Textured Surface Pattern for Hermetic Pharmaceutical Vial Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging methods for multi-monodose containers do not effectively evacuate air and ensure a hermetic seal, which can lead to contamination and reduced shelf life of pharmaceutical agents.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a molded structure with interconnected monodose vials and a textured surface pattern to direct gas flow, where the structure is covered with a hermetically-sealable overwrap, and air is evacuated before forming a hermetic seal by bonding the overwrap to the structure, separating the portions to create a sealed configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional packaging methods are used for multi-monodose containers, then the packaging process is simple, but air evacuation is ineffective and hermetic sealing is not ensured, leading to contamination risk and reduced shelf life
Solution Approach 1:
The molded structure incorporates a textured surface pattern at specific locations (the second portion) to locally enhance gas flow characteristics. This localized texturing creates turbulence and directs evacuated air away from the vials, improving hermetic sealing at the critical sealing interface without requiring complex modifications throughout the entire packaging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The textured surface pattern is pre-formed on the molded structure before the evacuation and sealing process. This preliminary structural feature prepares the gas flow path in advance, ensuring that when evacuation occurs, air is effectively directed away from the vials, thereby preliminarily establishing conditions for successful hermetic sealing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If air evacuation is performed without textured surface guidance, then the packaging process is simpler, but air flow does not effectively direct away from vials, increasing contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The textured surface pattern is applied only to the second portion of the molded structure, creating localized gas flow control exactly where needed to protect the vials during evacuation. This localized approach reduces contamination risk at the critical interface without requiring complex modifications to the entire molded structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The textured surface pattern acts as an intermediary element between the evacuation system and the vials. It mediates the gas flow by creating turbulence and directing air away from the vials, thereby protecting them from contamination without requiring direct complex interaction between the evacuation system and the vials.
3Ease of manufacture
If the entire molded structure is sealed as one piece, then sealing is simpler, but the structure cannot be separated into functional portions after sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The molded structure is designed as two separable portions: a first portion containing the vials and a second portion with the textured surface pattern. These portions are sealed together during manufacturing but can be separated afterward, allowing the structure to adapt from a sealed unit to separate functional components for distribution and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded structure transitions from a static sealed unit to a dynamic separable system. The two portions are initially joined for sealing purposes but are designed to be separable, enabling the structure to change configuration based on operational needs - sealed during manufacturing, separable for distribution.
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
This method ensures a hermetic seal around the pharmaceutical vials, reducing the risk of contamination and extending the shelf life by removing air and forming a gas-impermeable barrier.
Implementation Method 1
a textured surface pattern positioned to direct gas flow between the first portion and a region adjacent to the second portion
Implementation Method 2
evacuating at least a portion of air from around the molded structure covered by the hermetically-sealable overwrap
Implementation Method 3
forming a hermetic seal around the row of interconnected monodose pharmaceutical vials by bonding the hermetically-sealable overwrap to at least a portion of the molded structure
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods are described for packaging a foldable container including covering a multi-monodose container in an expanded configuration with a hermetically-sealable overwrap, the multi-monodose container including a row of interconnected monodose pharmaceutical vials, each of the monodose pharmaceutical vials enclosing at least one pharmaceutical agent, the interconnected monodose pharmaceutical vials connected to one another by one or more articulating joints sufficiently flexible to form a folded configuration of the multi-monodose container; exerting a force on at least one of the monodose pharmaceutical vials; bending the one or more articulating joints to form the folded configuration of the multi-monodose container in response to the exerted force; and sealing the hermetically-sealable overwrap to form a hermetic seal around the folded configuration of the multi-monodose container.