Apparatus and method for automatically moving an object in a modified atmospheric environment

Abstract

An apparatus (10) and method for automatically moving an object (11) within a modified atmospheric environment (12), the apparatus comprising a main chamber (13) sealed from an external environment, one or more base plates (15) arranged successively relative to one another and defining a drive surface, one or more work stations (19), and one or more transport members (20), each configured to support the object (11) and configured for contactless, coordinated movement on the drive surface (16) between the one or more work stations (19) by magnetic interaction between the base plates (15) and the transport members (20).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically moving objects (especially very delicate, fragile or small sized objects such as, but not limited to, vials, flasks, bottles, syringes, needles, Petri dishes, etc.) in a controlled atmosphere environment, e.g., sterile, germ-free or bacteriologically pure. By way of non-limiting example, the apparatus and method according to the invention may find application in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, healthcare, chemical and / or food fields or sectors, e.g., as an integral part of more complex machines for the automated packaging of the aforementioned products. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, devices and methods for automatically moving objects (especially very delicate, fragile or small sized objects, such as, but not limited to, vials, flasks, bottles, syringes, needles, Petri dishes, etc.) in a sterile, germ-free or bacteriologically pure controlled atmosphere environment are known in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, healthcare, chemical and / or food sectors. For example, the applicant has designed, implemented and sold a complex automated machine using multiple robots called "Ima Life Injecta", which is suitable for automatically packaging pharmaceutical products into specialized containers in a series of work compartments with controlled atmospheres inside, achieving a very high productivity of approximately 36,000 units per hour.

[0003] In the aforementioned sectors, there is an increasing demand for devices and methods that allow the movement of various objects from one point on a work line to another, or from one work station to another, in a safe, sterile, ecologically sustainable and quiet environment, without generating contaminants or agents that could contaminate the objects themselves or the final product, and with minimal or even complete elimination of human intervention to carry out the various packaging operations.

[0004] In recent years, the Applicant has designed and developed a number of new and original technical solutions, many of which are protected by patent applications, some of which have been published, for example, as WO 2020 / 144722, WO 2020 / 240601, WO 2021 / 001863, WO 2021 / 014476 and WO 2022 / 201207.

[0005] Some of the above technical solutions propose the use of planar motors, which are well known in the art. Briefly, these planar motors comprise magnetic means, such as permanent magnets, in conjunction with electrically conductive means operatively associated therewith, configured to selectively generate one or more magnetic fields to influence the magnetic means. In some embodiments, the magnetic means are attached to a transport member, known to those skilled in the art as a "mover," while the electrically conductive means, including, for example, a coil, is incorporated into a base plate having a fixed reference surface, and controlled electromagnetic fields selectively generated between the magnetic means and the electrically conductive means enable the transport member to move (preferably without contact) relative to the base plate. Typically, each transport member can move independently of the other transport members relative to the fixed reference surface, maintain a distance of a few millimeters (e.g., 1-4 mm) from the fixed reference surface, and move at high speeds of a few meters per second (e.g., 4 m / s), with significant accelerations exceeding 1 or 2 g, and with a positioning accuracy of a few microns. Furthermore, planar motors currently available on the market are extremely versatile and, for example, by appropriately controlling the electrical current supply means using complex commercially available software, can follow the most diverse trajectories and paths, not just straight or curved, but also horizontal to a reference plane.

[0006] Planar motors are also used in other technology sectors, such as the processing of semiconductor materials (wafers), to transport small objects. An example of the application of this technology in this sector is described in WO 2021 / 106796. In this known solution, a planar motor transports wafers within a vacuum transport chamber, from which various processing chambers can be accessed. Furthermore, the system described in WO 2021 / 106796 also includes a loading chamber for introducing wafers into the transport chamber. A wafer transport device is provided within the transport chamber, which picks up wafers from the loading chamber and processing chambers and places them on the planar motor, or vice versa. Each loading chamber and processing chamber facing the transport chamber is separated from the processing chamber by a barrier that can be selectively opened or closed to allow the wafers to pass through.

