Patent Application
20120110960
The invention relates to the field of packaging biopharmaceutical fluids, and it relates more specially to a rigid container for a flexible 3D (three-dimensional) pouch, designed to contain such a biopharmaceutical fluid, a flexible 3D pouch that is designed for such a container, and a process for implementation of such a container.
“Biopharmaceutical product” is defined as a product that is obtained from biotechnology—culture media, cellular cultures, buffer solutions, artificial nutrition liquids, blood products, and derivatives of blood products—or a pharmaceutical product or more generally a product that is designed to be used in the medical field. Such a product is in liquid, pasty or optionally powder form. The invention also applies to products that are different but that are subject to analogous requirements as regards their packaging.
A 3D pouch is known that is designed to accommodate such a biopharmaceutical product, which comprises a lower end wall, an upper end wall, and a flexible side wall that can be in two end states—folded flat and deployed unfolded—and can be deformed to switch from one to the other of these states or to be in any intermediate state. The walls of the pouch, made of a plastic material such as polyethylene or a complex that comprises polyethylene, delimit an inner space that, in the folded state, has a minimum volume, and, in the unfolded and deployed state, has a maximum volume. This space is designed to accommodate the biopharmaceutical product for storage, treatment, and monitoring. Such a disposable, biocompatible, flexible pouch can have a large volume of at least 50 liters up to 3,000 liters and even more, which justifies the fact that it is described as 3D. Such a pouch thus offers a large capacity while being able to be easily stored. An example of such a pouch is described in the International Application WO00/04131.
Such a flexible 3D pouch, when it is filled with biopharmaceutical product, is to be placed in a rigid container that holds it by the outside. This requirement is most particularly important in the case where the pouch that is filled with biopharmaceutical product is to be shipped and transported by road, train, or by air. Actually, there is then the risk that the integrity of the pouch is affected as a result of impacts, forces, deformations . . . which can in turn affect the biopharmaceutical product that it contains.
In one embodiment, such a rigid container comprises a lower transverse wall and an erect side peripheral axial wall that limits an upper transverse opening with access to a housing that is defined by the inner surfaces of these walls and is able to accommodate the pouch that contains the biopharmaceutical fluid that was just applied against these inner surfaces.
The document EP-A-1012073 describes such a container, also equipped with a wall for protection and containment that can be placed transversely in the housing of the rigid container, having dimensions such that the transverse gap between its outside peripheral free edge and the inner surface of the side wall opposite the rigid container is limited. Such a wall for protection and containment is able to be applied with a certain axial force against the outside surface of the upper end wall of the pouch and to be held fixed in this position by holding means in the active state, resting via a screw cylinder system on removable spars located in this case in the upper part of the rigid container.
With the arrangement according to the document EP-A-1012073, the axial space requirement in height of the cylinder system determines the travel in height at which the plate for protection and containment can be located. Either this space requirement is selected to be limited, for the advantages that this provides, with the drawback that the plate for protection and containment can be used only with a completely filled pouch, or, if it is desired that the travel of the containment plate be as great as possible, for example because the pouch could be only partially filled, the cylinder system necessarily has a large axial space requirement in height, which is a source of problems, the lack of compactness being a serious handicap for shipping and transport.
Actually, since the flexible pouch has a large maximum capacity and in view of the very nature of its contents—a biopharmaceutical product—it should be possible to use the pouch continuously without having to fill it completely, and with variable volumes. However, this situation poses another problem when the flexible pouch that is partially filled with biopharmaceutical product is to be shipped and transported, primarily over a significant distance and under conditions such that it is prone to abrupt movements or to significant accelerations, because the high inertia of the contents of the flexible pouch then creates a movement of imbalance of the pouch and its contents that can affect the integrity of the pouch and therefore of its contents.
