JP2013202203A5 - - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVED PACKAGE STRUCTURE FOR CONTAINERS FOR MEDICAL USE, METHOD FOR TREATING THE STRUCTURE, PROCESSING DEVICE FOR THE PACKAGE, AND USING THE STRUCTURE

  The present invention relates to an improved package structure for containers for pharmaceutical use, a method for processing the structure, a processing apparatus for the container, and the use of the structure.

  Traditional packages of containers for pharmaceutical use generally close the box body into which the container is inserted and the box body that can be removed to remove the container when the package arrives at the package destination of the pharmaceutical company And a lid. This container must be cleaned and sterilized before it can be filled with pharmaceuticals and covered.

  The management of packaging in a pharmaceutical company is extremely complex because, as described above, the container must be operated and transported by a complex, expensive and bulky sterilization system before it is finally filled.

  WO 2010/086128 describes a packaging structure for a pharmaceutical container suitable for supplying a pharmaceutical company with a pre-cleaned and sterilized container ready to be filled; The container is automatically supplied directly to the processing equipment, thereby enabling a rationalization of the processing. Specifically, the pamphlet of International Publication No. 2010/086128 is a package structure including a box-shaped body having a rectangular bottom wall and an upstanding side wall extending from the rectangular bottom wall, and a lid for closing the box-shaped body. Thus, a package structure is described wherein the lid comprises a membrane of a material that is selectively permeable to a sterilant to sterilize the container. The package structure also includes means for pre-determined spatial positioning of the container for direct and automatic supply to the container processing apparatus, the positioning means being integrally formed with the box-shaped body.

  However, during processing, this type of plastic package structure may undergo thermal expansion, thermal contraction, or other deformation to displace the means for predetermined spatial positioning of the container. In order to accurately process the container, such as filling the container or covering the container, accurate alignment between the container and the processing apparatus is required.

  Therefore, the technical object of the present invention is to provide an improved package structure for a container for pharmaceutical use, a method for processing the structure, a processing apparatus for the container, which eliminates the above technical drawbacks of the prior art. And providing the use of the same structure.

  Within the scope of this technical work, one object of the present invention is to provide a package structure with improved parameter stability during processing.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging structure for a container for pharmaceutical use that is suitable to allow automatic operation of the container.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging structure for a container for pharmaceutical use that can ensure improved protection of the container during processing.

  Another object of the present invention is to allow simplified processing of the package structure to improve processing efficiency while maintaining the structural simplicity and economy of the package structure design.

  The technical problem as well as these and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a packaging structure for a container for pharmaceutical use according to claim 1.

  The present invention also provides a method for processing a packaging structure for a pharmaceutical container according to claim 13, and a processing apparatus for a pharmaceutical container according to claim 14, and according to claim 15. It also relates to the use of a package structure for containers for pharmaceutical use.

The presence of at least one relief portion of at least one flat outer surface of at least one side wall of the box-shaped body can greatly reduce the thermal expansion or contraction of the box-shaped body during processing. The relief portion cooperates with a blocking element on the processing device so that thermal expansion or contraction is usually from one of the side wall joints of the box body where it is used as a directional point with respect to the body during processing. Instead, let it spread radially from this point.

  Thus, the relative expansion of the seat relative to the container within the box-shaped body along the length of the side wall, parallel to the plane of the bottom wall, is greatly reduced. As a result, the magnitude of the displacement of the container relative to the processing equipment, such as a filling device or a capping device, is reduced, improving the results of these operations and providing a container or package to perform these processing steps accurately. The need for manual repositioning of the structure is eliminated. Specifically, this allows the robot manipulator to know the spatial coordinates of each container more accurately, and as a result, allows automatic operation of the robot manipulator. Furthermore, damage to the container due to inaccurate alignment of the processing apparatus with the apparatus or due to human error during manual intervention can be avoided.

  Other features of the invention are further defined in the following claims. Further features and advantages of the present invention include an improved package structure for a container for pharmaceutical use, a method for processing the structure, a processing apparatus for the container, and a non-limiting drawing, as shown in the accompanying non-limiting drawings, and It will become more apparent from the description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiment of the use of the structure according to the invention.