[0007] However, known devices and methods do not enable the use of planar motors to move objects to perform one or more of the following operations: -Automatically passing an object from an external environment with a normal atmosphere that is not controlled or disinfected into an internal, enclosed environment, e.g., defined by at least one clean chamber with a sterilized, bacteriologically pure, controlled atmosphere, in which one or more sensitive processes can be carried out. -Exiting the object from said clean chamber to a normal atmospheric environment. - Moving the object between one or more work stations within said clean chamber.

[0008] In fact, in the prior art, these movements are performed only in the following ways (including in combination with each other): Manually via suitable Rapid Transfer Ports (known to those skilled in the art by the English acronym RTP). -This is done using a humanoid robot arm or SCARA robot (an acronym for Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm), a type of industrial robot that can move its arm on a horizontal plane and has a gripping member (such as a suction cup or gripper) for grasping various objects that can be raised and lowered vertically. -This is done using a linear motor (e.g. tubular type).

[0009] Even the solution described in WO 2021 / 106796 cannot overcome these limitations, since the planar motor can only move within the transfer chamber and cannot enter the loading or processing chambers to retrieve the objects transferred there. Therefore, this solution requires that a transfer device configured as one of the aforementioned humanoid robot arms be placed within the transfer chamber and moved from the loading or processing chambers to the planar motor, or vice versa.

[0010] However, the first of these methods has the drawback of not being precise enough, while the others are too expensive, cumbersome and complex to control in order to achieve high-precision movements.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need to provide an apparatus and develop a method for automatically moving objects (especially very delicate, fragile or small sized objects, such as vials, flasks, bottles, syringes, needles, Petri dishes, etc.) within a controlled atmosphere environment, e.g., sterile, sterilized or bacteriologically pure, for example, in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, healthcare, chemical and / or food sectors, which can overcome at least the above-mentioned drawbacks present in the prior art.

[0012] To achieve this, it is necessary to solve the technical problem of providing an apparatus and developing a method for automatically moving objects in a controlled atmosphere environment, in which all work steps are performed without the risk of generating and spreading even minimal amounts of particles or dust into the work environment that could contaminate the objects themselves.

[0013] In particular, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and develop a method for automatically moving objects in a controlled atmosphere environment that is safe and ensures hygiene and cleanliness standards that are suitable for use in machines in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, healthcare, chemical and / or food sectors, where regulations in force in most countries require a sterile and contaminant-free working environment.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for automatically moving objects in a controlled atmosphere environment that is reliable, efficient, and allows for high productivity, e.g., tens of thousands of operations per hour.

[0015] Applicant has invented, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to achieve these and other objects and advantages. Summary of the Invention

[0016] The invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe further features of the invention or variants of the main inventive idea.

[0017] In accordance with the above objects, and which solves the above disclosed technical problem in a new and original way and also achieves considerable advantages over the prior art, an apparatus for automatically moving one or more objects in a modified atmospheric environment is provided, comprising: a main chamber isolated from the external environment; one or more base plates arranged one after the other and defining a drive surface within said main chamber; one or more work stations mounted within said main chamber; one or more transport members, each of said one or more transport members configured to support said one or more objects and configured to move in a contactless, coordinated manner relative to said drive surface between said work stations by magnetic interaction between said one or more plates and said one or more transport members; a loading / unloading chamber mounted adjacent to the main chamber; a separation door configured to be movable between a closed configuration isolating the main chamber from the loading / unloading chamber and an open configuration placing the main chamber in communication with the loading / unloading chamber; Equipped with.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, the drive surface formed from the one or more base plates also extends into the loading / unloading chamber, allowing the one or more transport members to access the loading / unloading chamber when the separation door is in the open configuration, thereby allowing the one or more transport members to selectively move within the loading / unloading chamber by moving on the drive surface.

