WO2023145141A1 - Method for acquiring temperature information of transported article, method for determining quality of aseptic condition, and aseptic filling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to easily acquire temperature information of an article, such as a container, during transport.　In this method for acquiring temperature information of a transported article, while an article provided with an RF tag including a temperature detection part configured to be able to detect temperature is transported, communication units arranged at a plurality of positions in a transport direction in which the article moves are used to read, from the RF tag at the plurality of positions, temperature data showing the temperature of the article when passing through the respective positions, and temperature history information including the temperature data respectively read at the plurality of positions is acquired.

Description

Method for acquiring temperature information of conveyed goods, method for judging quality of aseptic state, and aseptic filling system

The present disclosure relates to a method for acquiring temperature information of an article such as a container being transported, a method for determining whether an article to be sterilized while being transported is aseptic, and an aseptic filling system.

When the aseptic filling machine is installed, and the associated piping, sterilization equipment, etc. are installed, various verifications are performed to ensure the quality of the product before starting production. As a verification work, for example, after sterilizing and washing the inside of the pipes and the inside of the device housing, etc., the container to which the microorganisms are attached is sterilized with a sterilization device, and the surface of the container after sterilization is wiped off and cultured to Count the number of bacteria.
As a method for sterilizing a container, for example, hot water is jetted onto the outer surface and the inner surface of the container for a predetermined period of time (Patent Document 1). In order to obtain a sufficient sterilization/cleaning effect, the water sprayed into the container or the sterilizing liquid containing the sterilizing agent is heated to a predetermined temperature.

In addition, in Patent Document 2, as a method for verifying the sterility level of the container, a medium filling test in which the container is filled with medium without operating the sterilizer and the number of viable bacteria is measured, and a bacterial suspension on the inner surface of the container After spraying the liquid and sterilizing the container by electron beam irradiation, it is possible to calculate the sterility level of the container by combining the results of the bacteria adhesion test in which the medium is filled and the number of viable bacteria is measured. Are listed.

JP 2014-231356 A JP 2010-036973 A

To verify the sterility of the container in the aseptic filling system, prepare a sample container with microorganisms attached to the inner and outer surfaces in advance, and sterilize the sample container with the sterilization device of the aseptic filling system. A common method is to measure the number of bacteria in However, since this verification is typically performed on 100 or more sample containers per bacterial species, it takes a great deal of time and effort to prepare each sample container, culture it, and measure viable bacteria. Moreover, there is a risk that the bacteria used for this verification will remain in the machine of the aseptic filling system.

In addition, since the liquid used for sterilization and cleaning exerts a sufficient sterilizing effect by being heated, the temperature of the sterilizing liquid from the heating device to the container is expected to decrease. Even if it is heated to a temperature, it does not necessarily provide the container with the desired temperature of sterilizing solution.
Here, since the containers are sterilized and washed while being conveyed through a predetermined route by the conveying mechanism of the aseptic filling system, it is not necessary to attach a temperature sensor to the moving container or bring the temperature sensor into contact with the moving container. Therefore, it is impractical to detect the surface temperature of the container to which the sterilizing liquid is supplied. In other words, in addition to the wiring problem of the temperature sensor, various problems such as the interference of the temperature sensor provided in the container with the members of the transport mechanism and the unstable transport due to the increase in the weight of the container due to the installation of the temperature sensor are assumed. be.

An object of the present disclosure is to easily acquire temperature information of an article such as a container during transportation without worrying about the above problems.
Another object of the present disclosure is to easily determine whether an article is aseptic without the need to inoculate the article.

As described above, even if it is impractical to provide a temperature sensor on the container being transported to detect the temperature of the container during sterilization, the inventors of the present disclosure have created a test device to detect the temperature of the container during sterilization. Temperature was detected by a thermocouple. In other words, a thermocouple is attached to the container, and a test is performed in which a sterilizing liquid is sprayed from a nozzle toward the container placed in the test device with microorganisms attached to the container, and the temperature of the container during sterilization was detected by a thermocouple. After the sterilization, the container was wiped off, cultured, and the number of viable bacteria was counted. As a result, a correlation was found between the temperature of the container during sterilization and the sterilization time required for the container to reach a sterile state (see FIG. 7).

The method for acquiring temperature information of an article to be conveyed based on the correlation of the present disclosure is to convey an article provided with an RF tag including a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature, while conveying an article in a plurality of conveying directions in which the article moves. The communication unit located at the position reads the temperature data indicating the temperature of the article when passing through the position from the RF tag at each of the multiple positions, and the temperature history information including the temperature data read at each of the multiple positions is collected. get.

In addition, another temperature information acquisition method of the present disclosure, while transporting an article provided with an RF tag including a temperature detection unit configured to be able to detect temperature and a storage unit for storing data, the temperature detection unit The method includes a step of accumulating and storing temperature data indicating the temperature of the article to be detected in a storage unit, and a step of acquiring the temperature data accumulated in the storage unit from the storage unit as temperature history information.

Furthermore, the method for determining the quality of the aseptic state of the present disclosure supplies a heated sterilization medium to the article while conveying the article provided with the RF tag including the temperature detection unit configured to detect the temperature. a sterilization step, and an acquisition step of acquiring temperature history information by the temperature information acquisition method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in the sterilization step, or after the sterilization step, the temperature information according to claim 5 an acquisition step of acquiring temperature history information by an acquisition method; a determination step of determining whether or not a specified temperature and a specified time required to reach a sterile state are reached based on the temperature history information; Prepare.

The aseptic filling system of the present disclosure is an aseptic filling system that sterilizes the container using a heated sterilization medium and fills the container while transporting the container, and the container is transported during sterilization. It includes a communication unit arranged at a plurality of positions in the direction and a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature, and the temperature data read by the communication unit from the RF tag provided on the container is used to determine the quality of the aseptic state of the container. and a control unit used for
The communication unit reads temperature data indicating the temperature of the container when passing through the locations from each of the RF tags at a plurality of locations. The control unit includes a temperature history information acquisition unit that acquires temperature history information including temperature data read at each of a plurality of positions, and a temperature history information acquisition unit that, based on the temperature history information, determines the specified temperature and specified time required to reach a sterile state. a sterility condition acquisition unit that determines quality according to whether or not the condition has been reached.

Another aseptic filling system of the present disclosure is an aseptic filling system that sterilizes the container using a heated sterilization medium and fills the container while transporting the container, and is configured to be able to detect the temperature. A control unit that uses the temperature data read from the RF tag provided on the container to determine the aseptic state of the container, and the control unit is controlled by the temperature measurement unit. From the storage unit in which the temperature data indicating the detected temperature of the container being sterilized is stored, the temperature data stored in the storage unit is acquired from the RF tag as temperature history information, and based on the temperature history information, sterilization Good or bad is determined according to whether or not the specified temperature and specified time required to reach the state have been reached.