The document WO 2006/070010 describes a process for packaging a viscous product that is contained in a flexible pouch with a capacity that is greater than 50 liters, preferably greater than 100 liters, in volume units with a capacity of less than 50 liters, preferably less than 100 liters. This flexible pouch comprises a passage for evacuation of the viscous product located on its upper end wall. This flexible pouch, filled with viscous product, is placed in a rigid container that has a lower transverse wall that forms a pressure piston, mounted to slide vertically and driven by a cylinder system placed below this lower transverse wall and above a stationary lower floor. This container further comprises a stationary upper cover that is reversible and is equipped with an opening for sending the viscous product to a packaging machine in a smaller volume, in communication with the passage for evacuation of the flexible pouch. By deploying the cylinder, the lower transverse wall is moved upward, and the flexible pouch is compressed between this wall and the cover, which makes it possible to expel the viscous product from the flexible pouch for sending it to the packaging machine.
The goal of the arrangement according to the document WO 2006/070010 is to produce viscous products, but not biopharmaceutical products. It does not have the objective of preserving the integrity of the pouch and its contents, and its goal is not the case of a pouch that is partially filled with its contents being able to be shipped and transported over a significant distance and/or under conditions that are suitable for generating abrupt movements or significant accelerations. This arrangement is not concerned, moreover, with the compactness of the rigid container. Finally, this arrangement imposes an evacuation at the top, whereas in the case of 3D pouches for biopharmaceutical products, the evacuation is most often at the bottom. In the arrangement according to the document WO 2004/074164, this drawback is eliminated, but not the others, in particular the lack of compactness. Analogous devices are described in the documents GB-A-2159583 and BE-A-539623.
Also known from the document FR-A-0 932 321 is a container that comprises, on the one hand, a tank inside of which an envelope is placed, and, on the other hand, a holding plate that rests on the envelope when the latter is not completely filled or its size in height is less than that of the tank. The holding plate is then held inside the tank by means of a pressure screw working with threaded recesses arranged in the inside wall of the tank, as shown in
One drawback of this device is that it does not make it possible to preserve the integrity of the envelope regardless of its filling volume. Actually, the position of the holding plate necessarily depends on the position of the threaded recesses. Consequently, the position of this holding plate with respect to the bottom of the tank cannot be modulated continuously because of the filling of the envelope.
Also known from the state of the art is the document EP-A-0 456 403 that discloses a container for a flexible pouch that is filled with a pharmaceutical product. According to this embodiment, a support element is attached to the upper surface of the flexible pouch so as to move this upper surface to the same level as the product when a portion of this product flows from the flexible pouch.
Such an embodiment has, like the preceding embodiments, several drawbacks. In particular, the use of a support element is inadequate for preventing the pharmaceutical product that is contained in the flexible pouch from sloshing inside the latter when the container is put into motion. Actually, the weight alone of the support element does not provide an adequate holding force to counter the forces exerted on the flexible pouch when the product that it contains is put into motion and moves about.
There is therefore a need for a rigid container for a large-capacity flexible 3D pouch that, on the one hand, is able to preserve the integrity of the pouch and its contents, even when the pouch is only partially filled with biopharmaceutical product, when the thus filled pouch is shipped and transported over a significant distance and/or under conditions suitable for generating abrupt movements or significant accelerations, and that, on the other hand, is compact.
For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a rigid container for a flexible pouch that is specially designed to contain a biopharmaceutical fluid, comprising:
According to a first embodiment, the containment wall is inherently rigid enough and able, in itself, to absorb said certain force without substantial deformation.
According to a second embodiment, the containment wall is not inherently rigid enough and able, in itself, to absorb said certain force without substantial deformation, with the containment means comprising stiffening means that are able, being active, to act on the containment wall to stiffen it enough so that, thus stiffened, it is able to absorb said certain force without substantial deformation.
In this second embodiment, and according to one possibility, the containment wall is stiffened by stiffening means in the form of at least one stiffening chamber placed above or below (according to two different variants) the containment wall or in an opening of the stiffening wall in the form of a frame (according to a third possible variant), which deformable and essentially inelastic stiffening chamber is rigid and active by being filled with a fluid. In particular, the stiffening means comprise at least one stiffening chamber that is equipped with an inlet/outlet port for filling fluid and means for filling and draining the at least one chamber that are able to be combined with the inlet/outlet port.
In this second embodiment and according to a first variant, the containment wall is separate but applied against the lower or upper surface of at least one stiffening chamber. According to a second variant, the containment wall is part of the lower wall of the at least one stiffening chamber.