1 is a perspective view of a packaging structure of a container for medical use according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a perspective view of the lower side of the package structure of FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower side of the package structure of FIG. 1 showing an enlarged view of the undulating portion of the flat outer surface of the sidewall. 1 is a plan view from above of an alternative embodiment of the package structure, differing from the embodiment of FIG. 1 only in that an extension of thickness is provided at the tip of the flange of the positioning means, showing an enlarged view of the positioning means. .

  The same parts in the figures are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Referring to the previous figure, a packaging structure for a container 7 for medical use is shown, generally designated by reference numeral 1.

  The package structure 1 includes a plastic box-shaped main body 2 having a rectangular bottom wall 3 from which an upstanding side wall 4 extends.

  The box-shaped body 2 is closed with a lid (not shown) comprising a membrane of a material that is selectively permeable to the sterilant, in order to sterilize the container 7 that is to be accommodated by the package structure. The lid is preferably composed of a sheet that is detachably coupled by a heat seal or the like along the free edge of the box-shaped body.

  The side wall 4 preferably has a step 19 that is shaped to enlarge the upper part of the box-shaped body 2. This further assists the robot operation of the container 7 by making it easier to grip the container 7.

  The means for the predetermined spatial positioning of the container 7 are integrally manufactured in the form of a single piece inside the box-shaped body 2 together with the box-shaped body 2. These positioning means preferably comprise aligned and distributed positioning pins 10 extending from the bottom wall 3 of the box-shaped body 2 and delimiting a plurality of positioning seats 11 for the container 7.

  The positioning pins 10 are preferably the same and arranged to delimit the group of positioning seats 11, the shape of these positioning seats 11 being conjugated to the shape of the container 7.

  The positioning pins 10 are preferably distributed at regular intervals in the form of a plurality of linear rows parallel to the two larger opposing side walls 4 extending from the rectangular bottom wall 3 of the parallelepiped box-shaped body 2 in particular. Is done. The alternating rows of locating pins 10 are preferably aligned in a direction parallel to the two smaller opposing side walls 4.

At least one of the side walls 4 of the box-shaped body 2 has at least one flat outer surface 16 with at least one undulating portion 17. The undulating portion 17 is preferably a undulating undulation with respect to the flat outer surface 16 of the side wall 4. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the undulating portion is a convex undulation . The undulating portion 17 is preferably at an intermediate position along the side wall 4 in a direction parallel to the plane of the bottom wall 3 of the box-shaped body 2, in particular at or near the central cross section of the side wall 4. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, two or more of the side walls 4 of the box-shaped body 2 have an outer plane 16 with such undulating portions 17. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, all four side walls 4 have such undulating portions 17. This provides the user with the freedom of orientation of the box body relative to the processing device and during processing if all four undulations 17 are engaged by the processing device during the processing steps described below. A further improvement is provided when limiting the expansion of the positioning seat 11.

In the package structure according to the present invention, the box-shaped body 2 in which the undulating portion 17 and the means for performing a predetermined spatial positioning of the container 7 are integrally formed with the box-shaped body 2 can be manufactured in a single molding operation. If so, a very simple manufacturing process is possible.

In some cases, the undulating portion 17 extends perpendicular to the plane of the bottom wall 3 and preferably intersects the bottom wall 3. The depth of the undulating portion 17 is preferably greater than the thickness of the sidewall 4, thereby providing a significant recess or protrusion that is easily recognized by the user or by the processing device. In the case of a concave undulation , the undulating portion 17 on the at least one flat outer surface 16 of the at least one side wall 4 is preferably arranged so that the undulating portion 17 does not intersect any of the positioning seats 11 for the container 7. .

  In use, the package structure 1 can be used to safely and easily transport the container 7 to a processing site, and the container 7 can be directly and automatically operated to a processing apparatus for operating the container 7 at a predetermined spatial position. It can also be used to supply automatically.

A processing device for such a container 7 for medicinal use comprises a support for the box-shaped body 2 of the package structure 1 and at least one of the box-shaped body 2 of the package structure 1 for mutual engagement. At least one blocking element 18 shaped to be conjugated to at least one undulating portion 17 of at least one flat outer surface 16 of one side wall 4. The blocking element 18 can be any shape suitable for engaging the undulating portion 17. In the engagement of FIG. 3, the blocking element 18 is shown as having a circular cross section for cooperating with a concave undulation portion 17 having a certain U-shaped cross section. Preferably, in an embodiment in which the undulating portion 17 takes the form of a groove which extends perpendicular to the plane of the bottom wall 3 and intersects the bottom wall 3, as shown in FIG. 18 can take the form of a cylindrical pin.

