WO2024023082A9

WO2024023082A9 - Closure system for a medicine container, and medicine container comprising a closure system

Info

Publication number: WO2024023082A9
Application number: PCT/EP2023/070562
Authority: WO
Inventors: Horst Koller
Original assignee: Inductio Ag
Priority date: 2022-07-26
Filing date: 2023-07-25
Publication date: 2024-02-29
Also published as: EP4311534A1; WO2024023082A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure system (10) for a medicine container (1), the interior (4) of which can be accessed via a container opening (6) designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, wherein the closure system (10) comprises, in addition to a press-fit cap (14) which can be pushed onto the mouth region of the container opening (6) and is provided with a sealing element (12), a securing ring (60) which can be pushed onto said press-fit cap and which, when in a position in which it is pushed completely onto the press-fit cap (14), can be fixed in a lockable manner on the press-fit cap (14) by means of a number of snap ribs (66). The closure system is intended to be particularly suitable for automated filling operations using simple means. According to the invention, the or each snap rib (66) is guided in a corresponding guide slot (82) during a movement of the inner lateral surface (84) of the securing ring (60) relative to a said corresponding outer lateral surface (80) of the press-fit cap (14).

Description

Closure system for a medication container and medication container with a closure system

The invention relates to a closure system for a medication container, the interior of which is accessible via a mouth area designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, the closure system comprising, in addition to a closure cap which can be screwed onto the mouth area of the container opening and is provided with a closure plug provided as a sealing element, a locking ring which can be pushed onto it , which can be fixed in a lockable manner on the closure cap in a position that is completely pushed onto the closure cap by means of a number of snap ribs. It further relates to a medication container with such a closure system and to a use of the closure system.

Medications, particularly for treatment in highly specialized or complex therapies, are usually provided in active ingredient or medication containers, also referred to as containers or vials. Such a medication container is usually designed in the manner of a bottle and includes an interior in which the medication or active ingredient is stored and which is accessible via a container opening designed in the manner of a bottle mouth. From such a container or container, the active ingredient is then transferred via suitable transfer systems for the actual administration to suitable systems such as a syringe or an intravenous line that provides fluid access to the patient's circulation.

Particularly in modern medical procedures or therapies, medications or substances can be used that are actually toxic or otherwise harmful or dangerous. Personnel involved in the handling of such substances, such as pharmacists and nurses, may therefore pose acute and long-term health risks, particularly if they are repeatedly exposed to medications or solvents released into the air during preparation, administration of medications and other similar treatments could escape. This problem can be particularly serious when cytotoxins, antiviral drugs, antibiotics or radiopharmaceuticals are involved. The effects of exposure to Potential health risks associated with these medications include an increased risk of cancer, genetic changes, and the like.

Furthermore, in view of the fact that medications with an extremely high dose price have recently been approved, it is urgently desirable or even necessary to reliably avoid the unintentional release of even the smallest amounts of such medications or active ingredients into the environment.

With regard to the desired avoidance of unintentional losses of active ingredients, a suitable design of the medication containers is generally necessary. The active ingredient or medication containers are usually provided with suitable closure systems in which a sealing plug closes the container opening. This sealing plug can then be pierced to remove the medication, for example using a hollow needle, via which the medication can then be sucked out of the container. To fix the closure plug, for example, a closure cap with a ring lid having a central opening can be provided, which can be attached to the “bottle mouth” with the container opening. The sealing plug is then installed centrally in this ring lid.

The attachment of such a closure cap, which is provided with the sealing element or closure plug, is usually carried out by pushing it onto the mouth area of the medication container and then locking it onto it, for example by means of snap or locking hooks arranged on the impact cap, which form a locking connection with locking beads arranged on the container opening form. This locking connection is then usually secured against unintentional loosening by means of a locking ring that can be pushed onto the impact cap and which laterally encloses it in its end position. Such a locking ring ensures that the snap or locking hooks arranged on the impact cap do not retreat outwards and thus loosen the locking connection with the medication container. The locking ring pushed onto the impact cap is usually also secured in its position on the impact cap by means of locking means, for example a number of snap ribs. Alternatively, a closure cap that can be screwed onto the mouth area of the container opening can also be provided. In addition to the above-mentioned requirements for reliability and tightness of such closure systems, making them suitable for industrial processing in large quantities is also a common design goal. In particular, automated filling and correspondingly automated attachment of the closure system to the respective medication container should be possible, especially for the potentially large number of medication doses to be provided. In addition, with regard to large quantities, it is desirable to enable simultaneous processing of several medication containers in the manner of larger batches, for example in the manner of so-called “nesting”.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a closure system of the type mentioned above, which meets these requirements, in particular the suitability for automated filling processes, to a particularly large extent using simple means.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the or each snap rib provided for fixing the locking ring in a position completely pushed onto the closure cap is guided in a corresponding guide slot when the inner lateral surface of the locking ring moves relative to an outer lateral surface of the closure cap corresponding to this.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

