Transfer port and method for transferring sterile items
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A61L-002/04
B65G-025/00
B66C-017/08
B65B-011/52
B65B-053/00
출원번호
US-0241249
(2002-09-10)
등록번호
US-8163251
(2012-04-24)
발명자
/ 주소
Py, Daniel
출원인 / 주소
Py, Daniel
대리인 / 주소
McCarter & English, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
19
초록▼
A sterile enclosure contains a transfer module defining a window. A port covers the window to maintain the inside of the enclosure as a sealed and sterile environment. A sliding, heated cutting element mounted on the port serves to sterilize and sever a portion of a sterile transfer bag assembly att
A sterile enclosure contains a transfer module defining a window. A port covers the window to maintain the inside of the enclosure as a sealed and sterile environment. A sliding, heated cutting element mounted on the port serves to sterilize and sever a portion of a sterile transfer bag assembly attached to the port. Preferably, the excised portion of the sterile transfer bag assembly is affixed to the port when the port opens. The sliding cutting element remains extended and heated to prevent contamination when the port is open. Further, a heating element is mounted about the window in order to sterilize around the opening when the port is open.
대표청구항▼
1. An apparatus comprising: a transfer port for the passage therethrough of articles sealed within a container, comprising: a frame defining a transfer opening;a first heating element extending about the transfer opening;a door movable between an open position spaced away from the transfer opening f
1. An apparatus comprising: a transfer port for the passage therethrough of articles sealed within a container, comprising: a frame defining a transfer opening;a first heating element extending about the transfer opening;a door movable between an open position spaced away from the transfer opening for allowing the passage of articles therethrough, and a closed position covering the transfer opening for forming a substantially hermetic seal between the door and frame and for preventing the passage of articles therethrough; anda second heating element extending about a peripheral portion of the door, wherein at least one of the first and second heating elements is movable relative to the other and engageable with a portion of the container overlying the transfer opening for heating and excising said portion from a remainder of the container and, in turn, allowing the passage of articles from the container through the transfer opening when the door is in the open position; andan article container comprising:a bag;a mounting member defining a peripheral portion secured to the bag and a second transfer opening formed therethrough;an adhesive superimposed over a portion of the bag overlying the second transfer opening of the mounting member; anda releasable backing superimposed over the adhesive. 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second heating element is movable relative to the first heating element. 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a drive unit drivingly connected to at least one of the first and second heating elements for moving at least one of the first and second heating elements relative to the other. 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the second heating element is movable relative to the first heating element, and the drive unit is mounted on the door and drivingly coupled to the second heating element for moving the second heating element between retracted and extend positions. 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second heating elements are substantially contiguous to each other with the door in the closed position. 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first heating element defines a periphery of the transfer opening. 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heating elements defines a substantially planar, laterally extending heating surface engageable with said portion of the container. 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the substantially planar, laterally extending heating surface is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an axis of the transfer opening. 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second heating element is movable between retracted and extended positions, and is activatable in the extended position to a predetermined temperature that substantially prevents migration of germs across the second heating element. 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the second heating element is activatable to the predetermined temperature in the extended position with the door in the open position. 11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the periphery of the transfer opening is one of circular, rectangular and triangular. 12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the frame for pivotal movement between the open and closed positions. 13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heating elements defines a substantially nonstick heating surface engageable with the container. 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the nonstick heating surface is defined by a ceramic reinforced, polymeric coating. 15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the mounting member defines a recess extending about the second transfer opening for receiving therein at least one of the first and second heating elements upon moving the respective heating element between retracted and extended positions. 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heating elements comprises a metal frame, and a plurality of ceramic heating elements mounted therein. 17. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in further combination with a sterile enclosure, wherein the frame of the transfer port is at least one of (i) mounted to a wall of the sterile enclosure, and (ii) formed by a wall of the sterile enclosure. 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the door includes a door frame, a heating element support mounted between the door frame and the second heating element, and a drive unit drivingly coupled to the heating element support for moving the heating element support and second heating element between retracted and extended positions. 19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, further comprising at least one diaphragm extending between the heating element support and the door frame. 20. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the door includes a substantially nonstick support surface located within the periphery of the second heating element for releasably receiving thereon the excised portion of the container. 21. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein the second heating element is movable relative to the nonstick support surface between retracted and extended positions. 22. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, in further combination with an assembling apparatus for assembling the article container, the assembling apparatus including: a first support for supporting thereon the mounting member;a second support for supporting thereon the bag with one wall of the bag located on one side of the mounting member and another wall of the bag located on an opposite side of the mounting member; anda third support spaced relative to the second support and including a first support surface releasably supporting thereon at least one fastener, wherein at least one of the second and third supports is movable relative to the other for tensioning a wall of the bag over the mounting member and applying the at least one fastener thereto to secure the respective wall of the bag to the mounting member. 23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the third support further includes a second support surface releasably supporting thereon the releasable backing and adhesive underlying the releasable backing, and the adhesive is engageable with the bag upon moving at least one of the second and third supports relative to the other for adhesively securing the adhesive and releasable backing to the bag. 24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the second support surface is coupled in fluid communication with a vacuum source for drawing a vacuum through the second support surface and, in turn, releasably securing the releasable backing and underlying adhesive thereto. 25. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the mounting member defines a peripheral recess and the fastener is an elastic fastener received within the peripheral recess for securing the bag to the mounting member. 26. An apparatus comprising: a transfer port for the passage therethrough of articles sealed within a container, comprising: a transfer opening;first means for heating a peripheral portion of the transfer opening;second means movable between an open position spaced away from the transfer opening for allowing the passage of articles therethrough, and a closed position covering the transfer opening for preventing the passage of articles therethrough; andthird means for heating a peripheral portion of the second means, wherein at least one of the first and third means is movable relative to the other and engageable with a portion of the container overlying the transfer opening for heating and excising said portion from the remainder of the container and, in turn, allowing the passage of articles from the container through the transfer opening when the door is in the open position;fourth means for containing articles;means for mounting the fourth means to the transfer port and allowing the passage of articles contained within the fourth means therethrough;means for adhesively securing a portion of the fourth means overlying the means for mounting to the transfer port; anda releasable backing superimposed over the means for adhesively securing. 27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein a frame defines the transfer opening. 28. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the first means is a first heating element extending about a periphery of the transfer opening. 29. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the second means is a door. 30. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the third means is a second heating element extending about a peripheral portion of the door. 31. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, further comprising fifth means for driving the third means between retracted and extended positions. 32. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the first and third means are substantially contiguous to each other. 33. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, further comprising means for releasing heated portions of the container from the first and third means. 34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the means for releasing is defined by a nonstick surface. 35. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, in combination with means for forming a substantially sterile enclosure for receiving articles passed through the transfer opening. 36. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the second means includes a frame, a support mounted between the frame and the third means, and drive means for moving the support and fourth means between retracted and extended positions. 37. An apparatus as defined in claim 36, further comprising at least one diaphragm extending between the support and frame. 38. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the second means includes a substantially nonstick support surface located within a periphery of the third means for releasably receiving thereon the excised portion of the container. 39. An apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein the third means is movable relative to the nonstick support surface between retracted and extended positions. 40. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, in further combination with an assembling apparatus for assembling the fourth means, the assembling apparatus including: means for supporting thereon the means for mounting;means for supporting thereon the fourth means with one wall of the fourth means located on one side of the means for mounting and another wall of the fourth means located on an opposite side of the means for mounting; andmeans for supporting thereon at least one fastener, wherein at least one of the means for supporting the fourth means and the means for supporting the fastener is movable relative to the other for tensioning a wall of the fourth means over the means for mounting and applying the at least one fastener thereto to secure the respective wall of the fourth means to the means for mounting. 41. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heating elements operates at a sterilization temperature.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (19)
Josefsson Lars, Apparatus and method for emptying a container in an aseptic manner.
Papciak Charles (Exton PA) Gerhart James (West Chester PA) Paproski John (North Wales PA) Parker Kathleen A. (Port Republic NJ) Norton Paul (Trumbauersville PA) Nase Robert (Reading PA) Lahendro Bern, Combination container for holding sterilized elements and a sterilizable transfer port.
Rogers Kerry D. (Loveland CO) Hammerbeck Warren L. (Greeley CO) Hoyt Joanne M. (Loveland CO) Beardmore Richard A. (Windsor CO), Particulate dispensing system.
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