Autoclavable Blow Fill Seal Container Wall Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rigid plastic containers used for medical infusions, produced by the blow, fill, and seal method, face challenges in complete emptying without aeration due to their rigidity, which prevents pressure equalization and can lead to microbial contamination risks during autoclaving, necessitating the use of materials with high heat distortion temperatures like polypropylene, but this hinders discharge behavior during infusion processes.
Innovation Solution
The design of the container wall, featuring conically inclined projecting parts and a hermetically sealed head part, allows for partial collapse during infusion, ensuring reliable discharge without aeration, using materials like polypropylene that are heat-resistant and suitable for the BFS method, with a method that includes pre-collapsing the container before sealing to reduce air volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If rigid polypropylene material is used for autoclaving, then heat resistance is improved, but discharge behavior deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-collapsed during the sealing process to reduce the air volume inside. This preliminary action ensures that when the container is later used for infusion, there is sufficient space for the liquid to flow out completely without requiring aeration, thus resolving the discharge behavior issue while maintaining the use of rigid autoclavable polypropylene material
Solution Approach 2:
The air volume parameter inside the container is changed by collapsing the container walls during sealing. This parameter change creates the necessary conditions for complete discharge during infusion without aeration, while the polypropylene material maintains its heat resistance for autoclaving
2Quantity of substance
If container is filled to high capacity, then packing density is improved, but complete emptying deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-collapsed during sealing to reduce the air volume and create negative pressure space. This preliminary action enables the container to be filled to high capacity while still allowing complete emptying during infusion, as the collapsed structure provides the necessary pressure differential for full discharge without aeration
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid container structure is used, then handling stability is improved, but pressure equalization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-collapsed during sealing to reduce internal air volume. This creates a pressure differential that facilitates complete discharge during infusion. The rigid polypropylene material maintains handling stability, while the reduced air volume enables pressure equalization without requiring aeration
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables complete emptying of the container during infusion processes without aeration, enhancing discharge reliability and allowing for higher filling ratios, reducing packaging and transport costs, while maintaining sterility and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the container wall collapses at least partially reducing the volume when the filler material is administered by infusion
Implementation Method 2
it is necessary for infusion solutions in the sealed container to be terminally sterilized, which according to European specifications is achieved by autoclaving at temperatures of 121° C. for a period of at least 20 minutes
Data Source
AI summary
A container of plastic material is produced using the blow, fill and seal method, with the filler material, enclosed by a container wall (15, 20) that can be autoclaved. At least one shape (19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 33) is provided in the container wall (15, 20) that ensures, despite a low relative air volume in the container, that when administering the filler material by infusion, the container wall (15, 20) collapses at least partially reducing the volume, without aeration of the container.