According to the present disclosure, by wirelessly extracting temperature data from an RF tag provided on an article, including a temperature detection unit, the problem of wiring between a mobile system and a fixed system can be eliminated, and the article to be conveyed can be measured. Temperature history information can be obtained from temperature data that indicates temperature.
Retrieving data from an RF tag integrated with an article is particularly significant in detecting the temperature of an article conveyed by a conveying mechanism including a rotating body that is difficult to wire. An RF tag can be provided on or inside an article without adversely affecting article transportation, sterilization, or the like.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, based on the temperature history information indicating the temperature of the article to which the heated sterilization medium is supplied, it is possible to easily check the aseptic state of the article without inoculating the article. It is possible to judge. Since there is no need to inoculate the article to make such a pass/fail judgment, there is no risk of microorganisms remaining on the machines of the aseptic filling system.
Moreover, once the temperature history information is obtained by sterilizing the container with the RF tag while transporting it, the control unit can immediately and easily determine whether the sterilization condition is good or bad.

1 is a plan view of a portion of a filling system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. (a) is a schematic side view showing a state in which a container provided with a temperature-measuring RF tag is being sterilized while being conveyed by a rotating body. (b) is a perspective view showing a lid provided with a temperature-measuring RF tag. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a lid sterilizer included in the filling system of FIG. 1; It is a schematic diagram showing a temperature-measuring RF tag, a reader, and a control unit. It is a top view which shows an example of a temperature-measurement RF tag. As a reference, it is a graph which shows the result of the verification test of readability. Fig. 3 is a graph showing the correlation between the temperature of the container during sterilization and the sterilization time until the container is sterilized. 4 is a schematic graph for explaining the relationship between the temperature of a container being sterilized and the sterilization time required for the container to reach an aseptic state.

An embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
〔overall structure〕
The aseptic filling system 1, which shows an example of the configuration in FIG. A filling and sealing device 20 for filling and sealing product liquids such as beverages and foods, and a lid sterilization device 30 (Fig. 3 ), a container transport mechanism 40 having a plurality of rotating bodies 41 , a housing 5 and a control panel 6 . The aseptic filling system 1 may include a container manufacturing device (not shown) upstream of the sterilization device 10 .
The aseptic filling system 1 also includes a plurality of readers 8 for reading temperature data from temperature-measuring RF tags 7 provided on the containers 2 at least when the system 1 is started up.

The aseptic filling system 1 sterilizes the container 2 to an aseptic state while conveying the container 2 from the upstream side u to the downstream side d by the container conveying mechanism 40, and fills and seals the aseptic container 2. Then, the container 2 is discharged toward an inspection device or the like (not shown). Note that the container transport mechanism 40 may be configured including a conveyor device.

A "sterile state" in the present disclosure corresponds to, for example, a state corresponding to 6D. 6D means that the number of bacteria has been reduced by 6 orders of magnitude due to the sterilization treatment. "Aseptic state" refers to a state sterilized by sterilization treatment performed according to the sterility level required for the product, not limited to 6D.

The housing 5 includes walls 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 surrounding the sterilization area 11 and the washing area 12 of the sterilization device 10, the filling area 21 and the sealing area 22 of the filling and sealing device 20, and the lid sterilization device 30, respectively. consists of It is preferable that the inside of the housing 5 be maintained in a clean atmosphere by setting a positive pressure with respect to the atmospheric pressure outside the housing 5 .
The housing 5 is provided with openings 57 such as doors and windows for visual confirmation, inspection, and maintenance of equipment installed inside.

The sterilizing solution (sterilizing medium) used in this embodiment corresponds to a peracetic acid aqueous solution containing peracetic acid as a sterilizing agent. However, this is not the only option, and the aseptic filling system 1 may be configured to use an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution containing hydrogen peroxide as a sterilant.

The container 2 (FIG. 2(a)) filled with the product liquid is formed in a bottle shape from a resin material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the opening 2A is covered with a resin lid 25 (FIG. 2(b)). ) is attached, it is sealed. However, the container 2 and lid 25 may be made of a metal material.
The lid 25 forms part of the container when attached to the container 2 as the body of the container. That is, the container 2 and the lid 25 as a whole correspond to the "container" in the present disclosure.
Moreover, not limited to this embodiment, the aseptic filling system 1 may be configured to perform a sterilization process, a filling process, and a sealing process on the container 2, which is a can.

[Container transport mechanism]
A plurality of rotating bodies 41 that constitute the container transport mechanism 40 are each provided with a plurality of grippers 42 that are arranged at equal intervals on the outer peripheral portion and grip the neck portion 2B of the container 2 . Each rotating body 41 is rotated around an axis Z along the vertical direction in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Each container 2 moves in the direction of rotation of the rotating body 41 and is handed over to the gripper 42 of the adjacent rotating body 41 . In other words, the transport path 2R for the container 2 is set along the circumference of the plurality of rotating bodies 41 .
As shown in FIG. 2(a), sterilization and subsequent cleaning are performed on the container 2 held in an inverted position with the opening 2A facing downward. The filling and sealing processes are performed on the container 2 held in an upright position with the opening 2A facing upward.

[Sterilization equipment]
When the sterilization apparatus 10 receives the containers 2 from a container manufacturing apparatus (not shown) or a supply source of the containers 2 , the sterilization apparatus 10 transfers the containers 2 sequentially from the rotating body 41 to the adjacent rotating body 41 . The container 2 is sterilized by spraying a sterilizing liquid toward the container 2, and the container 2 is rinsed by spraying sterile water (hereinafter referred to as sterile water) toward the container 2 in the washing area 12, and sent to the filling area 21. .
The rotating body 41 arranged in the sterilization area 11 is marked with a hatched pattern. A dot pattern is applied to the rotating body 41 arranged in the cleaning area 12 . The same applies to the sterilization area 31 and the washing area 32 in the lid sterilizer 30 (FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), the sterilization device 10 includes an inner nozzle 101 for injecting a sterilizing liquid from the opening 2A of the container 2 being transported toward the inside of the container 2 , and an outer surface of the container 2 being transported. The sterilization area 11 is provided with a plurality of outer nozzles 102 for injecting a sterilization liquid into the sterilization area 11 . The sterilizing liquid sprayed from these nozzles 101 and 102 is supplied over the entire inner surface and the outer surface of the container 2 .
The outer nozzles 102 are arranged at positions respectively corresponding to the bottom 2C and the barrel 2D of the container 2, for example. The outer nozzles 102 corresponding to the barrel 2D are preferably arranged outside and inside in the radial direction of the rotor 41 with respect to the position of the container 2 .