[0019] According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus further comprises electrical means associated with or present within the one or more base plates and selectively energizable to generate one or more magnetic fields at least above the corresponding drive surface, and wherein each of the one or more transport members is provided with magnetic means configured to interact with the one or more magnetic fields, such that selective energization of the electrical means causes the one or more transport members, and one or more objects supported thereby, to move over the drive surface and selectively between the one or more work stations.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus also comprises a control unit configured to selectively energize the electrical means to allow movement of the one or more conveying members or, as the case may be, selectively block each conveying member relative to the drive surface.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, the loading / unloading chamber is provided with at least one access opening configured to allow the object to enter the loading / unloading chamber from the external environment.

[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, the at least one access opening is provided with at least one rapid transport port (RTP).

[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided at least one handling device configured to interact with the objects supported on the one or more transport members in the loading / unloading chamber.

[0024] According to another aspect of the invention, the at least one handling device comprises a pair of gloves sealingly attached to a wall delimiting the loading / unloading chamber.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, the at least one handling device comprises a pick-and-place device disposed within the loading / unloading chamber.

[0026] According to another aspect of the invention, the one or more work stations comprise at least a filling station and / or a capping station configured to fill and cap, respectively, the object having the shape of a container.

[0027] According to another aspect of the invention, the filling station includes at least a filling needle configured to inject a predetermined amount of product.

[0028] According to another aspect of the invention, the capping station includes a pusher for inserting a stopper into each of the containers.

[0029] According to another aspect of the invention, the separation door is configured to close an opening in a common wall separating the main chamber and the loading / unloading chamber.

[0030] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of automatically moving one or more objects using an apparatus according to one or more of the above aspects, wherein the objects include at least a container to be filled and capped.

[0031] According to another aspect of the invention, the one or more objects are filled with a liquid.

[0032] According to another aspect of the invention, the one or more objects include at least one Petri dish.

[0033] According to another aspect of the invention, the method includes a decontamination step in which the isolation door is held in a closed configuration and at least the main chamber is decontaminated with a decontaminating substance, preferably VHP.

[0034] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial schematic top view of an apparatus for automatically moving objects within a modified atmospheric environment, in accordance with the present invention, incorporated into a packaging machine. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged, partially cross-sectional side view of a portion of a conveying member and a base plate included in the device of FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] It must be made clear that the phraseology and terminology used in this specification, as well as the figures of the accompanying drawings, however described, have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the invention, the scope of protection being defined by the claims, and their purpose is to provide a non-limiting example of the invention itself.

[0037] To facilitate understanding, the figures use the same reference numerals to indicate identical common elements whenever possible, and it will be understood that elements and features of one embodiment may be combined or incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate without further description.

[0038] 1 and 3, an apparatus 10 according to the present invention for automatically moving one or more objects 11, such as containers to be filled and capped, within a modified atmospheric environment 12 comprises a substantially closed main chamber 13 within which the environment 12 is generated in a known manner. For example, suitable automated surface decontamination of the objects 11 can be carried out within the environment 12 by atomization or vaporization of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), for example using a VHP (Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide) method.

[0039] In the main chamber 13, one or more base plates 15 arranged successively to one another and defining a (preferably fixed, e.g. horizontal) drive surface 16; one or more work stations 19, including, for example, at least a filling station 40 and a capping station 41; one or more conveying members 20 (i.e., "movers") configured to slide in a non-contacting, cooperative manner relative to the drive surface 16, as described in more detail below; is provided.

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 1, filling station 40 has two filling devices, each equipped with a filling needle (not shown) for injecting a predetermined amount of product (especially liquid) into a container. Similarly, capping station 41 has two capping devices, each equipped with a pusher for inserting a stopper into each container. In this way, each station 40, 41 has two devices that operate simultaneously, improving the productivity of the machine.

[0041] In some variations, the main chamber 13 also optionally includes a crimping station 42 configured to tighten and clamp a safety crimp cap onto the object 11 .

