Capsule Sealing via Internal Gas Pressure Equalization
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sealing capsules containing medicaments, especially liquid medicaments, face challenges such as gas pressure causing deformation, adhesive contamination, and prolonged process times, leading to leaks and reduced pharmaceutical quality.
Innovation Solution
A method where capsules are filled and joined with a gas at a different temperature or pressure than the environment, allowing pressure equalization after sealing, and a sealing band is applied externally, reducing the need for vacuum and minimizing adhesive exposure to the medicament.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If capsules are filled and sealed quickly at high cycle rates, then productivity is improved, but gas pressure causes the capsule parts to be pushed apart again and sealing quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule parts are filled with gas at a controlled pressure before sealing. This preliminary gas filling action prepares the capsule to withstand the sealing process without deformation, allowing high-speed sealing while maintaining sealing quality by pre-equalizing the internal pressure state.
Solution Approach 2:
The method changes the pressure parameter of the gas inside the capsule before sealing. By filling with gas at a specific pressure and then allowing equalization, the capsule maintains structural integrity during rapid sealing operations, resolving the contradiction between speed and sealing quality.
2Reliability
If adhesive is applied to seal the capsule junction, then sealing is achieved, but adhesive may contaminate the medicament and pharmaceutical quality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing band made of the same material as the capsule parts is applied as an intermediary sealing element. This band is placed around the capsule junction and sealed without direct contact with the medicament, providing effective sealing while eliminating the contamination risk associated with adhesive application on the medicament surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive sealing function is extracted from the medicament contact zone and transferred to an external sealing band. The sealing action is performed on the capsule junction from the outside, removing the harmful adhesive-medicament contact entirely while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
3Reliability
If vacuum is used to prevent gas pressure deformation, then sealing quality is improved, but device complexity and process time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using vacuum (negative pressure), the method uses positive pressure by filling the capsule with gas at a controlled pressure before sealing. This parameter change from negative to positive pressure simplifies the system requirements while maintaining capsule shape stability and preventing deformation during sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The method replaces complex vacuum systems with a simpler gas filling approach using readily available gas sources. The temporary gas pressure applied during the sealing process is released after sealing, eliminating the need for sustained vacuum systems and reducing device complexity.
4Reliability
If sealing is performed under vacuum conditions, then sealing quality is improved, but process time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The method changes the pressure parameter from vacuum (negative pressure) to positive gas pressure before sealing. This allows the sealing to be performed more rapidly without requiring extended vacuum hold times, reducing process time while maintaining seal integrity through the controlled gas pressure equalization process.
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 approach ensures hermetic sealing with reduced pressure requirements, prevents medicament contamination, and maintains pharmaceutical quality by allowing gas pressure equalization and using a modular sealing process that is simpler and faster than prior art.
Implementation Method 1
before being fitted together the capsule parts are filled with a gas which is at a different temperature and/or a different pressure relative to the environment and also after the capsule parts have been fitted one inside the other a reduction in differential pressure in the capsule takes place through gaps between the capsule body and capsule cap
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method, a device, and a control program for the fluid-tight sealing of capsules containing medicaments, wherein the capsules consist of at least one capsule body and a capsule cap which are set one into the other telescopically and provided with a tight band in the abutment region on the exterior side of the capsule, wherein the capsule components are filled with gas which has a changed temperature and/or a changed pressure in relation to the environment, and wherein a reduction of the difference in pressure in the capsule occurs via gaps between capsule body and capsule cap after the capsule components have been placed one inside the other. The capsules produced via the method according to the invention are disposable capsules and preferably contain a single dose of an orally administered pharmaceutical formulation in the form of a powder or a liquid.