The ejection openings 101A of the inner nozzle 101 are arranged side by side along the transport path 2R, and so are the ejection openings 102A of the outer nozzle 102. The sterilizing liquid is continuously jetted from these jetting ports 101A and 102A to the container 2 being transported.

Each nozzle 101, 102 is connected to a sterilizing liquid supply source (not shown). The sterilizing liquid supplied to each nozzle 101, 102 is controlled at a predetermined concentration by a concentration control device (not shown), and heated to a predetermined temperature higher than normal temperature using a heating device such as a heat exchanger or a heater (not shown). is warmed to It is preferable that the sterilizing liquid sprayed from each nozzle 101, 102 and flowed down from the container 2 is collected and circulated through a predetermined route including the concentration control device and the heating device.

The number and positions of the nozzles 101 and 102, the direction of spraying the sterilizing liquid, the flow rate of the sterilizing liquid, and the like are appropriately set according to the size and shape of the container 2 and the like. For example, although illustration is omitted, the inner nozzle 101 may spray the sterilizing liquid from the position of the opening 2A toward the vicinity of the boundary between the body 2D and the bottom 2C. The sterilizing liquid supplied from the inner nozzle 101 to the inside of the container 2 flows over the entire inner surface of the container 2 and flows out from the opening 2A.
In addition, the outer nozzle 102 may inject the sterilizing liquid from the injection port 102A in the tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the body 2D so that the sterilizing liquid hits a wide range of the body 2D of the container 2 .

The sterilization device 10 also has inner and outer nozzles configured in the same manner as the inner nozzle 101 and the outer nozzle 102 in the washing area 12 to inject sterile water into the container 2 .

When the aseptic filling system 1 is installed at the installation location and ready for operation, that is, when the aseptic filling system 1 is started up, it is necessary to inspect the piping for air, product liquid, sterilizing liquid, etc., and to verify the instruments. Subsequently, after various verifications are performed to ensure product quality, production of the product is started.
In the aseptic filling system 1 of the present embodiment, as part of the verification work especially at the time of startup, in order to verify that the container 2 has been sterilized to a sterile state, the temperature measurement RF tag 7 and a plurality of readers 8 are used. to collect temperature data for the container 2 during the sterilization process.

The leader 8 is arranged outside the wall 52 and faces the container 2 via a glass member 58 (FIG. 2(a)) provided in the opening 57. The glass member 58 transmits electromagnetic waves required for communication between the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 provided on the container 2 and the reader 8 . The reader 8 is mounted parallel to the glass member 58 using brackets 83 fixed to the metal wall 52 supporting the glass member 58 . In addition, the leader 8 can be attached to the glass member 58 using an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like. Multiple readers 8 may be installed in the same opening 57 .

For the purpose of collecting temperature data of the containers 2 during sterilization, it is sufficient that the readers 8 are installed at least at the positions of the openings 57 at a plurality of points in the conveying direction along which the containers 2 move. When collecting the temperature data of the containers 2 being washed together with the temperature data of the containers 2 being sterilized, readers 8 may be installed at a plurality of locations in the washing area 12 in the conveying direction. In addition, the reader 8 can be installed at a plurality of positions in the transport direction in the area where the temperature history of the container 2 is desired to be acquired, including after the container 2 is filled with the product liquid.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, readers 8 are installed at a plurality of positions in the transport direction in the sterilization area 11 and the cleaning area 12, respectively. The reader 8 is preferably installed near the transport path 2R.

The temperature-measuring RF tag 7 whose data is read by the reader 8 can be provided in at least one or more arbitrary locations on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the container 2 . For example, as shown in FIG. 2(a), temperature-measuring RF tags 7 can be provided at the bottom 2C, the body 2D, and the vicinity of the opening 2A of the container 2, respectively.

Even if the sterilizing liquid heated to a specified temperature by a heating device (not shown) is supplied to the nozzles 101 and 102 and jetted from the nozzles 101 and 102 to the container 2 for a specified time, the entire container 2 is not necessarily uniformly heated. The specified temperature is not necessarily reached and maintained for the specified time. There is a possibility that the temperatures detected by the respective temperature detecting parts of the plurality of temperature-detecting RF tags 7 provided on the container 2 are different even if they are the temperatures detected at the same time.

[Filling and sealing device]
The filling and sealing device 20 includes a filling machine 201 installed in the filling area 21 and a sealing machine 202 installed in the sealing area 22 . The filling machine 201 fills the container 2 received in an upright posture by the gripper 42 of the rotating body 41 with the product liquid from a filling valve (not shown) that moves as the rotating body 41 rotates. A plurality of filling valves to which the product liquid is supplied from a tank (not shown) are provided on the outer periphery of the rotating body 41 of the filling machine 201 .
The sealing machine 202 attaches the lid 25 supplied from the lid sterilizer 30 to the filled container 2 .

[Lid sterilizer]
The lid sterilization device 30 shown in FIG. 3 sterilizes and rinses the lid 25 while conveying it, and discharges the lid 25 to the sealing machine 202 through a chute member (not shown) or the like.
The lid sterilization device 30 includes a lid conveying mechanism 33 having a plurality of rotating bodies 331 that rotate around an axis X along the horizontal direction, and a nozzle 301 that injects a sterilizing liquid onto the lid 25 that is conveyed through the sterilization area 31. , 302 (FIG. 2(b)) and a nozzle (not shown) for injecting sterile water onto the lid 25 being conveyed through the cleaning area 32. As shown in FIG. During transport, the lid 25 is arranged with its axis parallel to the axis X of the rotor 331, and is held between claws provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the rotor 331 by rails (not shown). be.

As the sterilizing liquid for sterilizing the lid 25, for example, a peracetic acid aqueous solution similar to the sterilizing liquid used for sterilizing the container 2 can be used. In that case, the nozzles 301 and 302 can be connected to a source of sterilizing liquid to which the nozzles 101 and 102 of the sterilizer 10 are connected. The sterilizing liquid supplied to the nozzles 301 and 302 is controlled at a predetermined concentration by a concentration control device (not shown), and is heated to a predetermined temperature higher than room temperature by a heating device such as a heat exchanger or a heater (not shown). warmed up.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the inner nozzle 301 injects the sterilizing liquid toward the inside of the lid 25 in which the internal thread 251A is formed. The outer nozzle 302 sprays the sterilizing liquid onto the outer surface of the lid 25 . The outer nozzles 302 are arranged, for example, at positions corresponding to the top 252 and side walls 253 of the lid 25 .
The injection ports 301A of the inner nozzle 301 are arranged in the direction in which the lid 25 is conveyed, and so are the injection ports 302A of the outer nozzle 302. As shown in FIG. The sterilizing liquid is continuously sprayed from each injection port to the lid 25 being conveyed.

