METHOD FOR SEPARATING A HOLLOW GLASS BODY FROM A GLASS TUBE AS WELL AS METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING A RECEPTACLE

Abstract

A glass tube (40) is treated with laser cutting to separate a hollow glass body from the glass tube (40). A laser beam (34) used for laser cutting is focused on a wall (43) of the glass tube (40).

Description

METHOD FOR SEPARATING A HOLLOW GLASS BODY FROM A GLASS TUBE AS WELL AS METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING A RECEPTACLE FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to a method and system for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube, particularly for manufacturing medical receptacles such as syringes or medical cartridges, or for manufacturing other receptacles. The invention relates specifically to these methods and systems in which a hollow glass body is separated from a glass tube using laser radiation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hollow glass bodies are used to manufacture medical receptacles such as syringes or drug cartridges or to manufacture non-medical receptacles. Laser radiation can be used to reshape hollow glass bodies. DE 10 2010 045 094 Al, DE 10 2012 101 948 Al and DE 10 2016 114 104 Al describe example methods and systems for laser-assisted reshaping of a glass body. Laser radiation can also be used to separate hollow glass bodies. DE 10 2011 006 738 describes a method for separating hollow glass, in which an initial scratch is introduced by scraping, the hollow glass is heated by laser radiation, and subsequently... Ref. 316028 cools and reheats by means of laser radiation. Conventional methods for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube can lead to an undesirably large reduction in the inner diameter at the end of the hollow glass body where it is separated, for example, by scraping and subsequent laser-assisted heating to introduce mechanical stresses. Conventional methods for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube using laser radiation can lead to an undesirably high rejection rate during production, making the manufacturing method more complex and expensive, and / or may involve reduced reproducibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The problem to be solved by the invention is the provision of improved methods and systems for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube. In particular, it is desirable to provide methods and systems that can be used to manufacture hollow glass bodies that are reshaped into medical or non-medical receptacles. It is desirable to provide methods and systems that, compared to methods in which a scratch is mechanically introduced into a glass tube and mechanical stresses are subsequently generated by laser-assisted heating in combination with cooling, have improved reproducibility and a lower rejection rate during production.It is desirable to provide these methods and systems by which, in comparison to methods in which a scratch is mechanically introduced into a glass tube and mechanical stresses are subsequently generated by laser-assisted heating in combination with cooling, a significant reduction in the inner diameter at the end of the hollow glass body can be prevented. According to the present invention, methods and a system are provided having the features stated in the independent claims. The dependent claims define embodiments. One method for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube according to one modality comprises laser cutting the glass tube to separate the hollow glass body. A laser beam used for the laser cutting operation can be focused on a wall of the glass tube. In this method, the hollow glass body can be separated from the glass tube to manufacture a medical receptacle or a non-medical receptacle. By focusing the laser beam on one wall of the glass tube, energy densities can be achieved that allow the hollow glass body to separate even without requiring a mechanical scratch. The end of the hollow glass body exposed to the laser beam during separation can have an inner diameter that is only slightly reduced compared to the inner diameter of a main cylindrical portion of the hollow glass body. The laser beam can be focused such that a focal point of the laser beam is inside a wall of the glass tube. The laser beam can be focused such that on one side of the glass tube, the focal point of the laser beam is inside the tube wall, while on the opposite side, the laser intensity is no longer sufficient to cut the glass tube. A circumferential laser cut can be generated by relative movement between the glass tube and the laser beam. The laser cutting operation may include laser sublimation cutting. The laser cutting operation may be carried out such that the laser sublimation cutting takes place in a first zone located within the wall of the glass tube, and in either case, the melting processes may also take place in a second zone on the wall of the glass tube, the second zone surrounding the first zone. The laser beam may be a driven laser beam comprising a sequence of pulses having a pulse length and repetition rate. The method may further include: controlling the pulse length and repetition rate using open-loop control or using closed-loop control in order to cut at least a zone of the glass tube wall by laser sublimation cutting. The laser beam can be focused such that a Rayleigh length of the laser beam is equal to, or smaller than, a wall thickness wt of the glass tube, preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.8 χ wt, preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.6 χ wt, more preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.5 * wt. The hollow glass body can be separated from the glass tube without the mechanical introduction of a scratch. The hollow glass body can be separated from the glass tube at a separation area without any mechanical force being exerted on the glass tube. The method may involve causing a relative rotation between the laser beam and the glass tube during the laser cutting operation. The relative rotation between the glass tube and the laser beam can be implemented in several ways: (1) the glass tube is rotated during laser cutting, and a beam axis of the laser beam does not move during laser cutting; (2) a beam axis of the laser beam is moved, for example, rotated