In this second embodiment, and according to one variant, the holding means are borne by stiffening means.
According to another first embodiment, the containment means are inherently heavy enough and able, in themselves, to exert by their own weight said certain force against the free upper surface of the pouch.
According to another second embodiment, the containment means are not inherently rigid enough and able, in themselves, to exert by their own weight said certain force against the free upper surface of the pouch, with the containment means comprising means for application of a force that can, being active, act on the containment wall to exert on it a force such that the containment means in turn exert said certain force against the free upper surface of the pouch.
In this other second embodiment, and according to a variant, said means for application of a force are manual or human means, a cylinder, or heavy weights.
According to another possible embodiment, the holding means are borne by the containment wall.
According to another possible embodiment, the containment means comprise, below, the containment wall, and, above, a support element that is extended transversely, placed perpendicular to the containment wall, whereby the holding means are borne by said support element, with the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces being interposed between and combined with the containment wall and the support element, and being able to provide a rigid connection for transmission of said certain force between the containment wall and the support element.
In this latter embodiment and according to a first variant, the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces are essentially non-deformable.
According to a second variant, the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces are deformable between two end states, a retracted state and an expanded state, in which, respectively, the containment wall is brought closer to and moved farther from means for rigid connection and transmission of forces; maneuvering means being provided and able to switch the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces are deformable between their two end states, whereby these maneuvering means constitute means for relative movement of the containment wall with respect to the support element.
In this second variant, and according to one embodiment, in the retracted state of means for rigid connection and transmission of forces, the containment wall is located close to the support element.
In this second variant, and according to one embodiment, in the expanded state of the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces, the containment wall is located close to the lower transverse wall.
According to one embodiment, the support element is selected from the group that comprises either a rigid plate, a rigid frame, a deformable and essentially inelastic chamber made rigid by being filled with a fluid, equipped with an inlet/outlet port for filling fluid, means for filling and draining that are able to be combined with the inlet/outlet port, or a combination of the latter.
According to one variant according to this embodiment, a support element in plate form is able to be placed transversely in the housing, having dimensions such that the transverse gap between its outside peripheral free edge and the inner surface of the side wall opposite it is limited.
According to one embodiment, the means for relative movement that comprise the means for rigid connection and transmission of forces and the maneuvering means are selected from the group that comprises either a cylinder, a deformable chamber made more or less flat or more or less expanded by a more or less significant filling with a fluid, equipped with an inlet/outlet port for a filling fluid, with means for filling and draining being able to be combined with the inlet/outlet port, or a combination of the latter, placed between the containment wall and the support element.
According to one embodiment, the containment wall is structurally separate from the flexible pouch that is designed to contain a biopharmaceutical fluid.
According to one embodiment, the containment wall is a structural part of the flexible pouch that is designed to contain a biopharmaceutical fluid.
According to one embodiment, the container also comprises a removable cover.
According to one embodiment, the container also comprises one or more doors or one or more openings that are made in the lower transverse wall and/or the erect side peripheral axial wall, able to correspond to ports, openings, or pipes of the flexible pouch, or ports, openings, or pipes that are combined with the flexible pouch.
According to one embodiment, the lower surface of the containment wall lacks rough spots that are likely to damage the pouch.
According to one embodiment, an elastically deformable element that is designed to assume the shape of the free upper surface of the pouch is combined with the containment wall.
According to one embodiment, the containment wall comprises one or more holes, cutouts or pipe passages, connections or pipes or the like that are functionally combined with or designed to be functionally combined with the pouch.
According to a second aspect, the invention proposes an assembly of a container and a flexible pouch that is specially designed to contain a biopharmaceutical fluid, with which there is structurally combined, in an upper part, at least a portion of the holding means, with the pouch thus being specially designed to form part of a container according to one of the embodiments described above.
According to one embodiment, a containment wall that is part of the containment means is structurally combined with the flexible pouch, in the upper part.
According to another embodiment, an inherently rigid containment wall is combined with the pouch itself.
According to another embodiment, a containment wall that is not inherently rigid, which forms part of the lower wall of at least one stiffening chamber placed above the containment wall—which deformable and substantially inelastic stiffening chamber is made rigid and active by being filled with a fluid - is combined with the pouch itself.