[0042] The apparatus 10 according to the present invention comprises a loading / unloading chamber 17 adjacent to the main chamber 13 .

[0043] A selectively openable separation door 18 is provided between the loading / unloading chamber 17 and the main chamber 13, thereby allowing communication between the loading / unloading chamber 17 and the main chamber 13, or isolating or sealing the two chambers. In a first case, the separation door 18 is in an open configuration, and in a second case, the separation door 18 is in a closed configuration.

[0044] The device 10 according to the invention further comprises at least one access opening 14 allowing the environment 12 to communicate with the outside.

[0045] A rapid transfer port (RTP), to which a container 26 can be associated, can be associated with the access opening 14 through which an object 11 can be introduced into or extracted from the environment 12.

[0046] In the example shown here (FIGS. 1 and 3), the access opening 14 is provided in the wall of the device 10 which is placed in a loading / unloading chamber 17 .

[0047] Each base plate 15 (FIG. 2) may be of any known type and the upper surface may form a drive surface 16 of standard size, for example about 250 mm x 250 mm.

[0048] In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, N base plates 15 are provided within the main chamber 13, and are arranged adjacent to one another, for example, to form a substantially square or rectangular shape, with their respective upper surfaces coplanar with one another to form drive surfaces 16, where N is an integer depending on the size of the main chamber 13, and is, for example, equal to 4.

[0049] In the device 10 according to the present invention, one or more base plates 15 are also provided in the loading / unloading chamber 17, and these base plates 15 are adjacent to each other and have their respective upper surfaces flush with each other to form a drive surface 16. The number of plates is determined according to the size of the loading / unloading chamber 17.

[0050] The device 10 according to the invention is therefore provided with a single drive surface 16 which extends into both the main chamber 13 and the loading / unloading chamber 17 .

[0051] The conveying members 20 can have different sizes, including a small conveying member 20a having a size of, for example, 120x120x10 mm, and a large conveying member 20B having a size of, for example, 240x240x10 mm, which are readily available on the market.

[0052] The object 11 may be, for example, - so-called size pieces, which have different dimensions and sizes and which need to be exchanged in the main chamber 13 without compromising sterility; combs, arms, terminals and working tools (e.g. pliers, scissors, markers, etc.); biological indicators (e.g., Petri dishes, etc.); an element for calibrating the instrument in the main chamber 13 (for example a small weight with a known entity for calibrating the scale), or -Other implements or tools useful for carrying out various operations for packaging products in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, healthcare, chemical and / or food sectors (but not limited to); may include:

[0053] The object 11 may be any kind of container (in particular a small container such as a vial, flask, bottle, etc.), which may be commonly used in the above sectors to fill various products, which may be fluid, solid, powdery or gel-like.

[0054] The device 10 further comprises electrical means 21 (FIG. 2), consisting for example of (or including) coils of known type (not shown), attached to or present in the one or more base plates 15 and selectively energizable to generate one or more magnetic fields at least above the drive surface 16. Furthermore, each transport member 20 is provided with magnetic means 22, consisting for example of (or including) permanent magnets 23 of known type, configured to interact with said one or more magnetic fields, so that, by selectively energizing the electrical means 21, it is possible to perform linear and / or rotational movements (even in the order of micrometers) of the one or more transport members 20 relative to the drive surface 16 without contacting them, in order to selectively move the transport members 20 relative to or towards the work station 19. During such movements, the transport members 20 maintain a distance D from the drive surface 16 ranging from a few tenths of a millimeter to several millimeters.

[0055] In other words, the electric means 21 and the magnetic means 22 constitute the actual planar motor. The idea of ​​the invention is to use a planar motor in the device 10 according to the invention to move an object 11 in the environment 12, in particular to move the object from the loading / unloading chamber 17 to the main chamber 13 or vice versa.