in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube, during laser cutting and the glass tube is not moved during laser cutting; (3) a beam axis of the laser beam is moved, for example, rotated in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube, during laser cutting and the glass tube is rotated during laser cutting. The glass tube may have an outside diameter of less than 30 mm, preferably less than 15 mm, preferably less than 13 mm, more preferably less than 11 mm. The glass tube may have an inner diameter of less than 28 mm, preferably less than 12 mm, preferably less than 8 mm, more preferably less than 7 mm. The glass tube may have a wall thickness of less than 1.5 mm, preferably less than 1 mm. The hollow glass body can be separated from the glass tube in less than 1 s, preferably in less than 0.9 s by means of laser cutting. The glass tube may consist of hydrolytic class 1 glass according to DIN 12111 (ISO 719). The laser radiation may comprise pulses with a repetition rate of 3 kHz to 30 kHz, preferably 4 kHz to kHz. Laser radiation can be boosted and can have a duty cycle per pulse of between 5% and 35%, preferably between 8% and 17%. The laser beam can be generated using a CO2 laser. The laser beam can have a beam diameter at the laser beam focal point that is 50 to 250 micrometers, preferably 100 to 200 micrometers. The glass tube can be rotated during the laser cutting operation at a speed of more than 100 rpm, preferably between 150 rpm and 700 rpm. The laser beam can be emitted from a laser nozzle, from which the gas exits at a positive pressure. The positive pressure can be greater than 0.1 bar, preferably greater than 0.3 bar. The glass tube can be precisely aligned at both ends in both an axial and a circumferential direction during the laser cutting operation. The laser beam can impact the wall of the glass tube along a direction transverse to a central axis of the glass tube, in particular perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube. The hollow glass body separated from the glass tube may have a main portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the hollow glass body and having an inner diameter of less than 28 mm, preferably less than 12 mm, preferably less than 8 mm, more preferably less than 7 mm. The hollow glass body separated from the glass tube may have a main portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the hollow glass body and having an outside diameter of less than 30 mm, preferably less than 15 mm, preferably less than 13 mm, more preferably less than 11 mm. A method for manufacturing a receptacle according to a modality may comprise separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube by means of the method according to a modality and optionally reshaping at least one area of ​​the separated hollow glass body. The method can be a method for manufacturing a medical receptacle or a non-medical receptacle. The medical receptacle can be a syringe, a drug cartridge, another medical cartridge, a small bottle, or another medical receptacle. The method may further comprise filling the medical receptacle with a formulation. The formulation may comprise at least one pharmaceutically active substance or a pharmaceutical carrier substance. The pharmaceutical carrier substance may be WFI (water for injection). The method may further comprise inserting a stopper, syringe plunger, or other closing element into one end of the medical receptacle in which the hollow glass body has been separated from the glass tube by laser cutting. A system for manufacturing a receptacle comprises a laser unit having a focusing device for focusing a laser beam onto a glass tube wall to laser-cut the glass tube in order to separate a hollow glass body from the glass tube. The system may include a device for inducing relative rotation between the glass tube and the laser beam during the laser-cutting operation. The system can be a system for manufacturing a medical receptacle or a non-medical receptacle. The system can be configured as follows: (1) To cause a relative rotation, the glass tube is rotated during the laser cutting operation, and a beam axis of the laser beam does not move during the laser cutting operation; (2) a beam axis of the laser beam is moved, for example, rotated in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube, during the laser cutting operation and the glass tube does not move during the laser cutting operation; and (3) a beam axis of the laser beam is moved, for example, rotated in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube, during the laser cutting operation and the glass tube is rotated during the laser cutting operation. The system can be configured so that a focal point of the laser beam is inside a wall of the glass tube. The system can be configured so that on one side of the glass tube, the focal point of the laser beam is inside the tube wall, and on the opposite side, the laser intensity is no longer sufficient to cut the glass tube. A circumferential cut can be achieved through relative movement between the glass tube and the laser beam. The system may have a control device to operate the laser unit. This control device may be configured to operate the laser unit such that at least one area of ​​the glass tube wall is cut by laser sublimation cutting. The laser cutting operation may be performed such that the sublimation cutting takes place in a first area located within the glass tube wall, and the melting processes may also occur in a second area of ​​the glass tube wall, the second area surrounding the first area. The control device can be configured to control the laser unit to generate a driven laser beam comprising a sequence of pulses with a pulse length and repetition rate. The control device can be configured to control the pulse length and repetition rate using either open-loop or closed-loop control to cut at least a zone of the glass tube wall by laser sublimation cutting. The focusing device can be configured such that a Rayleigh length of the laser beam is equal to, or smaller than, a wall thickness wt of the glass tube, preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.8 χ wt, preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.6 χ wt, more preferably equal to, or smaller than, 0.5 χ wt. The laser unit can be configured to generate laser radiation such that it comprises