The lid sterilizer 30 also has inner and outer nozzles in the washing area 32 that are configured in the same way as the inner nozzle 301 and the outer nozzle 302 and spray sterile water onto the lid 25 .

When starting up the aseptic filling system 1, it may be necessary to verify that the lid 25 has been sterilized to an aseptic state. In that case, the aseptic filling system 1 preferably comprises a plurality of readers 8 for reading temperature data from the temperature-measuring RF tags 7 provided on the lid 25 at least when the system 1 is started up. The reader 8 is arranged outside the wall 56 and faces the lid 25 through the glass member 58 provided in the opening 57, as in the case of the sterilization device 10 for the container 2 (FIG. 2(a)). .

For the purpose of collecting temperature data of the lid 25 during sterilization, it is sufficient that the readers 8 are installed at the positions of the openings 57 at least at a plurality of points in the transport direction in which the lid 25 moves in the sterilization area 31 . When collecting the temperature data of the lid 25 during cleaning together with the temperature data of the lid 25 during sterilization, readers 8 may be installed at a plurality of locations in the cleaning area 32 in the conveying direction.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the RF tags 7 can be provided on the inner peripheral portion 251, the top portion 252, and the side wall 253 of the lid 25, respectively.

[Explanation of RFID system]
An RFID system including a temperature-measuring RF tag 7, a reader 8, and a control panel 6 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.
The temperature-detecting RF tag 7 corresponds to an RF (Radio Frequency) tag having a temperature-detecting section 71 configured to detect the temperature of an object to be detected.

Here, the RF tag is also called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag, a wireless tag, etc., and includes an antenna and an IC chip. The RF tag is configured to be capable of non-contact communication with a communication section having an antenna by transmission/reception of radio waves or electromagnetic induction. The RF tag and a communication unit such as a reader or reader/writer perform data encoding, modulation, demodulation, and decoding between them. Any known RF tag can be used as the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 depending on the communication distance between the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 and the communication unit.

The temperature-detecting RF tag 7 includes an IC chip 70 including a temperature-detecting part 71 and a memory (not shown), and an antenna 72 connected to the IC chip 70, as shown in FIG. The temperature detection unit 71 detects the temperature of the container 2 or the lid 25 provided with the temperature detection RF tag 7 .

FIG. 5 shows a passive type temperature-measuring RF tag 7 that uses radio waves in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) frequency band. The frequency band of the carrier wave of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 corresponds to the 920 MHz band. As the temperature-measuring RF tag 7, it is preferable to adopt a passive RF tag that does not incorporate a battery for communication because power is supplied through reception of radio waves from the reader 8. FIG. Then, management of battery life is unnecessary. Note that the temperature detection RF tag 7 may incorporate a battery for operating the temperature detection unit 71 .

The antennas 72 in the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 shown in FIG. 5 correspond to dipole antennas located on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7, and the IC chip 70 includes a matching circuit. A dipole antenna, a matching circuit, and the like are printed, for example, on the surface of an insulating base material 7A made of a resin material using a conductive ink containing aluminum alloy powder or carbon nanotubes, and formed as an insulating protective layer. covered by The temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is formed in a thin film shape as a whole.

The temperature-measuring RF tag 7 can be attached to the inner surface or the outer surface of the resin container 2 by, for example, an adhesive layer provided on the back side of the base material 7A. In order to prevent the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 from being peeled off from the container 2 or the lid 25 by spraying the sterilizing liquid/sterilized water (purification medium), the substrate 7A is covered with an adhesive film over the entire area of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 as necessary. may be covered from the surface of

When the container 2 and the lid 25 are made of metal, the temperature detection RF tag 7, the container 2, and the lid are used in order to prevent radio waves from diffusing due to reflection on the metal surface, shortening the communication distance, and making communication impossible. It is preferable to set an air gap or interpose an insulating member that allows electromagnetic waves to pass through between the installation site at 25 . The temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is made entirely of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), etc., which serves both as an insulating member and as a member that protects against water exposure and pressure during cleaning and sterilization. may be covered and sealed with a cover made of a resin material.

The reader 8 has an antenna 81 and a controller 82 . The controller 82 includes a power supply circuit, a demodulation circuit, a transmission circuit, a memory, a control circuit for decoding, an input/output interface unit connected to the control board 6, and the like. In this embodiment, when the reader 8 reads data from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 , electric power is supplied to the antenna 72 of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 by radio waves or magnetic fields emitted from the antenna 81 . The electric power operates circuits such as the temperature detection unit 71 of the IC chip 70 and memory, and the temperature data indicating the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 71 and the unique ID are encoded and modulated by the circuit of the IC chip 70, It is transmitted by radio waves or magnetic fields from antenna 72 to antenna 81 of reader 8 . The controller 82 demodulates and decodes the data received by the antenna 81 and reads it to memory.

For example, when the same container 2 successively passes through positions P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5 where the readers 8 are arranged, the container 2 are read by the reader 8 from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 at positions P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5, respectively. The read temperature data is output from the reader 8 to the control panel 6 .

In other words, according to the RFID technology, from the temperature detection RF tag 7 provided on the moving container 2 or lid 25 by the rotating body 41, 331, etc., to the reader 8 provided on a fixed system such as the housing 5, etc. The temperature data detected by the temperature-detecting RF tag 7 can be read without an electric wire, and the temperature history information of the container 2 can be obtained from a plurality of temperature data sequentially obtained with a time difference. .
If a passive RF tag is adopted as the temperature-measuring RF tag 7, the reader 8 can communicate with the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 while supplying power, so neither a battery nor a power supply wire is required.

In FIG. 6, a member (member connected to the filling valve) that moves at a speed equivalent to about 3 m/sec, which is equivalent to the moving speed of the container 2 and the lid 25, is provided with a temperature detection RF tag, and readability is checked by a reader. Verified test results are shown. Since the moving member provided with the temperature-measuring RF tag is provided on the rotating body of the filling machine, temperature data is periodically read from the temperature-measuring RF tag by a reader installed on the side of the rotating body.

In the above verification test, the minimum distance from the reader provided on the wall of the housing and facing the moving member through the glass member to the moving member is the minimum distance from the reader 8 to the container 2 being transported in this embodiment. , and the minimum distance from the reader 8 to the lid 25 during transport.
Based on the results of such a verification test, it is possible to stably read temperature data from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 provided on the container 2 or lid 25 being transported.
The anti-collision function provided in the reader 8 makes it possible to collectively read temperature data from a plurality of temperature-measuring RF tags 7 provided on the same container 2 or the same lid 25 while identifying each temperature-measuring RF tag 7. is.