[0056] Furthermore, the device 10 comprises a control unit 25, for example of an electronic programmable type, configured to selectively energize at least the electrical means 21. The control unit 25 is also configured to control the movement of the separation door 18 by placing the separation door 18 in either a closed or an open configuration.

[0057] The apparatus 10 comprises a handling device 29 arranged in the loading / unloading chamber 17 and enabling handling of the objects 11 located in said chamber.

[0058] In a first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the handling device 29 comprises a pair of gloves 31 of a known type, preferably sterile, which are hermetically attached to the wall 30 of the loading / unloading chamber 17 and enable the operator to manipulate the object 11 placed on the transport member 20.

[0059] 3, the handling device 29 comprises a pick-and-place device 27 of a type known in the art. The pick-and-place device 27 can be configured, for example, as an articulated robot with multiple degrees of freedom (e.g., six degrees of freedom) and comprises a gripping member (in particular a gripper) arranged at the end of a distal articulated arm. Those skilled in the art will be able to easily provide other embodiments of the pick-and-place device 27 suitable for the purpose, depending on the space available in the loading / unloading chamber 17, such as, for example, a SCARA robot, a delta robot, a pick-up arm with suction cups connected to a pneumatic system, etc.

[0060] Additionally, one or more Petri dishes 35, for example of known type, acting as bacterial load detectors, may be advantageously positioned at one or more points within chamber 13 (FIG. 1) to ensure that desired hygiene and cleaning conditions are maintained within environment 12. For example, Applicant's WO 2020 / 144722 describes an example of managing the insertion / removal of Petri dishes with a conventional machine that does not use a planar motor.

[0061] According to a first variant (not shown in the drawings but easily understood by those skilled in the art), the base plate(s) 15 together with the associated electrical means 21 extend partly outside the chamber 13 (i.e. at least partly into the normal atmosphere) or are completely placed thereon. If there are one or more independent base plates outside the main chamber 13 that are similar or equivalent to the base plate(s) 15 arranged inside the chamber 13, the surfaces of these base plates all contribute to the formation of the drive surface 16 and are flush with it.

[0062] In this case, one or more transport members 20 can be used to transport one or more objects 11, including one or more Petri dishes 35, from outside to inside the main chamber 13, or from inside to outside the main chamber 13, simply by appropriately energizing the electrical means 31 associated with the inner base plate 15 and the outer base plate 15.

[0063] The device 10 according to the invention can be integrated into more complex machines of known type for automatically packaging products from the above-mentioned sectors, such as, for example, vial filling machines.

[0064] The operation of the apparatus 10 corresponds to a method for automatically moving one or more objects 11 within the controlled atmosphere environment 12 and essentially consists of two steps, coordinated and commanded by, for example, the control unit 25: 1) A preparatory step for forming a substantially closed main chamber 13, within which a modified atmospheric environment 12 is formed by arranging a base plate 15, one or more work stations 19, and transport members 20 in any known manner, each of which supports one or more objects 11 and is configured to slide in a non-contact manner relative to a drive surface 16, electrical means 21 associated with or present within the base plate 15 and selectively energizable to generate one or more magnetic fields, and each transport member 20 is provided with magnetic means 22 configured to interact with the one or more magnetic fields. 2) a moving step in which the electrical means 21 are selectively energized to generate one or more magnetic fields to selectively move one or more conveying members 20 and one or more objects 11 supported thereby relative to the drive surface 16 and selectively move them between work stations 19.

[0065] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the new and original solution of using a planar motor consisting of electric means 21 and magnetic means 22 to perform automated movement of objects within the environment 12 does not generate pollutants and therefore offers considerable advantages in terms of reliability, productivity and cleanliness.

[0066] It should be noted that since there is at least one RTP, the objects 11 can move in and out of the main chamber 13. Using the pick and place 27 of the glove 31 or handling device 29, the objects 11 can be placed on the various associated transport members 20 depending on their function and / or size. For example, objects 11 of small size are placed on smaller transport members 20A, while bulkier objects 11, such as frames carrying known trays with special seating called "nest", are placed on larger transport members 20B.