pulses with a repetition rate of 3 kHz to 30 kHz, preferably 4 kHz to 12 kHz. The laser unit can be configured to generate laser radiation such that it has a pulse duty cycle of between 5% and 35%, preferably between 8% and 17%. The laser unit may comprise a CO2 laser. The system can be configured such that a beam diameter at the focal point of the laser beam is 50 to 250 micrometers, preferably 100 to 200 micrometers. The system can be configured to rotate the glass tube during the laser cutting operation at a speed of more than 100 rpm, preferably between 150 rpm and 700 rpm. The system may include a laser nozzle from which the gas exits at a positive pressure. The positive pressure may be greater than 0.1 bar, preferably greater than 0.3 bar. The system may include mandrels to precisely align the glass tube at both ends in both an axial and a circumferential direction. The system can be configured to separate the hollow glass body from the glass tube without the mechanical introduction of a scratch. The system can be configured to separate the hollow glass body from the glass tube without any mechanical force being exerted on a separation area. The system can be configured so that the laser beam impacts the wall of the glass tube along a direction transverse to a central axis of the glass tube, in particular perpendicular to the central axis of the glass tube. The system may comprise at least a first drive unit to rotate the glass tube during the laser cutting operation. The system may comprise a plurality of devices for retaining and rotating a glass tube each. The system may comprise a conveyor device in which the plurality of retaining and rotating devices are arranged. The system may also include a second drive unit to rotate the conveyor device. The system may comprise optical components for splitting the laser beam into a plurality of sub-beams in order to cut glass tubes held in a plurality of devices for retention and rotation. The system may comprise optical components for deflecting the laser beam in order to cut glass tubes held in a plurality of devices for holding and rotating. The system may comprise a device for reforming the hollow glass body separated from the glass tube into a medical receptacle. The hollow glass body reshaping device can be configured to reshape the hollow glass body into a syringe, a drug cartridge, another medical cartridge, a small bottle, or another medical receptacle. The hollow glass body reshaping device can be configured to reshape the hollow glass body into a non-medical receptacle. The system may comprise a device for filling the medical receptacle with a formulation. The filling device may be configured to fill the medical receptacle with a formulation containing at least one pharmaceutically active substance or a pharmaceutical carrier substance. The pharmaceutical carrier substance may be water for injection (WFI). The system can also be configured to insert a stopper, syringe plunger, or other closing element into one end of the medical receptacle in which the hollow glass body has been separated from the glass tube by laser cutting. The system can be configured to perform the method according to a modality. Methods and systems according to the present invention can be used to manufacture hollow glass bodies that are reshaped into medical receptacles. Compared to methods in which a scratch is mechanically introduced into a glass tube and mechanical stresses are subsequently generated by laser-assisted heating in combination with cooling, improved reproducibility is achieved and the rejection rate during production is reduced. An undesirably large reduction in the inner diameter of the hollow glass body at the end separated by laser cutting can be prevented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Example embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the figures, in which similar or identical reference signs designate similar or identical elements. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a medical receptacle produced using the method and system according to a modality. Figure 2 is a detailed view of the medical receptacle in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a laser cutting operation to separate a hollow glass body from a glass tube in a method and system according to a modality. Figure 4 shows a beam profile of a laser beam used for laser cutting in a method and system according to a modality. Figure 5 shows a time-dependent output power of a laser beam used for laser cutting in a method and system according to a modality. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a glass tube during laser cutting operation in a method and system according to a modality. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of detail A in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a system according to a modality. Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a system according to a modality. Figure 10 is an enlarged partial view of components of the systems in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 11 shows a reduction in inside diameters at the end of a separate hollow glass body for test specimens separated by methods according to the present invention and for test specimens separated by conventional methods. Figure 12 shows a relationship of the reduction in inside diameter at the end of a separated hollow glass body and an inside diameter of a main cylindrical portion of the hollow glass body, wherein the data are shown for both test specimens separated by a method according to the present invention and for test specimens separated by a conventional method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Methods and systems for separating hollow glass bodies from a glass tube to manufacture a receptacle are described below with reference to the figures. Although some example embodiments are described in the context of specific medical receptacles such as syringes or drug cartridges, or in the context of specific laser arrays, the embodiments are not limited to them. The methods and systems according to the invention can also be used to manufacture non-medical receptacles or other objects. Methods and systems according to specific modalities allow a hollow glass body to be separated from a glass tube by means of laser radiation. The separation can be performed in such a way that no mechanical force needs to be exerted on the separation area of ​​the glass tube to separate the hollow glass body. The separation can be achieved because laser sublimation cutting is performed on at least one zone of a wall of the glass tube. In an adjacent zone, the glass can optionally be melted, in addition to or instead of sublimation. The methods and systems may include optional further treatment of the detached hollow glass body. For example, the detached hollow glass body may be reshaped into a syringe, drug cartridge, or other medical cartridge. The hollow glass body may also be reshaped into a non-medical receptacle. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a receptacle 10 manufactured using a method and system according to a specified modality. Figure 2 is a detailed view of the receptacle 10 of Figure 1. The receptacle 10 may be a medical receptacle or a non-medical receptacle. The receptacle 10 can be made of a hollow glass body. The receptacle 10 can consist of or comprise hydrolytic class 1 glass according to DIN 12111 (ISO 719). The receptacle 10 has a first end 12, in which the hollow glass body has been separated from a glass tube by laser cutting. The receptacle 10 has a second end 11 separated from the first end 12. For example, the second end 11 can be formed in a collar shape in which an outer diameter of the receptacle 10 has a constriction 29. The receptacle 10 has a main cylindrical portion 13 arranged between the first end 12 and the second end 11. The receptacle 10 can be extended rotatably symmetrically about a central axis 19 at least in the main cylindrical portion 13 and advantageously along its entire length. In its main cylindrical portion 13, the receptacle may have an inner diameter 21, an outer diameter 22, and a wall thickness 23. The outer diameter 22 may be less than 30 mm, preferably less than 15 mm, preferably less than 13 mm, and more preferably less than 11 mm. The inner diameter 21 may be less than 28 mm, preferably less than 12 mm, preferably less than 8 mm, and more preferably less than 7 mm. The wall thickness 23 may be less than 1.5 mm, preferably less than 1.5 mm. The first end 12 of the receptacle may have a shape defined by the laser cutting operation during the separation of the hollow glass body. In particular, the receptacle 10 may be formed from the hollow glass body separated from the glass tube such that only the second end 11, but not the first end 12, is further reshaped after the hollow glass body has been separated from the glass tube. Consequently, the first end 12 of the receptacle may have a laser cut 14 that is generated when the hollow glass body is separated from the glass tube and that is not subsequently reshaped. Due to the separation operation, the first end 12 may have an inner diameter 24. The inner diameter 24 may be the clear width of the first end 12. The methods and systems according to the present invention allow for a reduction of the difference Δ between the inner diameter 24 at the first end 12 and the inner diameter 21 of the cylindrical portion 13 compared to conventional methods, which, in addition to the use of laser radiation, also require the introduction of an initial scratch to separate the hollow glass body from the glass tube. Due to the methods and systems according to the present invention, the reduction of the inner diameter at the end 12 can therefore be kept smaller than with conventional methods and systems. For example, the difference Δ can be smaller than 0.1 mm, preferably smaller than 0.05 mm. This small reduction in the clear width at the end 12 of the receptacle 10, which has been separated by laser radiation, implies numerous advantages, for example, in the further mechanical handling of the medical receptacle 10 for filling and / or closing the receptacle 10. With reference to Figures 3 to 10, methods and systems are described in detail that allow a hollow glass body to be separated from a glass tube, wherein the hollow glass body can be subsequently reshaped into the medical or non-medical receptacle 10. Figure 3 shows components of a system 30 for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube 40 by laser cutting. The separation can be carried out without the application of mechanical force to the separation area, in particular without introducing an initial scratch in the separation area of ​​the glass tube 40. The laser cutting operation may comprise laser sublimation cutting in at least one area of ​​the glass tube 40. The glass tube 40 may consist of hydrolytic class 1 glass according to DIN 12111 (ISO 719). The glass tube 40 may consist of borosilicate glass. A laser beam 34 is focused onto a wall of the glass tube 40 by a lens 33 in a laser nozzle 31. Whereas only one lens 33 is shown in Figure 3, a lens system comprising a plurality of lenses may be used to focus the laser beam 34. The laser nozzle 31 may include a gas passage 32. Pressurized gas may exit the laser nozzle 31 along the same opening as the laser beam 34 collimated by the lens 33. Fumes generated during laser cutting, for example, may be removed by the pressurized gas. The side of the focusing device facing the glass tube during laser cutting, such as the side of the front lens 33 facing the glass tube during laser cutting, may be shielded. The glass tube 40 comprises a wall 43. The wall 43 can be extended cylindrically around a central axis of the glass tube 40. The glass tube 40 can be rotated around its central axis during the laser cutting operation in order to produce a circumferential laser cut 42. A rotational axis 41 of the glass tube 40 can be perpendicular to a central axis of the laser beam 34. The laser beam 34 can be focused into the glass tube 40 by the focusing device 33 such that a focal spot of the laser beam 34 is arranged on a surface or within a wall thickness on the side 46 of the glass tube 40 facing the focusing device 33. The wall on the opposite side 47 of the glass tube 40 can be separated from the focal spot of the laser beam 34. By a rotation 41 of the glass tube 40, the wall 43 can be gradually displaced through the focal spot of the laser beam along the circumference of the glass tube 40 to generate a circumferential cut. For a good laser cutting operation, in particular for a laser cutting operation comprising laser sublimation cutting in at least one area of ​​the