In a verification test using a temperature-measuring RF tag and a reader provided on a moving member of the filling machine 201, in addition to verification of readability during high-speed rotation, the rotating body of the filling machine was rotated by one pitch of the filling valve and stopped. By repeatedly confirming whether or not it can be read by the reader, the limit angle at which the reader can read was investigated. As a result, it was confirmed that reading was possible over a range of ±10 pitches on both sides in the rotational direction, with reference to the position where a specific filling valve faces the reader. Since the filling machine used in the validation test was equipped with 120 filling valves, the angle of readability limit corresponds to approximately 60°.

Judging from the confirmation result of the readable angle and the distance between the container 2 and the reader 8, all of the plurality of temperature-measuring RF tags 7 provided on the container 2 are within the readable angle. Therefore, it is possible to collectively read data from all the temperature-measuring RF tags 7 provided on the container 2 and to acquire the temperature data of the container 2 indicated by each of the plurality of temperature-measuring RF tags 7 while identifying them by ID. . The lid 25 is also the same.

The specific device configuration of the RFID system including the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, when the control board 6 has the function of the controller 82 , the controller 82 may be omitted and the antenna 81 may be directly connected to the control board 6 .

The control panel 6 is a computer device having an arithmetic unit and memory, an input/output interface unit connected to the controller 82 and the like by electric wires, and a storage unit, and corresponds to a so-called PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).
FIG. 4 shows a program module of the control panel 6 relating to utilization of temperature data read from the temperature detection RF tag 7. As shown in FIG. The control panel 6 includes a temperature history information acquisition section 61, a sterile condition determination section 62, and a storage section 63 as program modules.

The temperature history information acquiring unit 61 acquires temperature history information of the container 2 including temperature data read at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction individually for the container 2 and the lid 25, and accumulates and stores the temperature history information in the storage unit 63. Let
Based on the temperature history information read from the storage unit 63, the aseptic condition determination unit 62 determines whether or not the container 2 and the lid 25 have reached the prescribed temperature and the prescribed time required to reach the aseptic condition. The quality is determined accordingly.

[Relationship between container temperature during sterilization and sterilization time]
The temperature history information of the container 2 obtained by the RFID system including the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 can be used, for example, to ensure the sterility of the container 2 .
FIG. 7 shows the reciprocal of the temperature of the container 2 during sterilization (horizontal axis) derived from the temperature history information of the container 2 during sterilization obtained using a thermocouple, which is a wired temperature sensor, and the temperature from the start of sterilization. , and the sterilization time (vertical axis) required for the container 2 to reach a sterile state corresponding to a sterilization effect of "6D". The vertical axis in FIG. 7 corresponds to the logarithmic axis.
The temperature history information used to derive the relationship shown in FIG. It was obtained by accumulating in a storage device the temperature signal taken out from the thermocouple attached to the detection circuit through an electric wire. Sterilization of the container 2 by the test device is performed by continuously spraying a sterilizing liquid from a nozzle over a predetermined period of time to the container with microorganisms (bacteria) attached to the container 2. After sterilization, the entire surface of the container 2 was wiped off with a cotton swab, and the number of bacteria was counted after culturing.

In the above container temperature-sterilization time correlation test, thermocouples were attached to several points on the inner surface of the container 2 and several points on the outer surface of the container 2, and several points on the inner surface of the container 2 and Microorganisms were allowed to adhere to several locations on the outer surface of the container 2 . The sterilizing solution used in the test was a peracetic acid aqueous solution, and the concentration of peracetic acid was controlled at 1800 ppm by a concentration control device. The relationship between the temperature of the sterilizing liquid heated by the heating device and the sterilization time condition of spraying the sterilizing liquid and the sterilization time until the sterilization state is reached are changed. examined.

As shown in the graph of FIG. 7, there is a correlation between the temperature of the container 2 during sterilization and the sterilization time required for the container 2 to reach a sterile state. That is, depending on the temperature of the container 2, the sterilization time required to reach an aseptic state changes. As shown in FIG. 7, the higher the temperature of the container 2, the shorter the sterilization time required to reach a sterile state.
FIG. 7 shows data for Bacillus subtilis, a typical microorganism used to determine the quality of sterile conditions. However, for other microorganisms, although there is a difference in the degree of temperature dependence, there is a similar correlation between the temperature of the container 2 during sterilization and the sterilization time until the container 2 reaches a sterile state. Yes, the higher the temperature of the container 2, the shorter the sterilization time required to reach an aseptic state.

Note that the container temperature shown in FIG. 7 is based on the temperature obtained from one representative thermocouple among the temperatures obtained from the plurality of thermocouples provided in the container 2 . The temperatures detected by the other thermocouples are almost the same as the temperatures detected by the representative thermocouples, and show a correlation with the sterilization time until the sterile state is reached. However, there is a possibility that the necessary sterilization time required to reach a sterile state may vary depending on whether the jet of the sterilizing liquid hits directly or indirectly.

The time to reach a sterile state depends on the concentration of the sterilizing liquid, but the concentration is controlled by the concentration control device, and the concentration of the sterilizing liquid injected into the container 2 is constant. On the other hand, regarding the temperature of the sterilizing liquid, even if the sterilizing liquid is heated to a constant temperature by the heating device, the temperature of the sterilizing liquid sprayed from the nozzles 101 and 102 into the container 2 is does not necessarily match the temperature of

Based on the correlation shown in FIG. 7, if the temperature history information of the container 2 during transportation is acquired, the regulation necessary for the container 2 to reach a sterile state based on that information Whether or not the sterilization condition is good or bad can be determined according to the temperature and whether or not the specified time has been reached.
Here, even if the sterilization time changes due to a change in the concentration of the sterilization solution, the above correlation is maintained. Also, when using other sterilizing liquids such as hydrogen peroxide solutions of arbitrary concentrations, the same trend as in the example shown in FIG. exists. Furthermore, even if the object of sterilization changes from the container 2 to the lid 25, the same correlation exists. The subject of sterilization can be generalized broadly to conveyed articles of various shapes and made of various materials.
Also, the temperature history information of the transported article can be acquired using the RFID technology as described above.
Then, from the correlation between the temperature during sterilization of the conveyed article and the sterilization time until the conveyed article reaches a sterile state, regardless of the concentration of the sterilizing liquid or the sterilizing agent contained in the sterilizing liquid, the sterilization of the conveyed article It is possible to determine whether the aseptic state is good or bad based on the temperature history information. The aseptic state quality determination based on the temperature history information of the conveyed article is not limited to a specific device configuration such as the sterilization device 10 or the container conveying mechanism 40, that is, not limited to a specific aseptic filling system 1, other aseptic filling It is also applicable to systems.

[Method for judging quality of aseptic condition]
An example of a process for determining the aseptic state of the container 2 as verification of the aseptic state of the product produced by the aseptic filling system 1 based on the temperature history information of the container 2 being sterilized will be described below. It is not necessary to allow microorganisms to adhere to the container 2 in performing such quality judgment.
The aseptic state of the container 2 can be determined when the aseptic filling system 1 is started up, and can also be performed after the start of production.