[0067] The conveying member 20, whether it is the smaller conveying member 20A or the larger conveying member 20B, is then operated to quickly and accurately guide it towards the various operational units located at the work stations 19 within the main chamber 13, where various operations are performed.

[0068] When the transport member 20 needs to be loaded with an object 11, the transport member 20 is placed in the loading / unloading chamber 17 and the object 11 is fed from outside the device 10 through the access opening 14 to which the container 26 is connected.

[0069] The operator then uses gloves 31 or operates a pick and place 27 to pick up the object 11 (which may have already been processed in an autoclave) from the container 26 and, without directly touching the object 11, places the object 11 on the conveying member 20 that has reached the loading / unloading chamber 17.

[0070] For example, if the apparatus 10 is equipped with only four standard-sized base plates 15, the apparatus 10 may be fully loaded with up to sixteen small transport members 20A or up to four large transport members 20B, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the transport members 20 may snake into the loading / unloading chamber 17 one after the other, forming, for example, a loop or alternate path to await loading, and then returning to the main chamber 13 immediately after the objects 11 have been loaded.

[0071] It is clear that this method provides that the control unit 25 places the separation door 18 in the open configuration whenever the conveying member 20 needs to be moved from the main chamber 13 to the loading / unloading chamber 17 or vice versa.

[0072] Another function that may be performed by the device 10 may be to insert one or more Petri dishes 35 or cell culture capsules into the chamber 13 .

[0073] It is also envisaged that there is a queue with a storage facility for stacking all unused Petri dishes 35, which are then transported to the device 10 and possibly to the machine 100. The access openings 14 make it possible to introduce and place the Petri dishes 35 in the queue and then place them on a suitable transport member 20, which can be carried out manually, for example using gloves 31. -First, remove the corresponding lid from the Petri dish 35 and place it on a suitable shelf, one or more open Petri dishes 35 are then placed on one or more carrier members 20; -Then, one or more Petri dishes 35 are transported to monitoring positions at points of interest in the device 10, which are typically identified at one of the access openings 14 (for the entry and exit of the object 11) and at the work station 19 (for filling and capping).

[0074] After the transport member 20 has been magnetically lifted relative to the drive surface 16 to allow the VHP to reach underneath the drive surface 16 and the transport member 20, the required disinfection cycle of the transport member 20 and the objects 11 is preferably carried out by pumping a decontamination agent, such as VHP, into the main chamber 13 with the isolation door 18 in the closed configuration. In this case, it is provided that the isolation door 18 is closed before decontaminating the main chamber 13 and all objects contained therein.

[0075] Additionally, an automated system with an arm for loading the Petri dishes 35 can be provided, in which case the dimensions of the device 10 would need to be appropriately sized to accommodate the arm and allow it to move, for example by increasing the internal space of the main chamber 13.

[0076] Additionally, the conveying member 20 may remain installed within the apparatus 10 and function as a "sweeper." In effect, the conveying member 20 may be equipped with a type of shovel, pushing objects 11, fallen waste, and / or debris toward the apparatus 10 like a broom, thereby removing them from the main chamber 13. Two conveying members 20 of this type may also be installed, cooperating with each other to load material onto one of the conveying members, thereby preventing the material from being dragged along the extrusion path on the drive surface 16.

[0077] From the above it is clear that the transport member 20 is automatically movable within the main chamber 13 (i.e. between the work stations 19 or between the loading / unloading chamber 17 and the main chamber 13).

[0078] It is therefore advantageous and inventive for the same transport member 20, on which one or more objects 11 are placed, to receive those objects 11 in the loading / unloading chamber 17 and then move those objects 11 towards one or more work stations 19, and for the same objects 11 to remain on the same transport member 20 during the various operations, thereby preventing transfer of objects between different moving members and making the device 10 less complex and easier to control.