wall 43, a beam profile of the laser beam 34 focused by the focusing device 33 can be adjusted to a wall thickness of the glass tube 40. The adjustment of the beam profile to the wall thickness of the glass tube 40 can be achieved by suitable selection and / or positioning and / or adjustment of the focusing device 33. Figure 4 shows a beam profile of the laser beam 34 focused by the focusing device 33 and a wall thickness 44 of the wall 43 of the glass tube 40 from which the hollow glass body is separated. The beam profile is adjusted to a wall thickness 44 such that a Rayleigh length 38 is equal to or less than the wall thickness 44 (hereafter referred to as wt). The Rayleigh length 38 can advantageously be equal to or less than 0.8 χ wt, in particular equal to or less than 0.6 χ wt, in particular equal to or less than 0.5 χ wt. The Rayleigh length 38 can be defined as a distance along the beam axis 35 between a beam waist, at which the laser beam has a minimum beam diameter along a beam axis 35, and a position at which a radius 37 of the laser beam 43 is V2 times the radius 36 at the beam waist. For a good laser cutting operation, particularly for a laser cutting operation comprising laser sublimation cutting in at least one area of ​​wall 43, a laser source of the laser beam 34 can generate a driven laser beam. A repetition rate and / or a duty cycle per pulse of the driven laser beam can be adjusted such that the laser sublimation cutting takes place in at least one area of ​​wall 43. Figure 5 shows a pulse train 50 of intensity pulses generated by a laser source that can be used to separate the hollow glass body from the glass tube 40 by laser cutting. The pulse train 50 comprises a plurality of pulses, each having a length 51. Consecutive pulses are separated by an interval 53 without laser light emission. The time interval 52 between consecutive rising edges of consecutive pulses in the pulse train 50 is the inverse of the repetition rate. The duty cycle per pulse is defined as the duration 51 of a pulse divided by the time interval 52 between consecutive rising pulse edges, which defines the inverse of the repetition rate. The following steps can be performed to determine suitable parameters for repetition rate, duty cycle per pulse, and optionally additional parameters such as laser frequency and / or laser power: (a) First, a parameter field can be defined that encompasses a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters can include the repetition rate, the pulse duty cycle, and the laser power. In an example modality, the parameter field can be defined by repetition rates from 1 kHz to 200 kHz, a pulse duty cycle from 7% to 50%, and a laser power from 0.2 kW to 1 kW. (b) The parameter field can be tested by selecting points from the parameter field with a step size along the different parameter axes. (c) Laser cutting is performed with the respective parameters. (d) Laser cutting is evaluated by quantitative quality criteria such as the change Δ of the inside diameter at the end of the laser-cut hollow glass body and / or the roundness of the cut edges. (e) Steps (b) to (d) are repeated with smaller step sizes around regions of the parameter field that have been identified as particularly suitable in the previous iteration. In example modes, the laser source can be controlled such that it generates a pulse train with a repetition rate of 3 kHz to 30 kHz, preferably 4 kHz to 12 kHz, and a duty cycle per pulse of between 5% and 35%, preferably between 8% and 17%, and is used for laser cutting. In advantageous configurations, laser cutting operations include laser sublimation cutting. Laser sublimation cutting does not have to extend through the entire wall thickness but can be combined with other laser cutting processes, which may include melting. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a glass tube 40 that is to be cut with laser radiation. Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of detail A marked in Figure 6. During laser cutting, the laser beam can be focused on wall 43 such that the laser beam has a sublimation zone 61 at its center, which is concentrically aligned with the beam profile. Sublimation separation takes place in the sublimation zone 61. In a mixed zone 62 surrounding the sublimation zone 61, the glass of the glass tube 40 sublimates and melts. The mixed zone 62 is surrounded by a fusion zone 63, which generates a radius on the inner and outer surfaces of wall 43, both in the separated hollow glass body and in the remaining portion of the glass tube. This radius is most clearly visible in Figure 7. In each section plane that includes the central axis of the glass tube 40, the radius forms an arc extending from the inner to the outer side of the glass tube 40.An arc tangent can transition tangentially or approximately tangentially to the inner and outer sides of the glass cylinder. The methods and systems according to modalities can be configured such that the hollow glass body is separated from the glass tube 40 in less than 1 s, preferably in less than 0.9 s by means of laser cutting. Methods and systems according to modalities can be integrated into industrial manufacturing methods in a suitable manner so that a plurality of glass tubes can be efficiently processed. Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of System 70 for manufacturing a medical or non-medical receptacle. System 70 can be configured to separate a hollow glass body from a glass tube by laser cutting. System 70 can be optionally configured to further reshape the hollow glass body separated from the glass tube and / or to fill and / or seal the reshaped hollow glass body. System 70 comprises a laser source 71 and a control device 78. The laser source 71 can be configured to emit a driven laser beam. The control device 78 can be configured to control a repetition rate and / or duty cycle per pulse of the pulse train using either open-loop or closed-loop control, as described above. The system 70 may optionally comprise a laser polarizer 72 and / or a laser switch 73. The control device 78 may be configured to control the laser polarizer 72 and / or the laser switch 73 using open-loop control or using closed-loop control, for example, in order to selectively provide laser radiation 79 to one of a plurality of laser heads 74a, 74b. System 70 may comprise a plurality of