In order to determine whether the sterility is good or bad, the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is installed at an arbitrary location on the container 2 using an adhesive layer laminated on the base material 7A, an adhesive, or the like. In addition, readers 8 are installed at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction of the container 2 over an area including at least the sterilization area 11 .

The time (sterilization time) during which the sterilization liquid is sprayed onto the containers 2 in the sterilization area 11 is determined according to the length of the conveying section in which the nozzles 101 and 102 of the sterilization device 10 are arranged and the movement speed of the containers 2 . The temperature (heating temperature) at which the sterilizing solution is heated by a heating device (not shown) is set to a temperature higher than the temperature corresponding to the sterilization time in the correlation information shown in FIG. From FIG. 7, if the temperature of the container 2 is maintained at T ₁ ° C. for t ₁ seconds during sterilization, the aseptic state of 6D is reached. Based on this, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the sterilization time is t ₁ +Δt ₁ second, and considering the temperature difference between parts of the container 2, the container temperature is T ₁ +ΔT to reach the aseptic state. Assuming that the temperature needs to be ₁ °C or more, the heating temperature can be set to a temperature higher than T ₁ +ΔT ₁ °C, taking into account the temperature drop of the sterilizing solution from the heating device to the container 2 .

Subsequently, at least the sterilization device 10 and the transport mechanism 40 are operated in the same manner as during production, and while transporting the container 2 provided with the temperature detection RF tag 7, the heated sterilization liquid is sprayed from the nozzles 101 and 102. to sterilize the container 2 (sterilization step).
When the sterilization step is started, the temperature of the container 2 rises by spraying the heated sterilization liquid. While the container 2 is being transported through the sterilization area 11, each time the container 2 sequentially passes the positions P1 to P5 where the reader 8 is installed, the temperature data indicating the temperature of the container 2 at the time of passing the position is measured. The RF tag 7 is read by the reader 8 and output from the reader 8 to the control panel 6 . A temperature history information acquisition unit 61 of the control panel 6 acquires temperature history information of the container 2 including temperature data read at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction, and accumulates and stores the temperature history information in the storage unit 63 (temperature history information acquisition step).

When the sterilization of the container 2 is completed, the sterilization condition determination unit 62 of the control panel 6 determines the specified temperature T and the specified time t required to reach the sterilized condition based on the temperature history information read from the storage unit 63. The quality is determined according to whether or not it has reached (sterile condition quality determination step).

The prescribed time t can be appropriately determined with the sterilization time by the sterilizer 10 as the maximum. For example, the specified time t can be set to the sterilization time (t ₁ +Δt ₁ second) described above.
The specified temperature T can be set based on the specified time t and the correlation information shown in FIG. In the example of the sterilization time (t ₁ +Δt ₁ second) and heating temperature (temperature higher than T ₁ +ΔT ₁ ° C.) described above, the specified temperature T can be set to T ₁ +ΔT ₁ ° C., for example.

Based on the temperature history information, the aseptic condition determination unit 62 determines that the container temperature is "good", that is, the aseptic condition of the container 2 is ensured when the container temperature is maintained at the specified temperature T or higher for the specified time t. can judge. From the temperature history information, if the container temperature has not reached the specified temperature T, or if it has reached the specified temperature T but has not been maintained continuously for the specified time t, the aseptic condition determination unit 62 , "No", that is, it can be determined that the aseptic state of the container 2 is not ensured.

When a plurality of temperature-measuring RF tags 7 are provided at a plurality of locations on the container 2 and individual temperature history information is acquired for each location on the container 2, it is possible to determine whether the aseptic state is good or bad for each location on the container 2. It is possible. If the judgment result is "no" for a part of the container 2, for example, the specified temperature T is raised, the nozzles corresponding to the part are added among the nozzles 101 and 102, the injection angle and the injection pressure is adjusted, the container 2 is transported and sterilized by the sterilizer 10 again, the temperature history information is acquired from the container 2 being sterilized, and the aseptic state is determined based on the temperature history information.

The aseptic state of the lid 25 is also determined based on temperature history information including temperature data read by the reader 8 at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction of the lid 25 from the temperature detection RF tag 7 provided on the lid 25. 6 can be done similarly.

The temperature history information is not necessarily used to determine whether the sterile state is good or bad, but can also be used, for example, to determine whether or not the container 2 has been sufficiently rinsed in the washing area 12. In that case, the temperature history of the container 2 during rinsing can be obtained by sequentially reading the temperature from the temperature detection RF tag 7 provided on the container 2 by the readers 8 respectively installed at a plurality of positions in the washing area 12 in the conveying direction. Information can be obtained. Based on the temperature history information, if the container temperature is maintained below the specified rinse temperature for the specified rinse time by the control panel 6, it is assumed that the sterile water is sufficiently hitting the container 2. Therefore, it is possible to determine that the degree of rinsing is "good", and otherwise determine that the degree of rinsing is "bad".

Determination of whether or not the lid 25 is sufficiently rinsed in the cleaning area 32 of the lid sterilizer 30 is also performed at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction of the lid 25, similarly to the determination of the rinsing of the container 2. Based on the temperature history information consisting of the temperature data read from the temperature sensing RF tag 7 provided on the lid 25 by the reader 8, the control panel 6 can determine the quality of the rinsing of the lid 25.

[Effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment described above, since temperature data is wirelessly retrieved from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 provided on the container 2, the lid 25, etc., while eliminating the problem of wiring between the mobile system and the fixed system, Temperature history information can be acquired from temperature data of each of the transported container 2 and lid 25 .
Extracting data from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 integrated into an article such as a container 2 is particularly difficult for articles conveyed by a conveying mechanism 40 including a plurality of rotating bodies 41, which is difficult to wire even using a slip ring or the like. is of great significance in temperature detection. Also, if a wired temperature sensor is attached to an article to be conveyed, the size of the sensor element and the case is larger than that of the temperature detection RF tag 7, so the temperature sensor may protrude from the surface of the article, or the weight of the article may increase. Since a temperature sensor that is heavier than the article is attached to the article, it is assumed that there will be an obstacle to transportation. Furthermore, assuming that a sterilizing solution or the like is supplied to the surface of the article, there is a risk that the surface of the article will be hidden in a wide range by the temperature sensor, thus hindering sterilization. In response to such concerns, the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 used to detect the temperature of an article in this embodiment is a small and thin film-like member, and its weight is sufficiently light compared to the weight of the container 2 and the lid 25. Does not adversely affect product transportation and sterilization. In view of this point, providing the article with the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 and extracting data from the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is of great significance.