[0079] It is also provided that the objects 11 can be arranged in an orderly manner on each of the transport members 20 and that the objects 11 can be quickly and easily exchanged between the transport members 20.

[0080] It will be apparent that modifications and / or additions of portions or steps may be made to the apparatus 10 and to the method for automatically moving one or more objects 11 within a controlled atmosphere environment 12 as hereinbefore described without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0081] Although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other equivalent forms of apparatus and methods for automatically moving objects in a controlled atmosphere environment can be realised which have the features set out in the claims and which therefore all fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

[0082] In the following claims, references in parentheses are for the purpose of readability only and should not be considered as limiting factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for automatically moving one or more objects (11) within a modified atmospheric environment (12), comprising: - a main chamber (13) isolated from the external environment; - one or more base plates (15) arranged one after the other and defining a drive surface (16) within said main chamber (13); one or more work stations (19) arranged in said main chamber (13); one or more conveying members (20), each of said one or more conveying members (20) configured to support said one or more objects (11) and configured for contactless coordinated movement on said drive surface (16) between said one or more work stations (19) by magnetic interaction between said one or more base plates (15) and said one or more conveying members (20); - a loading / unloading chamber (17) located adjacent to said main chamber (13); a separation door (18) configured to be movable between a closed configuration isolating the main chamber (13) from the loading / unloading chamber (17) and an open configuration putting the main chamber (13) in communication with the loading / unloading chamber (17); An apparatus (10) comprising: The drive surface (16) made from the one or more base plates (15) also extends into the loading / unloading chamber (17) and allows the one or more transport members (20) to access the loading / unloading chamber (17) when the separation door (18) is in the open configuration, whereby the one or more transport members (20) can be selectively moved within the loading / unloading chamber (17) by moving on the drive surface (16).

2. Electrical means (21) associated with or present within said one or more base plates (15), said means (21) being selectively energizable to generate one or more magnetic fields; magnetic means (22) provided on the one or more conveying members (20) and configured to interact with the one or more magnetic fields, such that selective energization of the electric means (21) causes the one or more conveying members (20) to move on the drive surface (16); The apparatus (10) of claim 1, comprising:

3. The loading / unloading chamber (17) is provided with at least one access opening (14) configured to allow the object (11) to enter the loading / unloading chamber (17) from the external environment.

3. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A high speed transfer port (26) is connected to at least one of said access openings (14).

4. The device (10) according to claim 3.

5. at least one handling device (29) configured to interact with the objects (11) supported on the one or more transport members (20) in the loading / unloading chamber (17); An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The at least one handling device (29) comprises a pair of gloves (31) sealingly attached to the wall (30) of the loading / unloading chamber (17).

6. The device (10) according to claim 5.

7. The at least one handling device (29) comprises a pick-and-place device (27) arranged in the loading / unloading chamber (17).

6. The device (10) according to claim 5.

8. The one or more work stations (19) comprise at least a filling station (40) and / or a capping station (41) configured to fill and cap the objects (11) in the form of containers, respectively. An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The filling station (40) comprises at least a filling needle configured to inject a predetermined amount of product.

9. The device (10) according to claim 8.

10. The capping station (41) comprises a pusher for inserting a stopper into each of the containers.

10. Apparatus (10) according to claim 8 or 9.

11. The separation door (18) is configured to close an opening in a common wall separating the main chamber (13) and the loading / unloading chamber (17). An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method for automatically moving one or more objects (11) using a device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: A method, wherein said one or more objects (11) comprise at least a container to be filled and capped.

13. The one or more objects (11) are filled with a liquid The method of claim 12.

14. A method for automatically moving one or more objects (11) using a device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: The method, wherein said one or more objects (11) comprise at least one Petri dish (35).

15. a decontamination step in which the separation door (18) is held in a closed configuration and at least the main chamber (13) is decontaminated with a decontamination substance, preferably VHP. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising:

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