devices 77, each of which is configured to retain and optionally rotate a glass tube, and only some of which are illustrated in Figure 8. The devices 77 may rotate the retained glass tubes while one of the laser heads 74a, 74b performs a laser cutting operation. A plurality of devices 77 for retaining and optionally rotating a glass tube can be arranged on a conveyor device 77a. Each of the devices 77 can be rotatably mounted on the conveyor device 77a. The system 70 may comprise a drive device for rotatably driving the devices 77. The devices 77 can be arranged so that they are spaced apart from each other along a circumference of the conveyor device 77a. The conveyor device 77a can be mounted in a rotatable manner. System 70 may include an additional drive device for rotatably driving the conveyor device 77a. The drive devices can be controlled by the control device 78 or a separate control device. The drives of the conveyor device 77a and of the devices 77 can be activated independently of each other. The laser beam generated by the laser source 71 can be directed to one or more laser heads 74a, 74b by means of optical components 76, for example, mirrors. Each of the laser heads 74a, 74b can have a focusing device as described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Each of the laser heads 74a, 74b can comprise a laser nozzle 31 as described with reference to Figure 3. A plurality of laser heads 74a, 74b can be arranged in different positions along the circumference of the conveyor device 77a. The laser heads 74a, 74b can be mounted in a stationary manner on the system 70, but can also comprise mechanically movable components, for example, for laser beam tracking. The laser heads 74a, 74b and / or the devices 77 can be configured such that the laser beam emitted by a laser head 74a, 74b for laser cutting is mechanically made to track or follow a respective device 77 whenever the respective device 77 moves past the laser head 74a, 74b. The laser heads 74a, 74b can be mounted respectively in safety housings 75a, 75b. System 70 can be configured to manufacture a drug cartridge or other medical cartridge. Additional processing stations can be arranged along the circumference of the conveyor device 77a. For example, a processing station can be provided for reshaping the hollow glass body after it has been separated from the glass tube. A processing station can also be provided for filling and / or sealing the reshaped hollow glass body. While Figure 8 schematically illustrates two laser heads 74a, 74b along the circumference of the conveyor device 77a, it is also possible that only one laser head is provided. It is also possible that more than two laser heads are positioned along the circumference of the conveyor device 77a. System 70 can be an indexing machine in which the conveyor device 77a is repeatedly stopped for laser cutting. The laser heads 74a and 74b can be mounted in a stationary manner. The 70 system can also be configured so that laser beam tracking occurs during laser cutting as a glass tube continuously moves past a laser head. This configuration will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 10. Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of System 80 for manufacturing a medical or non-medical receptacle. System 80 can be configured to separate a hollow glass body from a glass tube by laser cutting. System 80 can be optionally configured to further reshape the hollow glass body separated from the glass tube and / or to fill and / or seal the reshaped hollow glass body. System 80 comprises a laser source 71 and a control device 78, which can be configured and designed as described with reference to Figure 8. A laser polarizer 72, a laser switch 73 and optical components 76 can also be configured as described with reference to Figure 8. System 80 comprises a conveyor device 81 having a plurality of devices 82 positioned thereon for retaining and optionally rotating a glass tube. The conveyor device 81 is rotatably driven. Each of the devices 82 is rotatably driven relative to the conveyor device 81. The devices 82 can rotate the glass tube retained by them while a laser head 74a performs a laser cutting operation. The laser head 74a and / or the devices 82 can be configured such that the laser beam emitted by the laser head 74a for laser cutting is mechanically made to track or follow a respective device 82 each time the respective device 82 moves past the laser head 74a. System 80 comprises an additional conveyor device 85 having a plurality of additional devices 86 positioned thereon for retaining and optionally rotating a glass tube. The additional conveyor device 85 is rotatably driven. Each of the additional devices 86 is rotatably driven relative to the conveyor device 85. The additional devices 86 can rotate the glass tube retained by them while an additional laser head 74b performs a laser cutting operation. The additional laser head 74b and / or the additional devices 86 can be configured such that the laser beam emitted by the additional laser head 74b for laser cutting is mechanically directed to track or follow a respective additional device 86 whenever that device 86 moves past the other laser head 74b. The conveyor device 81 and / or the additional conveyor device 85 can each form devices for manufacturing syringes. The system 80 can comprise additional stations, which can be placed on the conveyor device 81 and / or the additional conveyor device 85 to reshape the hollow glass body after the hollow glass body has been separated from the glass tube, to fill the reshaped hollow glass body, and / or to seal the reshaped hollow glass body. System 80 can be an indexing machine in which conveyor devices 81 and 85 are repeatedly stopped for laser cutting. The laser heads 74a, 74b can be mounted in a stationary manner. The System 80 can also be configured so that laser beam tracking occurs during laser cutting as a glass tube continuously moves past a laser head. This configuration will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view of components of systems 70, 80. Systems 70, 80 comprise a plurality of rotatably mounted devices 82a, 82b, 82c, each of which can be arranged on a conveyor device that can be driven independently of the rotatably mounted devices 82a, 82b, 82c. Each of the devices 82a, 82b, 82c can be configured to retain and