Furthermore, as a typical method for verifying the aseptic state, microorganisms are attached directly to the container (container 2 or lid 25) and the number of bacteria after sterilization is measured. Based on the temperature history information indicating the surface temperature of the container to which the sterilizing liquid is supplied, it is possible to easily determine whether the aseptic state of the container is good or bad without performing the Since it is not necessary to inoculate the container in making such a quality judgment, unlike typical examples, there is no risk that microorganisms will remain in the machine of the aseptic filling system 1 due to verification performed for the purpose of ensuring sterility.
Moreover, in a typical example, it is necessary to prepare a large number of sample containers, sterilize them, and measure the number of bacteria after culturing, which requires a lot of labor and time. However, if the temperature history information is obtained by sterilizing the container with the temperature detection RF tag 7 while transporting it, the control panel 6 can immediately determine the quality of the aseptic state extremely easily compared to the typical example. can. Since the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 is inexpensive and easily available, even including the cost of procuring the reader 8, the cost required to verify the sterility can be reduced compared to typical examples that require a great deal of time and effort.

[Modification]
A temperature history information acquisition method and an aseptic state determination method applicable to an aseptic filling system will be described instead of the temperature history information acquisition method and aseptic state determination method in the above embodiment. At the same time, an aseptic filling system that can be substituted for the aseptic filling system 1 will also be described. The aseptic filling system of this modified example does not need to be provided with the reader 8 in the vicinity of the conveying path, and uses a temperature-measuring RF tag 7-1 (not shown) provided with a storage unit. Except for this point and some program modules of the control panel 6, the aseptic filling system of this modification can be configured in the same manner as the aseptic filling system 1 of the above embodiment. Illustration of the system is omitted.

In the present modification, the temperature detection RF tag 7-1 used to acquire the temperature history information of the container (container 2 or lid 25) is configured to be able to store data in the storage unit. It is configured in the same manner as the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 (FIG. 5).
While the container provided with the temperature detection RF tag 7-1 is being conveyed, the temperature data indicating the temperature sequentially detected by the temperature detection unit 71 is accumulated and stored in the storage unit by the operation of the IC chip 70 ( temperature information accumulation step). The temperature data accumulated in the storage unit corresponds to temperature history information of the container. Therefore, the control panel 6 can acquire the temperature data accumulated in the storage unit of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7 as temperature history information from the storage unit at an appropriate timing, for example, after the container has been sterilized. (Temperature history information acquisition step).

For example, the IC chip 70 starts accumulating temperature data at the beginning of the section where the nozzles 101 and 102 are arranged in the sterilization area 11, and finishes accumulating temperature data at the end of the section. The storage unit of the temperature detection RF tag 7-1 has a storage capacity sufficient to store temperature data detected over the section of the transport path 2R for which temperature history information needs to be obtained or the section of the transport path 3R of the lid sterilizer 30. It is preferable to have However, not limited to this, if the storage capacity is insufficient, for example, while the container is being sterilized, the temperature history information is transferred from the storage unit of the temperature detection RF tag 7-1 to the storage unit 63 of the control panel 6. If acquired, it is preferable to overwrite the existing stored data of the temperature sensing RF tag 7-1 with the temperature data sensed by the temperature sensing section 71 thereafter and store it in the storage section.

In this modification, when judging the aseptic state of the container, a temperature-detecting RF tag 7-1 is provided at an appropriate location in the container, and a heated sterilization medium is injected into the container while transporting the container. to sterilize the container (sterilization step). The temperature data accumulated in the storage unit of the temperature-measuring RF tag 7-1 during the sterilization process is read, for example, through a reader (not shown) configured similarly to the reader 8 after the sterilization step is completed and the container is removed from the transport mechanism. is output to the control panel 6 and stored as temperature history information in the storage unit 63 (temperature history information acquisition step).
Based on this temperature history information, the program module of the control panel 6 determines "good" when the specified temperature and specified time required for the container to reach a sterile state are reached, as in the above embodiment. If not, it should be determined as "no" (sterile state quality determination step).

In addition to the above, it is possible to select the configurations mentioned in the above embodiments, or to change them to other configurations as appropriate.
For example, when an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is used as the sterilizing solution, a test of the correlation between container temperature and sterilization time is performed using the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution to obtain data on the correlation shown in FIG. Based on the temperature history information obtained in the same manner as in the above embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the aseptic state is good or bad according to whether or not the specified temperature and the specified time have been reached.
When the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is used, instead of rinsing the container 2 and lid 25 with sterile water, heated and pressurized air (hot air as a purification medium) is jetted onto the container 2 and lid 25. Therefore, it is preferable to remove the component of the disinfectant from the container or the like. In that case, determination of whether or not the disinfectant component is sufficiently removed from the container 2 and the lid 25 by hot air can be performed in the same manner as determination of the degree of rinsing of the container 2 and the like in the above embodiment.

