Inductive Sealing Closure for Pharmaceutical Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current closures for medical and pharmaceutical containers, such as those used for bone cement, face issues with gas-tightness and chemical stability, leading to evaporation and contamination risks, especially when exposed to sterilizing gases like ethylene oxide.
Innovation Solution
A closure system featuring a cap made of dielectric polymer with an inductively heatable aluminum foil and an elastic seal, which forms a tight seal when applied, preventing gas and liquid leakage, and allowing for safe piercing with a needle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass ampoules are used to store volatile liquids, then chemical resistance and liquid-tightness are improved, but handling safety and ease of operation deteriorate due to breakage risk and cumbersome extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the container from glass to plastic, which maintains chemical resistance while dramatically improving handling safety. The plastic container is flexible, cannot break like glass, and allows safe needle insertion for liquid extraction without fragmentation risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining plastic container body with a specialized closure system. The closure includes multiple layers (aluminum foil, elastomer, plastic cap) that work together to provide both the chemical resistance of traditional glass ampoules and the handling safety of flexible plastic containers.
2Ease of manufacture
If simple closures are used for plastic bottles, then ease of manufacture is improved, but gas-tightness deteriorates leading to evaporation and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs flexible thin films including aluminum foil and elastomer layers in the closure system. These flexible membranes conform to the bottle opening and create gas-tight seals that prevent evaporation and contamination, while still allowing the overall closure structure to remain relatively simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex mechanical sealing systems with an inductive sealing mechanism. An aluminum foil layer is heated by induction to melt an adhesive layer, creating a gas-tight seal. This thermal-inductive method simplifies the manufacturing process compared to traditional mechanical crimping or threading systems.
3Reliability
If multi-layer seals are used to improve gas-tightness, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple sealing functions into a single integrated closure component. The aluminum foil, elastomer layer, and plastic cap are combined in one piece that fits onto the bottle in a single operation. This integration maintains the gas-tightness benefits of multi-layer construction while simplifying the overall device structure and reducing assembly complexity.
4Reliability
If inductive sealing with aluminum foil and hot melt adhesive is used, then gas-tightness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical sealing processes with inductive thermal sealing. An aluminum foil layer containing hot melt adhesive is heated by electromagnetic induction to melt the adhesive and bond the foil to the bottle opening. This process is automated, rapid, and creates superior gas-tight seals compared to manual methods, improving ease of manufacture despite the advanced technology involved.
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 closure system ensures long-term storage of volatile substances like methyl methacrylate without evaporation, maintains sterility during sterilization, and prevents contamination, while being easy to handle and assemble.
Implementation Method 1
the metal foil is heated by induction so that the adhesive melts and bonds the metal foil to an edge of the bottle
Implementation Method 2
An elastic seal is inserted above the metal foil, i.e., between the top of the closure and the metal foil, which ensures that the metal foil is already pressed tightly against the edge of the bottle after the cap is placed on the bottle
Implementation Method 3
At least the area of the metal foil that sits on the edge of the vial is provided with an adhesive, in particular an adhesive polymer, which can be inductively melted onto the metal foil by heating the foil material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a closure for a pharmaceutical containers. Said closure comprises an aluminum film with an inductively meltable adhesive, an elastic seal and a cap. Said cap comprises a recess through which a piercing cannula can be inserted.