rotate a glass tube 40a, 40b, 40c. A laser head 74a can be mounted such that a laser beam 34 is mechanically directed to track a respective device 82a, 82b, or 82c when the respective device 82a, 82b, or 82c is guided past the laser head 74a. The laser head 74a can be polarized by a spring-loaded elastic element 88 toward the devices 82a, 82b, or 82c. Rollers 89, an oscillator, or other tracking members can be provided to mechanically move the laser head when one of the devices 82a, 82b, or 82c moves past the laser head 74a. Several disadvantages associated with conventional methods and systems can be eliminated or mitigated with methods and systems according to example modalities. For instance, hollow glass bodies and medical or non-medical receptacles can be manufactured whose inner diameter at the end treated with laser radiation is only slightly reduced compared to the inner diameter in a main cylindrical portion. Figure 11 shows inside diameter deviation data Δ measured on a large number of test specimens. The inside diameter deviation Δ can be defined as the difference between the inside diameter at one end of the laser-cut hollow glass body and the inside diameter of the main cylindrical portion of the hollow glass body, as described with reference to Figure 2 for the medical receptacle. In Figure 11, the inside diameter deviations are plotted as a function of a measured quantity of the test specimen. The first data 91 were measured on hollow glass bodies separated from a glass tube by means of methods and systems according to the present invention. The second data 92 were measured on hollow glass bodies separated from an identical glass tube by means of conventional methods and systems, wherein in the conventional methods and systems an initial scratch was mechanically introduced and the glass tube was subsequently heated by laser radiation and then cooled again. Both the first data 91 and the second data 92 were determined for hollow glass bodies, each having a first inner diameter of 6.85 ± 0.15 mm and an outer diameter in the main cylindrical portion of 8.65 ± 0.15 mm. The wall thickness wt of the glass tube from which the hollow glass body was separated and of the main portion of the separated hollow glass body was 0.9 ± 0.1 mm. The glass tube from which the hollow glass body was separated and the hollow glass body each consist of hydrolytic class 1 glass. Both the first data 91 and the second data 92 were obtained when a CCg laser having a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers was used. The measured inside diameter deviations for the test specimens were sorted in an increasing sequence, both for hollow glass bodies produced by a method according to the invention and for conventional hollow glass bodies. The test specimens were then numbered consecutively. Consequently, data 91 and data 92 show a monotonous increase in inside diameter deviations, reflecting the fact that the test specimens were sorted and numbered according to their inside diameter deviations. Essentially, the hollow glass bodies produced by a method according to the invention have inside diameter deviations 91 that are significantly smaller than the inside diameter deviations 92 of the conventional test specimen. As can be deduced from Figure 11, hollow glass bodies manufactured using methods and systems according to the present invention have an inside diameter deviation at the laser-treated end that is significantly smaller than in hollow glass bodies manufactured using conventional methods and systems. In particular, an inside diameter deviation of less than 0.1 mm, and on average even less than 0.05 mm, can be achieved in hollow glass bodies manufactured using the methods and systems according to the present invention. For hollow glass bodies as represented by the first data 91, the inside diameter deviation divided by the first inside diameter is less than 0.016, on average even less than 0.008. For hollow glass bodies as represented by the first data 91, the deviation of inner diameter divided by wall thickness in the main cylindrical portion is less than 0.12, on average even less than 0.06. Methods and devices can be used according to example modalities to manufacture hollow glass bodies where - the inside diameter deviation Δ is at most 100 μπι, and / or - the inside diameter deviation Δ divided by the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body is less than 0.02, preferably less than 0.01, preferably less than 0.007, more preferably less than 0.005, and / or - the inside diameter deviation Δ divided by the wall thickness is less than 0.2, preferably less than 0.1, preferably less than 0.07, more preferably less than 0.05, without the methods and devices being limited to the same. Figure 12 shows, by way of example, the inside diameter deviation Δ divided by the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body of the respective hollow glass body for the hollow glass bodies for which the inside diameter deviation is shown in Figure 11. Data 93 represents the ratio of the inside diameter deviation Δ to the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body for the test specimens produced by the method according to the present invention. Data 94 represents the ratio of the inside diameter deviation Δ to the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body for the test specimens produced by the conventional method described above. The test specimens produced by the method according to the present invention have a ratio 93 of the inside diameter deviation Δ to the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body that is less than 0.02.The ratio of the inside diameter deviation Δ and the inside diameter of the main cylindrical body can be significantly reduced by the method according to the present invention. Similarly, the ratio of the inside diameter deviation Δ and the wall thickness of the main cylindrical portion of the hollow glass body can be significantly reduced by the method according to the present invention. Methods and devices can be used in accordance with example modalities to manufacture syringes or drug cartridges, but are not limited to them. It is hereby stated that, as of this date, the best method known to the applicant for putting the present invention into practice is the one that is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims

