Pharmaceutical Transport Unit Segmentation for Sterile Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport units for pharmaceutical, medical, or cosmetic containers, such as vials and ampoules, face challenges in achieving high packing density while maintaining precise positioning and sterile conditions, often resulting in contamination risks due to direct contact between containers and inadequate sterilization methods.
Innovation Solution
A transport unit comprising a tray with seats for upside-down container positioning and a planar inlay part that covers the containers without protruding, combined with a gas-permeable cover film for sterilization, allowing for unimpeded gas flow to the filling openings, ensuring both internal and external sterilization and preventing container collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If containers are arranged in a regular arrangement with guiding and positioning portions, then precise positioning is achieved, but packing density is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The transport unit is divided into a base body and a separate cover that can be detached. The cover segments the sterilization process, allowing sterilization gas to flow through the container filling openings while maintaining containment. This segmentation enables both precise positioning structures and high packing density to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover acts as an intermediary element that enables sterilization without requiring complex integrated structures. By introducing this separate component, the patent achieves both precise positioning (through the base body's guiding portions) and high packing density (by eliminating the need for integrated sterilization structures in each seat).
2Quantity of substance
If containers are placed in direct contact for high packing density, then space utilization is improved, but contamination risk increases due to abrasion and scratches
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is designed with cushioning elements or protective features at the container contact points before the containers are placed. This prevents direct hard contact between containers, reducing abrasion and scratches that could lead to contamination, while still maintaining high packing density through optimized arrangement.
3Reliability
If integrated sealing structures are used for sterile transport, then sterilization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sterilization and sealing functions are segmented into a separate cover component rather than being integrated into the base body. This allows the base body to maintain simple, cost-effective deep-drawn construction while the cover provides the necessary sealing and sterilization capabilities through gas-permeable film integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover incorporates gas-permeable thin films for sterilization while maintaining structural integrity. This flexible film approach achieves effective sterilization without requiring complex rigid sealing structures, keeping the overall device simple and cost-effective.
4Ease of manufacture
If simple deep-drawn structures are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but sterilization capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The transport unit is segmented into a simple deep-drawn base body and a separate cover with sterilization functionality. This segmentation allows the base body to be manufactured cost-effectively using simple deep-drawing processes, while the cover provides the necessary sterilization capability through integrated gas-permeable films.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover uses gas-permeable thin films to provide sterilization capability without requiring complex manufacturing processes. This film-based approach maintains the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the overall structure while enabling effective sterilization of the containers.
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 enables high packing density with precise and stable container positioning, prevents contamination, and ensures effective sterilization of containers both inside and outside, while maintaining a simple and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
a gas-permeable cover film (5) is affixed to the upper edge (17) of the tray (1), wherein, between the inlay part (3) received in the tray (1) and side walls (16) of the tray (1), a gap (7) is formed via which a continuous flow path of gas from the cover film (5) into the tray (1) is ensured, such that the containers (60) received in the tray (1) can be sterilized, both on their outside and on their inside, by a gas flowing in through the cover film (5) into the tray (1)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The invention relates to a transport unit (101) for a packaging structure (100) for a plurality of containers (60) for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic uses, comprising a tray (1) with a plurality of seats (10) for positioning the containers, and a planar inlay part (3) for covering the containers positioned in the seats (10) of the tray, wherein the inlay part (3) is designed to cover the containers positioned in the seats and at the same time to be received completely in the tray (1), without protruding above an upper edge of the tray (1). According to the invention, a plurality of depressions (30) corresponding to the seats (10) of the tray (1) are formed in the inlay part (3), in order to position the containers at their two ends (63, 66) lying opposite each other, wherein a gap (7, 7') is formed at least partially between the inlay part (3), received in the tray, and side walls (16) of the tray. Sterile packaging of the containers can be achieved by affixing a cover film to the upper edge of the tray.