,4c is designed like the one described above and the inner liner 4a shown in the figures, whereby the inner liner 4a, 4b,4c can be designed at its edge like the bag 1 described above. Essential to the invention is only that the bag 1 and inner liner 4a, 4b, 4c are compatible with each other.
The framework of the invention also includes methods which replace “welding” with “adhesion” insofar as the adhesion exhibits the same properties 14 with regard to peelability as those indicated above for welding. “Welding” should therefore be understood in a very broad sense.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0920/2008 | Jun 2008 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2009/051912 | 5/8/2009 | WO | 00 | 11/11/2010 |