Disposable Filling Device for Pharmaceutical Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current filling systems in the pharmaceutical industry require expensive, complex setups with tight tolerances, necessitate time-consuming teach-in processes, and demand extensive cleaning, especially after handling toxic products, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A disposable filling device comprising a pre-sterilized bag, a filling needle, and a connecting tube, eliminating the need for throttles and complex cleaning, with a pressure vessel for pressurization and a reusable pressure sensor for precise filling, allowing for individual product-specific designs and simplified operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a stainless steel container with pressurized lines and distributor pipes is used, then precise filling can be achieved, but the system becomes expensive and requires time-consuming cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable plastic bags instead of reusable stainless steel containers. Each bag is pre-sterilized and used for a single filling operation, then discarded. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning systems and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining filling precision through controlled pressure application and calibrated throttles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from stainless steel to disposable plastic, and alters the operational mode from reusable with cleaning to single-use disposable. This parameter change simplifies the system architecture by eliminating distributor pipes and complex pressurized lines, replacing them with simpler pressure application mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are required for throttle components, then precise filling is achieved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle components are integrated into disposable plastic bags rather than being separate precision metal components. The throttle is molded directly into the bag structure, eliminating the need for separately manufactured precision throttles with tight tolerances. This significantly reduces production costs while maintaining adequate filling precision for the application.
3Reliability
If extensive cleaning is performed after filling toxic products, then contamination is prevented, but downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable bag system eliminates contamination risk entirely by using a new sterile bag for each filling operation. The bag is sealed and disposed of after use, preventing any cross-contamination between batches or products. This eliminates the need for cleaning operations completely, maximizing productivity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bags are pre-sterilized before use in a controlled manufacturing environment. This preliminary sterilization action ensures that each bag is contamination-free when it reaches the filling line, eliminating the need for on-site cleaning operations and ensuring consistent contamination prevention across all filling operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If teach-in processes are performed for each product, then accurate dosing is achieved, but time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pressure as the primary control parameter instead of complex multi-point teach-in procedures. By controlling the pressure applied to the bag and using calibrated throttles, accurate dosing is achieved through simpler parameter adjustment. This reduces setup time while maintaining dosing accuracy across different products.
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
The solution provides cost-effective, precise, and safe filling with reduced downtime and cleaning requirements, enabling efficient filling of pharmaceutical products without the need for sterile gases and complex cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
The filling device includes a pressure sensor (6), which is arranged on the hose (4) to determine a pressure in the hose (4)
Implementation Method 2
A membrane is particularly preferably arranged on the hose (4), the first membrane surface of which is in contact with the product conveyed in the hose (4) and the second membrane surface of which is in contact with the pressure sensor (6)
Implementation Method 3
The hose is made of a flexible material such as silicone and the function of the shut-off valve is to completely close or open the hose diameter
Implementation Method 4
The pressure generator 9 enables an increase in pressure in the interior 8a, so that the liquid product 10 in the bag 2 is conveyed through the hose 4 to the filling needle 3
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling a defined amount of a product (10) into a container (7), comprising a bag (2) made from a flexible material which is filled with the product (10) to be filled, a filling needle (3), a tube (4) which connects the bag (2) to the filling needle (3), and a shut-off valve (5) which is arranged on the tube (4), in order to release or shut off a throughflow through the tube (4), wherein the bag (2), the filling needle (3) and the tube (4) form one structural unit which is configured as a disposable article.