The method of processing the package structure 1 comprises a box body 2 fixed in position by at least one undulating portion 17 of at least one flat outer surface 16 of at least one side wall of the box body 2. A step of limiting the magnitude of displacement of the positioning means due to thermal deformation of the main body 2. In practice, the method also includes the steps of placing the center of the support of the processing apparatus the box-shaped body 2, a step of aligning the at least one blocking element 18 is on the processor at least one relief portion 17, relief portion Allowing the interengagement between 17 and the blocking element 18 and further processing of the subsequent package structure 1 can be provided. This further processing step can include removing the lid, filling the container 7 and placing the lid on the container 7. The precise positioning of the container 7 allows the filling and covering step to be carried out directly inside the box-shaped body 2 without moving or pulling out the container 7 and is suitable for logistics and productivity. is there.

  Each positioning seat 11 occupies a prismatic volume having a hexagonal shape that is partly delimited by three adjacent positioning pins 10 and engraves the periphery of a container 7 having in particular a cylindrical body as a base. The positioning pins 10 each include a cylindrical portion 12, and the flange 13 preferably projects radially from the cylindrical portion 12. In one embodiment not shown, the flanges 13 may each be provided with an extension of the thickness of the flange 13 at the tip of the flange 13 to provide a contact point for the container 7. In this case, since only these extensions need to have a prescribed thickness in order to provide a proper contact point and spacing with respect to the container 7, the thickness of the flange 13 can be considerably reduced, and the package structure Allows non-substantial savings in plastic materials during the manufacture of Furthermore, the box-shaped body 2 of the package structure known from the prior art and used in the industry is generally standard size before processing, and the number of containers 7 packed in the box-shaped body 7 is also generally standardized. Has been. By providing these extensions, the package structure allows for even packaging of the container 7 throughout the box body 2 and avoids any extra peripheral space near any of the side walls 4. An even weight distribution when housing the container 7 is suitable for proper transport of the package structure, and an even spatial distribution of the container 7 prior to processing aids accurate positioning during processing.

  The package structure 1 includes a reinforcing element integrally formed with the box-shaped body 2 as needed. These reinforcing elements are provided with partition walls 15 arranged and distributed, the ends of the partition walls 15 joining the ends of the flanges 13 projecting radially from the positioning pins 10, so that a honeycomb is formed in the box-shaped body 2. It is preferable to form a structure. The honeycomb structure provides structural rigidity to the package structure and helps prevent deformation of the box body during processing.

  Furthermore, the partition wall 15 preferably extends from the bottom wall 3 of the box-shaped main body 2 to a height that is preferably less than the height of the positioning pin 10. The hexagonal housing formed by the partition wall cooperating with the locating pin suitably provides a sealed area for containing liquid when the corresponding container 7 is damaged.

  In the embodiment shown in the figure, the container 7 is intended to rest directly on the bottom 3 of the box-shaped body 2 and is used to facilitate gripping, filling or capping by manual or robotic operation. The height is substantially equal to the height of the main body. Optionally, the package structure 1 can have means for separating the container 7 from the bottom wall 3 of the box-shaped body 2, these means that the top of the container 7 is the top of the box-shaped body 2. It is intended to fit the box-shaped body 2 to a container 7 whose height is substantially lower than the height of the box-shaped body 2 so that the container 7 can be placed in close proximity to the box. This type of spacing means may include shapes (not shown) that reside in the positioning seat 11 and are preferably manufactured integrally with the box-shaped body 2, these shapes being positioned from the bottom wall 3. It extends to a height substantially lower than the height of the pin 10 and crosses the positioning pin 10 laterally. In both embodiments, the bottom wall 3 of the box-shaped body is preferably made of a plastic with a thickness that can withstand the force required to cover the container 7 located in the positioning seat 11.