Having described the invention as above, the following claims are claimed as property:

1. A method for separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube, characterized in that it comprises: laser cutting the glass tube to separate the hollow glass body, wherein a laser beam used for the laser cutting operation is focused on a wall of the glass tube.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser cutting operation comprises laser sublimation cutting.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the laser beam is a driven laser beam comprising a pulse sequence having a pulse length and a repetition rate, wherein the method further comprises: controlling the pulse length and the repetition rate using an open-loop control or using a closed-loop control in order to cut at least one zone of the glass tube wall by laser sublimation cutting.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laser beam is focused such that a Rayleigh length of the laser beam is equal to, or less than, a wall thickness wt of the glass tube, preferably equal to, or less than, 0.8 χ wt, preferably equal to, or less than, 0.6 x wt, more preferably equal to, or less than, 0.5 χ wt.

5. The method in accordance with any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hollow glass body is separated from the glass tube without mechanical introduction of a scratch.

6. The method in accordance with any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises: causing a relative rotation between the laser beam and the glass tube during the laser cutting operation.

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the glass tube has an outer diameter of less than 30 mm, preferably less than 15 mm, preferably less than 13 mm, more preferably less than 11 mm, and / or wherein the glass tube has an inner diameter of less than 28 mm, preferably less than 12 mm, preferably less than 8 mm, more preferably less than 7 mm.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the hollow glass body is separated from the glass tube in less than 1 s, preferably in less than 0.9 s by means of laser cutting.

9. A method for producing a receptacle, characterized in that it comprises: separating a hollow glass body from a glass tube by means of the method according to any of the preceding claims and reshaping at least a portion of the separated hollow glass body.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the receptacle is a medical receptacle, optionally wherein the medical receptacle is a syringe, a drug cartridge, another medical cartridge, or a small bottle.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises: filling the medical receptacle with a formulation comprising at least one pharmaceutically active substance or a pharmaceutical carrier substance.

12. A system for manufacturing a receptacle, characterized in that it comprises: a laser unit having a focusing device for focusing a laser beam onto a wall of a glass tube for laser cutting the glass tube in order to separate a hollow glass body from the glass tube; and a device for causing relative rotation between the glass tube and the laser beam during the laser cutting operation.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises: a control device for controlling the laser unit such that at least one area of ​​the glass tube wall is cut by laser sublimation cutting.

14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that the control device is configured to control the laser unit to generate a driven laser beam comprising a pulse sequence having a pulse length and a repetition rate, wherein the control device is configured to control the pulse length and the repetition rate using either open-loop control or closed-loop control to cut at least one zone of the glass tube wall by laser sublimation cutting.

15. The system according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the focusing device is configured such that a Rayleigh length of the laser beam is equal to, or less than, a wall thickness wt of the glass tube, preferably equal to, or less than, 0.8 χ wt, preferably equal to, or less than, 0.6 χ wt, more preferably equal to, or less than, 0.5 χ wt.

16. The system in accordance with any of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that it is configured to separate the hollow glass body from the glass tube without mechanical introduction of a scratch.

17. The system according to any of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that it further comprises: at least a first drive unit for rotating the glass tube during the laser cutting operation.

18. The system according to any of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that it further comprises: a plurality of devices for retaining and rotating a glass tube each and a carrier device in which the plurality of retaining and rotating devices are arranged.

19. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises: a second drive unit for rotating the conveyor device.

20. The system according to claim 18 or claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises: optical components for splitting the laser beam into a plurality of sub-beams and / or for deflecting the laser beam in order to cut glass tubes held in several of the holding and rotating devices.

21. The system in accordance with any of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that it is configured to perform the method in accordance with any of claims 1 to 11.