The invention is based on the idea that the closure system can be upgraded for automated processing and also for high cycle or throughput rates with the correspondingly high processing speeds, among other things, by, on the one hand, particularly favoring pre-assembly of the closure cap and locking ring components and, on the other hand, a particularly reliable guidance of the pre-assembled components relative to one another is ensured. In particular, this can ensure that potential sources of interference in automated processing, for example due to tilting or tilting of the components, incorrect positioning or the like, are eliminated. The desired reliable guidance of the pre-assembled components relative to one another can be achieved in a particularly simple manner by forming a guide pairing for the components using components that are usually already present, in this case the respective snap ribs. To form such a leadership pairing, the respective A corresponding guide link, for example in the form of a groove, can be assigned to the snap rib in the other component.

For the formation of the mentioned guide pairing, it is fundamentally irrelevant which elements of it are arranged on which of the closure cap or locking ring components; d. H. For intended use, the respective snap rib could be arranged on the inside of the locking ring or on the outside of the closure cap, and the associated guide link could be arranged accordingly on the other component. However, the or each snap rib is preferably arranged on the inside of the locking ring and, correspondingly, the respective guide link is arranged on the outside of the closure cap.

Usually, a closure system of the type mentioned is pressed onto the mouth opening of the medication container in the manner of a linear movement after the closure cap and locking ring have been pre-assembled. The cap is first screwed onto the mouth until it reaches its intended end position. Subsequently, a linear pressure on the system causes the locking ring to be pushed onto the closure cap and increasingly encloses it. To stabilize this primarily linear movement of the locking ring on the closure cap, the guide link advantageously comprises a first axial segment designed in the manner of an axial groove and extending in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the closure cap or the locking ring.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a locking bead for locking the respective snap rib is arranged in this first axial segment, so that the snap rib can be used for locking the components as intended by the design.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the closure system is designed for a particularly stable pre-assembly of the closure cap and locking ring. It is advantageously provided that the locking ring can first be plugged onto the closure cap during pre-assembly. Subsequently, in the manner of a bayonet lock, twisting the locking ring on the closure cap should provide a mechanically reliable connection of the attached locking ring to the closure cap, from which point the system can be pushed on completely later, starting from this position, when it is finally attached to the medication container. To make this possible, the leadership setting is particularly advantageous Embodiment has a tangential segment designed in the manner of a tangential groove and extending in a tangential direction around the axis of rotation of the closure cap or the locking ring.

The tangential segment of the guide link expediently merges into its first axial segment, with a stop for the respective snap rib being formed in the transition area between the tangential segment and axial segment to limit rotation of the locking ring relative to the closure cap. This means that during pre-assembly, the respective snap rib can first be inserted into the tangential segment of the guide link assigned to it and then the locking ring can be rotated relative to the closure cap. This guides the snap rib in the tangential segment until it hits the stop. This ends the rotation and the locking ring is fixed in a defined and reproducible position on the closure cap. In this position, the snap rib is then also located in the transition area from the tangential segment of the guide link to its axial segment, so that from this position it is later possible to push the locking ring further onto the closure cap in the axial direction. The components are in secure engagement with one another, so that the locking system pre-assembled in this way is particularly well suited for automated further processing, even under high stress and large quantities.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a locking tooth with an inclined stop surface for the snap rib is arranged in the tangential segment of the guide link. Due to the bevel, the snap rib can be pushed over the locking tooth during the rotation described above during its movement in the tangential segment, but on the other hand, due to the shape of the locking tooth, a backward movement of the snap rib over the locking tooth is then no longer possible. As a result, the snap rib is fixed in its final position in the tangential direction, so that a particularly stable and reliable pre-assembly of the components is achieved.