According to one embodiment, the pouch also comprises holding means borne by the containment wall.
According to a third aspect, and a first embodiment, the invention proposes a process for implementing a container as described above, in which:
According to a second embodiment, the invention proposes a process for implementing a container as described above, in which:
According to one embodiment in the case where means for relative movement of the containment wall with respect to the support element are provided, when the containment means are brought into the housing of the container and when the holding means are switched from the inactive retracted state to the active expanded state, the means for relative movement of the containment wall with respect to the flat element are in the retracted state.
According to one embodiment, in the case where means for relative movement of the containment wall with respect to the support element are provided, when it is desired to drain the pouch, the means for relative movement of the containment wall with respect to the support element are switched from the retracted state to the expanded state.
According to one embodiment, a flexible pouch is selected with which at least one portion of the containment means is combined structurally, in the upper part.
According to one embodiment, once the holding means are switched from the inactive retracted state to the active expanded state, and thus the distal end part of the inner surface of the side wall opposite it is locked, without any chance of inadvertent sliding, at any corresponding location of the continuous zone, the container that holds the pouch filled with its contents is shipped and transported. As indicated above, this shipping and this transport are done without the integrity of the pouch being altered.
Several embodiments of the invention are now described using drawings, in which:
A rigid container 1 according to the invention is specially designed to accommodate and to hold a flexible 3D pouch 2, itself specially designed to contain a biopharmaceutical fluid as defined above.
The rigid container 1, made of plastic or another synthetic or metal material, preferably made of stainless steel, comprises a unit—if necessary that can be removed and re-installed—of several parts in generally solid or substantially solid panels that are flat or substantially flat, as well as connecting pieces for reinforcement, accessories.
Thus, the rigid container 1 comprises a lower transverse wall 3 and an erect side peripheral axial wall 4 in four panels that are two by two in a manner perpendicular or parallel to one another.
In a normal situation, the lower transverse wall 3 is arranged horizontally or essentially horizontally while the erect side peripheral axial wall 4 is arranged vertically or essentially vertically, optionally slightly tapered from the lower transverse wall 3.
The description is given with respect to this situation. It is also in reference to this situation that the words “horizontal,” “vertical,” “lower,” and “upper,” . . . should be understood.
Of course, the rigid container 1 can, in some cases, be placed differently, for example for cleaning
Opposite the lower transverse wall 3, the erect side peripheral axial wall 4 forms and limits an upper transverse opening 6 toward its upper free edge 5.
The opening 6 makes it possible to access a housing 7 of general parallelepipedic or essentially parallelepipedic shape, defined and limited by inner surfaces 3a and 4a of the lower and side walls 3 and 4, while being open at the location of the opening 6.
In the embodiment shown in
As a variant, these lengths can be similar, such that the housing 7 has a general shape that is similar to a cube or essentially a cube.
As appropriate, these lengths can be encompassed between on the order of 400 cm and 1,200 cm, such that the internal volume of the housing 7 can be on the order of 50 liters, but also can reach 1,000 liters, whereby these data are given by way of example but are nonlimiting.
For example, according to typical embodiments, a container can have the following as dimensions: 410×410×520 cm (50 liters) or 1,135×935×1,000 cm or 1,000 liters.
Based on dimensions, the walls 3 and 4 can comprise external reinforcement ribs such as 4b.
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
If necessary, one or more analogous doors or one or more analogous openings are provided in the lower transverse wall 3 and optionally in the cover 8.
In the embodiment shown in
The flexible 3D pouch 2 is specially designed for accommodating a biopharmaceutical fluid. Such a pouch 2 comprises a lower end wall 11, an upper end wall 12, and a flexible side wall 13 that can be found in two end states—folded flat and deployed unfolded—and can be deformed for switching from one to the other of these states or for being in any intermediate state.
Such a disposable, biocompatible, flexible 3D pouch 2 can have a large volume of at least 50 liters, up to 1,000 liters, and even more, which justifies the fact that it is described as 3D. Such a pouch is described in, for example, the International Application WO00/04131, whereby this embodiment is not exclusive of others.
