Connection Device Sterilization via Porous Protective Cap
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Solution Overview
Problem
The sterilization of connection devices, particularly the female connection end, is complex due to a fixed protective cap, making aseptic assembly necessary, which increases manufacturing costs and risks microbiological contamination.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a passage orifice with a porous closure membrane that allows sterilization gases like water vapor or ethylene oxide to penetrate while preventing impurities, enabling effective sterilization and maintaining sterility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protective cap is tightly sealed onto the mounting part to protect the female connection fitting, then the protection of the female connection fitting is improved, but the sterilization of the connection device becomes complex or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cap is divided into two functional parts: a sealed portion that protects the female connection fitting and a bottom wall with passage orifices that allows sterilizing gas to penetrate. This segmentation enables the cap to simultaneously provide protection and facilitate sterilization without requiring complex procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom wall of the protective cap incorporates passage orifices that allow sterilizing gas (such as ethylene oxide or steam) to pass through and reach the female connection fitting. This porous structure enables effective sterilization while maintaining the protective function of the cap during storage and transport.
2Reliability
If the connection device is sterilized after being mounted on the bottle, then the sterility of the connection device is improved, but the manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cap with passage orifices is designed to allow sterilization to be performed on the connection device before final assembly with the bottle. This preliminary sterilization action simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for complex post-assembly sterilization procedures or expensive aseptic assembly facilities.
3Reliability
If aseptic assembly is performed to avoid microbiological contamination, then the microbiological quality of the product is improved, but the manufacturing cost significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device components, particularly the female connection fitting, are sterilized in advance using the passage orifices in the protective cap. This preliminary sterilization eliminates the need for expensive aseptic assembly operations, allowing standard assembly procedures to be used while still ensuring microbiological quality.
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
Facilitates simple, cost-effective sterilization of the connection device, ensuring the sterility of the female connection tip during storage and handling.
Implementation Method 1
a closing membrane covering at least partially the at least one passage opening, the closing membrane being porous and permeable to the sterilizing gas
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a connection device (2) comprising: a mounting part (10) designed to be mounted on a bottle (5); a female connection end piece (17) intended to be connected to the male connection end piece of a container; a perforation element (18) designed to perforate a perforable closing element (9) of the bottle; a protective cap (25) which is detachable and at least partially defines an inner chamber (26) into which the female connection end piece (17) extends; at least one passage opening (29) into the inner chamber (26), through which a sterilisation gas passes; and a closing membrane (31) arranged upstream of the at least one passage opening (29) in relation to a direction of circulation of the sterilisation gas through the connection device (2), the closing membrane (31) being porous and permeable to the sterilisation gas.