  In another alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the bottom wall 3 has a through hole and is covered with another membrane that is selectively permeable to the sterilant. The through holes are dimensioned to allow the corresponding pusher means operated from the outside to be inserted from the through holes in order to remove the container 7.

  The packaging structure of a container for pharmaceutical use, the method of processing the structure, the processing apparatus for the container, and the use of the structure, and therefore the possible uses, are subject to many changes and variations, all of which are Within the scope, all further details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

  In practice, the materials and dimensions used can be any depending on the requirements and the state of the art.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Package structure, 2 ... Box-shaped main body, 3 ... Square bottom wall, 4 ... Upright side wall, 7 ... Container, 10 ... Positioning pin, 11 ... Positioning seat, 12 ... Cylindrical part, 13 ... Flange, 15 ... Partition wall , 16 ... flat outer surface, 17 ... undulating part, 18 ... blocking element, 19 ... step

Claims (15)

A plastic box-shaped body having a rectangular bottom wall and extending upright side walls from the rectangular bottom wall;
A package structure of a container for medical use, comprising a lid for closing the box-shaped body,
The lid comprises a membrane of a material selectively permeable to a sterilant to sterilize the container;
The package structure includes means for providing a predetermined spatial positioning of the container for direct and automatic delivery to the container processing apparatus;
In the package structure of a container for medical use, wherein the positioning means is integrally formed with the box-shaped main body.
Blocking at least one of said side wall, have at least one flat outer surface having at least one relief portion, said relief portion, said recess or protruding from the flat outer surface, provided in the processing device A packaging structure for a container for medical use, characterized in that it is engageable with an element. The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 1, wherein the undulating portion is a recess provided in the flat outer surface . The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a depth of the undulating portion is larger than a thickness of the at least one side wall. The package structure of a container for medical use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the undulating portion extends perpendicularly to the plane of the bottom wall of the box-shaped main body. The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 4, wherein the undulating portion intersects the bottom wall of the box-shaped main body.   6. The positioning means comprising aligned and distributed positioning pins extending from the side wall of the box-shaped body and defining a plurality of positioning seats for the container. The package structure of a container for medical use according to any one of the above.   7. Medicinal product according to claim 6, characterized in that the positioning pins are made identical and arranged to delimit the group of positioning seats, the shape of the positioning seat being conjugated to the shape of the container. Package structure of container for use.   The package structure for a container for medical use according to claim 6 or 7, wherein each of the positioning pins includes a central cylindrical portion, and a flange projects radially from the central cylindrical portion.   9. The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 8, wherein each of the flanges includes an extension part of the thickness of the flange at a tip of the flange, and the extension part provides a contact point with respect to the container. .   The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a reinforcing element integrally formed with the box-shaped main body.   The reinforcing element includes partition walls arranged and distributed, and an end portion of the partition wall joins an end portion of the flange to form a honeycomb structure in the box-shaped main body. The package structure of a container for medical use according to claim 10.   The package structure of a container for medical use according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the side wall has a step that is shaped to enlarge an upper part of the box-shaped main body. . A method of processing a package structure of a container for medical use, comprising:
The package structure is
A plastic box-shaped body having a rectangular bottom wall and extending upright side walls from the rectangular bottom wall;
A lid for closing the box-shaped body,
The lid comprises a membrane of a material selectively permeable to a sterilant to sterilize the container;
The package structure includes means for providing a predetermined spatial positioning of the container for direct and automatic delivery to the container processing apparatus;
In a method of processing a packaging structure of a container for medical use, wherein the positioning means is integrally formed with the box-shaped body.
Before at least one of the at least one relief portion for recessed or projecting from at least one flat outer surface of the sidewall of Kibakokatachi body into engagement with at least one blocking element is provided in the processing apparatus, said box shape A method comprising limiting the amount of displacement of the positioning means due to thermal deformation of the box-shaped body by fixing the position of the body at the undulating portion . A support for the box-shaped body of the package structure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and at least one side wall of the box-shaped body of the package structure for engaging with each other. and at least one blocking element that is in the shape coupled to said at least one relief portion of at least one flat outer surface, the processing device for a container of medicinal use.   13. A package structure for a container for medical use according to one or more of claims 1 to 12, for automatically feeding the container directly in a predetermined spatial position to a processing device for manipulating the container. use.