Of course, the dimensions of the rigid container 1 and those of the flexible 3D pouch 2 are suitable, such that the housing 7 of the rigid container 1 is able to accommodate the flexible 3D pouch 2.
When the flexible 3D pouch 2 is filled with biopharmaceutical fluid, it is inflated, more or less greatly. Whereas its lower wall 11 can rest on the inner surface 3a of the wall 3 of the rigid container 1, its side wall 13 comes to be applied against the inner surface 4a of the side wall 4 of the rigid container 1.
The 3D pouch 2 comprises one or more inlet or intake or filling openings, in particular in the form of ports, not shown, in particular on the upper wall 12, able to be closed when necessary, and one or more outlet or evacuation or drain openings 25 (
The rigid container 1 also comprises containment means 14 that comprise a containment wall 15 that is movable, and, if necessary, removable.
The containment wall 15 is arranged in such a way as to be able to be arranged transversely in a general horizontal or essentially horizontal direction, in the housing 7, at any level or height desired between the lower transverse wall 3 and the upper free edge 5 or the opening 6 or the cover 8 when it is provided.
Furthermore, horizontally, the containment wall 15 has two lengths that are defined based on corresponding lengths of the housing 7 in such a way that between the outside peripheral free edge 15a of the containment wall 15 and the inner surface 4a of the side wall 4 opposite the rigid container 1, the transverse gap is limited, for example on the order of a centimeter. For example, the containment plate has a general rectangular or square shape.
The containment wall 15 is arranged in such a way as, on the one hand, to be able to be applied with a certain downward vertical axial force against the upper outside surface 12a of the transverse upper wall 12 of the 3D pouch 2—and to absorb the opposite reaction force—and, on the other hand, to be held fixed in this application position by holding means 16 that are then in the active state.
The rigid container 1 therefore also comprises holding means 16.
As indicated, these holding means 16, when they are in the active state, hold fixed in position the containment wall 15 that is applied with a certain force against the upper outside surface 12a of the transverse upper wall 12 of the 3D pouch 2.
Contrary to known arrangements of the prior art in which such holding means are arranged with respect to the rigid container in an axial vertical way, in this invention, the holding means 16 are arranged transversely in the rigid container 1, i.e., in general horizontally or essentially horizontally.
Furthermore, the holding means 16 are borne not by the walls that comprise the container, but are borne by the containment means 14 of which they are part, in a structural and functional combination.
The holding means 16 are arranged in such a way as to be movable or deformable in the transverse direction, i.e., in general horizontally or essentially horizontally, between an inactive retracted state and an active expanded state.
In the inactive retracted state, as illustrated by
In contrast, in the active expanded state, as illustrated by
On the other hand, the holding means 16 are arranged in such a way as to be able to be applied at any desired location of a continuous zone 17 of the inner surface 4a of the side wall 4, according to a continuous variation. This zone 17 is extended in the vertical axial direction, in particular over the entire height or essentially the entire height of the rigid container 1, in such a way that the containment wall 15 can be placed in the housing 7 at any desired distance—varying continuously—from the lower transverse wall 3 or at any desired distance from the upper transverse opening 6.
As a result of the preceding, the containment wall 15 can be applied and held with a certain axial force against the upper outside surface 12a of the transverse upper wall 12 of the 3D pouch 2, regardless of how full the latter is, with this degree of filling able to vary continuously.
The rigid continuer 1 as it was just described can be the object of different embodiments.
Thus, in the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
The stiffening means 19 are arranged in such a way that when they are active, they act on the containment wall 15 to stiffen it enough so that, thus stiffened, it is able to absorb the force exerted on the flexible 3D pouch 2 without substantial deformation.
In the variant embodiment of
In the variant embodiment of
In the variant embodiment of
In the variant embodiment of
In the variant embodiment of
As appropriate, a single stiffening chamber 19a or several chambers are provided. In contrast, unless it is not possible, combining the different variants described above can be considered.
According to another possible variant that is illustrated by
According to a possible embodiment, the containment means 14 are inherently heavy enough and able, in themselves, to exert by their own weight the desired force on the flexible 3D pouch 2.
