Flexible Trunk and Rigid Support for Sterile Component Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing transfer bags for sterilized components in biopharmaceutical systems face challenges in guiding components from the transfer port to the container while avoiding contamination, and their manufacturing is complex and costly.

Innovation Solution

A flexible trunk and rigid support arrangement is used, where the rigid support is annular and includes a sealing surface, and the flexible trunk is tubular, allowing selective engagement with a connector to guide components while protecting them from contamination during transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If an inner bag is used to protect components from contamination during transfer, then component protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to complex welds between inner and outer bags

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the inner bag from the transfer container assembly, extracting only the essential protective function. The flexible trunk remains as a single-bag structure that provides contamination protection during component transfer without requiring complex welds between multiple bags, thus reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining protection capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the transfer container into distinct functional zones: a rigid support structure providing structural integrity and a flexible trunk providing contamination protection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the flexible trunk serving as a removable protective element that simplifies manufacturing compared to integrated multi-bag designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a rigid ring is added to the bag to protect from contamination, then component protection is improved, but the ability to guide components to container is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidcomponent guiding capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the protective function and guiding function into a single integrated flexible trunk structure. The trunk's tapered geometry and material properties provide both contamination protection and component guidance simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate rigid rings that would impede component flow

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible trunk is designed with dynamic properties that allow it to adapt to component flow. The flexible material and tapered shape enable the trunk to actively guide components through its geometry while maintaining the sterile barrier, providing both protection and guidance without the rigidity that would hinder component movement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Strength

If complex welds are used between inner and outer bags, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent adopts a disposable transfer container design where the flexible trunk is intended for single use. This eliminates the need for complex, expensive welding processes to create reusable assemblies, as each unit is manufactured independently and discarded after one use, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for its intended lifecycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible trunk is pre-formed and pre-sterilized as a complete unit before assembly. This preliminary preparation allows for simpler, less costly assembly processes that do not require complex welding operations, while ensuring the structural integrity and sterility are established before the component is put into service

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12533669B2Flexible trunk and rigid support arrangement for the transfer of sterile components from a container

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 BECTON DICKINSON FRANCE SAS

AI summary

An assembly for the transfer of sterilized components from a container into a sterile chamber through a transfer port, the assembly including a rigid support (70) and a flexible trunk (80). The rigid support (70) is substantially annular and includes a first end (76), a second end (78), and a sealing surface (72) proximate the second end (78), wherein an outside diameter of the second end (78) is larger than an outside diameter of the first end (76). Additionally, the flexible trunk (80) is substantially tubular and includes a first end portion (82) and a second end portion (84), wherein the first end portion (82) is open and the second end portion (84) is coupled to the scaling surface (72) of the rigid support (70).