[Appendix]
The temperature history information acquisition method, the aseptic condition determination method, and the aseptic filling system described above disclose the following.
[1] A method for acquiring temperature information of a conveyed article moves the articles 2 and 25 while conveying the articles 2 and 25 provided with the RF tag 7 including the temperature detection section 71 configured to detect the temperature. Temperature data indicating the temperature of the articles 2 and 25 when passing through the positions is read from the RF tags 7 at a plurality of positions by the communication units 8 arranged at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction. Get temperature history information including temperature data
[2] The articles 2 and 25 correspond to containers, an RF tag is provided on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the container, and temperature history information is acquired for each RF tag.
[3] Temperature data is read from the RF tag 7 by the communication unit 8 while the articles 2 and 25 are supported by the rotating bodies 41 and 331 that rotate about the axes X and Z to convey the articles 2 and 25. .
[4] While conveying the articles 2 and 25 and supplying the heated purification medium to the articles 2 and 25, the communication unit 8 reads the temperature data from the RF tags.
[5] A method for acquiring temperature information of conveyed articles 2, 25 is provided with an RF tag 7-1 including a temperature detection unit 71 configured to detect temperature and a storage unit for storing data. a step of accumulating and storing temperature data indicating the temperature of the articles 2 and 25 detected by the temperature detection unit 71 in the storage unit while conveying the article 25; and obtaining as information.
[6] The method for judging the quality of the aseptic state is carried out while conveying the article 2, 25 provided with the RF tag 7, 7-1 including the temperature detection part 71 configured to be able to detect the temperature. a sterilization step of supplying the sterilization medium to the articles 2, 25, and an acquisition step of acquiring temperature history information by the temperature information acquisition method according to any one of [1] to [3] in the sterilization step, or After the step, an acquisition step of acquiring temperature history information by the temperature information acquisition method described in [5], and based on the temperature history information, whether the specified temperature and specified time required to reach a sterile state have been reached and a judgment step for judging whether it is good or bad according to whether.
[7] The articles 2 and 25 correspond to containers, RF tags (7, 7-1) are provided at one or more locations of the containers, temperature history information is acquired for each RF tag, and in the determination step, Acceptability is determined for each RF tag.
[8] The sterilization medium corresponds to an aqueous solution of peracetic acid or an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, and in the sterilization step, the sterilization medium is controlled at a predetermined concentration.
[9] An aseptic filling system that sterilizes the containers 2, 25 using a heated sterilization medium while conveying the containers 2, 25 and performs filling processing on the containers 2, 25. The containers 2, 25 being sterilized The communication unit 8 includes a communication unit 8 arranged at a plurality of positions in the conveying direction in which the container 25 moves, and a temperature detection unit configured to detect the temperature. and a control unit 6 that uses the obtained temperature data to determine whether the containers 2 and 25 are aseptic. The communication unit 8 reads temperature data indicating the temperatures of the containers 2 and 25 when passing through the positions from the RF tags at a plurality of positions. The control unit 6 includes a temperature history information acquisition unit 61 that acquires temperature history information including temperature data read at a plurality of positions, and based on the temperature history information, a specified temperature and a specified temperature required to reach a sterile state. and a sterile condition acquisition unit 62 that determines whether the product is good or bad according to whether or not the time has been reached.
[10] An aseptic filling system that sterilizes the containers 2 and 25 using a heated sterilization medium while conveying the containers 2 and 25 and fills the containers 2 and 25 is configured so that the temperature can be detected. A control unit 6 that uses the temperature data read from the RF tag 7-1 provided on the container 2, 25 to determine whether the aseptic state of the container 2, 25 is good or bad , provided. The control unit 6 retrieves the temperature data stored in the storage unit from the storage unit storing the temperature data indicating the temperature of the containers 2 and 25 during sterilization detected by the temperature detection unit 71 from the RF tag 7-1. It is acquired as temperature history information, and based on the temperature history information, the quality is determined according to whether or not the specified temperature and specified time required to reach a sterile state are reached.

1 aseptic filling system 2 container (article)
2A Opening 2B Neck 2C Bottom 2D Body 2R, 3R Transport path 5 Housing 6 Control panel (control unit)
7 Temperature detection RF tag 7A Base material 8 Reader (communication part)
10 sterilization device 11 sterilization region 12 washing region 20 filling and sealing device 21 filling region 22 sealing region 25 lid 30 lid sterilization device 31 sterilization region 32 washing region 33 lid conveying mechanism 40 container conveying mechanism 41, 331 rotating body 42 grippers 51 to 56 wall Body 57 Opening 58 Glass member 61 Temperature history information acquisition unit 62 Aseptic condition determination unit 63 Storage unit 70 IC chip 71 Temperature detection unit 72 Antenna 81 Antenna 82 Controller 83 Bracket 101 Inner nozzle 102 Outer nozzle 101A, 102A Injection port 201 Filling machine 202 Sealing machine 251 Inner peripheral portion 251A Internal thread 252 Top portion 253 Side wall 301 Inner nozzle 302 Outer nozzles 301A, 302A Injection port 331 Rotating body u Upstream side d Downstream side P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 Position X, Z Axis

Claims (10)

1. While transporting the article provided with the RF tag including the temperature detection part configured to detect the temperature,
   temperature data indicating the temperature of the article when passing through the position is read from the RF tag at each of the plurality of positions by communication units arranged at a plurality of positions in a conveying direction in which the article moves; obtaining temperature history information including the temperature data read at each location;
   A method for acquiring temperature information of an article to be conveyed.
2. The article corresponds to a container,
   The RF tag is provided at least one location on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the container,
   The temperature history information is obtained for each RF tag,
   The method for acquiring temperature information of an article to be conveyed according to claim 1.
3. reading the temperature data from the RF tag by the communication unit in a state in which the article is supported by a rotating body that rotates about an axis and conveys the article;
   The temperature information acquisition method according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The temperature data is read from the RF tag by the communication unit while the article is being transported and a heated purification medium is being supplied to the article.
   The temperature information acquisition method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. Temperature data indicating the temperature of the article detected by the temperature detecting section while conveying the article provided with the RF tag including the temperature detecting section configured to be able to detect the temperature and the storage section for storing the data. a step of accumulating and storing in the storage unit;
   a step of acquiring the temperature data accumulated in the storage unit from the storage unit as temperature history information;
   A method for acquiring temperature information of an article to be conveyed.
6. A sterilization step of supplying a heated sterilization medium to the article while conveying the article provided with the RF tag including the temperature detection part configured to detect the temperature;
   In the sterilization step, the temperature information acquisition method according to claim 5, in which the temperature history information is acquired by the temperature information acquisition method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, or after the sterilization step. an acquisition step of acquiring the temperature history information by
   a judgment step for judging quality according to whether or not a prescribed temperature and a prescribed time required to reach a sterile state have been reached, based on the temperature history information;
   A method for judging the quality of sterile conditions.
7. The article corresponds to a container,
   The RF tag is provided at one or more locations of the container,
   The temperature history information is obtained for each RF tag,
   In the determination step, the pass/fail is determined for each RF tag;
   The method for judging the quality of sterile conditions according to claim 6.
8. The sterilization medium corresponds to an aqueous peracetic acid solution or an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution,
   In the sterilization step, the sterilization medium is controlled at a predetermined concentration,
   The method for judging whether or not a sterile state is good or bad according to claim 6 or 7.
9. An aseptic filling system that sterilizes the container using a heated sterilization medium and fills the container while transporting the container,
   a communication unit arranged at a plurality of positions in the transport direction in which the container being sterilized moves;
   A control unit that uses the temperature data read by the communication unit from the RF tag provided on the container to determine whether the container is aseptic,
   The communication unit reads temperature data indicating the temperature of the container when passing through the positions from the RF tags at each of the plurality of positions,
   The control unit
   a temperature history information acquisition unit that acquires temperature history information including the temperature data read at each of the plurality of positions;
   Based on the temperature history information, an aseptic state acquisition unit that determines whether the specified temperature and the specified time required to reach the sterile state are reached,
   Aseptic filling system.
10. An aseptic filling system that sterilizes the container using a heated sterilization medium and fills the container while transporting the container,
    A control unit that includes a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature and a storage unit that stores data, and uses temperature data read from an RF tag provided on the container to determine whether the container is aseptic. ,
    The control unit transfers the temperature data accumulated in the storage unit from the storage unit in which the temperature data indicating the temperature of the container during sterilization detected by the temperature detection unit is accumulated from the RF tag. Obtained as history information, and based on the temperature history information, determine the quality according to whether the specified temperature and specified time required to reach a sterile state are reached.
    Aseptic filling system.
    

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