According to another possible embodiment, in contrast, the containment means 14 are not inherently rigid enough and able, in themselves, to exert by their own weight the desired force on the flexible 3D pouch 2.
In this case, it is provided that the containment means 14 also comprise additional suitable means for application of such a force. These means, when they are active, are able to act on the containment wall 15 to exert on it a force such that the containment means 14 in turn exert the desired force on the flexible 3D pouch 2. Such means for application of a force are, according to the embodiments considered, manual or human means, or else a cylinder, or else heavy weights.
According to another possible embodiment, the containment means 14 comprise:
These rigid connecting means 22 are able to ensure a rigid connection for transmission of the desired force to the flexible 3D pouch 2 between the containment wall 15 and the support element 21.
According to a variant of this embodiment, the means 22 for rigid connection and transmission of forces are substantially non-deformable.
According to another variant, illustrated by, for example,
In the retracted state, the containment wall 15 is brought closer to the means 22 for rigid connection and transmission of forces, whereas in the expanded state, it is moved farther away.
Furthermore, suitable maneuvering means are provided that can switch the deformable means 22 for rigid connection and transmission of forces between their two end states. Such maneuvering means consequently constitute means for relative movement of the containment wall 15 with respect to the support element 21 for bringing it closer thereto or moving it away therefrom.
According to one embodiment, in the retracted state of the means 22 for rigid connection and transmission of forces, the containment wall 15 is located close to the support element, which provides to the unit a great compactness in the vertical axial direction.
According to another embodiment, which can be combined with the preceding embodiment, in the expanded state of the means 22 for rigid connection and transmission of forces, the containment wall 15 is located close to the lower transverse wall 3 of the rigid container 1. This constructive arrangement makes it possible to evacuate the biopharmaceutical product via an evacuation port 25 that is provided on the lower wall 11 of the flexible 3D pouch 2, until the pouch 2 is completely drained.
The support element 21 can be the object of different variant embodiments. In the case of
In the case of
In the case of
The relative movement means formed by the deformable connecting means 22 can be the object of different variant embodiments.
In the case of
In the case of
According to other possible variant embodiments, the containment wall 15 is either structurally separate from the flexible 3D pouch 2 or, in contrast, is a structural part of it.
According to one embodiment, the lower surface of the containment wall 15 lacks rough spots that are likely to damage the flexible 3D pouch 2.
According to one embodiment that is illustrated by
With a rigid container 1 as it was just described, it is possible to implement conventional flexible 3D pouches 2 without the latter needing to be adapted for this purpose.
It is also possible to provide for implementing flexible 3D pouches 2 that are specially adapted to the rigid container 1 that is provided with the containment means 14 described above, such a 3D pouch 2 comprising, combined structurally, toward the upper wall 12, at least a portion of the containment means 14.
For example, the flexible 3D pouch 2 can include the containment wall 15 in a structural way.
In a possible embodiment illustrated by
In another possible embodiment that is illustrated by
In the embodiment that is illustrated by
In addition to the rigid container 1 and the flexible 3D pouch 2, the invention also relates—in that it incorporates at least a portion of the containment means 14—to the process for implementing such a rigid container, as it was described above.
In a first variant embodiment, the process comprises the following successive stages:
In another possible embodiment, the following stages are initiated:
In the case where means 22 for relative movement of the containment wall 15 with respect to a support element 21 are provided, the process is such that when the containment means 14 are brought into the housing 7 of the rigid container 1 and when the holding means 16 are switched from the inactive retracted state to the active expanded state, the means 22 for relative movement of the containment wall 15 with respect to the support element 21 are controlled so that they are in the retracted state.
The purpose of the invention is also the process in the case where a flexible 3D pouch 2 is selected, with which pouch is structurally combined at least one portion of the containment means 14, in the upper part.
As indicated above, the implementation is quite particularly noteworthy because after the stage in which the holding means 16 are switched from the inactive retracted state to the active expanded state, the rigid container 1 that holds the flexible 3D pouch 2, filled with its contents, is shipped and transported without its integrity being affected, regardless of how full the flexible 3D pouch 2 is.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0953513 | May 2009 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2010/051001 | 5/25/2010 | WO | 00 | 1/11/2012 |