In an advantageous embodiment, the closure cap and/or the locking ring is made of a plastic, preferably polypropylene (PP), a polyolefin, cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC), cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) or polycarbonate.

According to an aspect that is considered to be independently inventive, the closure body of the closure plug is designed as a duckbill valve. Duckbill valves, also known as duckbill check valves, are used, among other things, in liquid transfer systems in which the valve opens or closes depending on the flow direction of the medium or liquid. This means that undesirable backflow of the medium can be prevented in common applications. For this purpose, such a duckbill valve comprises a number of, usually two, converging valve flanks which, in the “unloaded” resting state, lie against one another along a contact line. If the valve flanks in a liquid channel are subjected to excess pressure “in the direction of flow”, the valve flanks are forced apart due to the elastic properties of the material forming the valve body and open a flow opening for the medium. This allows the medium to flow in the opening direction. If, on the other hand, excess pressure is applied in the opposite direction, i.e. “in the return flow direction”, the valve flanks are pressed together in the area of the contact line and thus close the valve; Backflow is then not possible or at least only possible to a very small extent.

This aspect of the invention is based on the consideration that in order to particularly promote compliance with sterility conditions, possible sources with which an undesirable entry of impurities or contamination into the interior of the container could occur should be eliminated as far as possible. In the present case, the phase in which the container is filled with the medication or active ingredient is viewed as such a possible source, since open access to the interior of the container must be provided in this phase. During filling, in known systems, a closure membrane provided as part of the closure system is usually pierced using a suitable needle in order to create the desired access to the interior of the container. However, it is precisely this piercing that could lead to an undesirable entry of contaminants into the interior, since particles or other contaminants adhering to the outer surface of the closure membrane can be introduced into the interior through the needle tip.

Therefore, according to this aspect of the invention, it is intended to avoid this piercing; Instead, the design of the closure body as a duckbill valve ensures that the needle system simply displaces or shifts the valve flanks when it is inserted into the interior of the container, without the need to pierce a membrane or the like. When the needle system is inserted into the beak area of the valve, the needles forming the valve converge on each other. pushed apart on the flank surfaces, whereby the valve opens. When the needle system is pulled out after the medication or active ingredient has been filled in, the flank surfaces then largely close again automatically due to the elastic restoring forces in the valve body.

A particularly high sealing effect in general can also be achieved by advantageously selecting a radial sealing element with a radial sealing element which is adapted to the clear width of the container opening and is slightly larger than the clear width of the container opening in view of the deformability of the material of the sealing plug Cross section is formed. This means that the sealing effect that can be achieved by the sealing plug can be further increased by making use of radial force components, i.e. contact forces that press the sealing plug in the radial direction onto the inside of the container mouth, in addition to the usually used axial force components. In order to take this into account, the closure plug is advantageously designed in its area protruding into the container opening with regard to the shape and dimensioning of its cross section in such a way that a flat pressing or pressing effect on the inner wall of the container mouth is created, taking into account the deformability of its material.

For particularly safe and reliable handling, the closure system should be particularly secured after it has been attached to the medication container. For this purpose, it advantageously comprises, as a further component, a locking ring which can be pushed onto the closure cap and which can be fixed in a locking manner on the closure cap by means of a snap edge which is formed on the inside and is arranged all around the end. After attaching the closure cap, in which it is screwed onto the container mouth and the internal thread arranged on the inside of its lateral surface is thus brought into engagement with the associated external thread of the container mouth, the locking ring can be pushed onto the closure cap. It encloses the threads in a ring from the outside and thus additionally fixes them in their position; Loosening the screw connection is then difficult or no longer possible.

The closure body of the container interior designed as a valve could possibly not meet the highest tightness requirements due to its valve function. In order to take this into account and to ensure compliance with even the highest tightness requirements for the closure system explained above, the closure body is designed in a design that is considered to be independently inventive The sealing plug is assigned a further sealing element in the form of a pierceable sealing membrane in the manner of a functional addition. For this purpose, a retaining collar for an associated closure cap is formed on the closure cap, surrounding its central opening, so that the closure cap can be attached to the closure cap in a simple manner by means of this retaining collar. In a further advantageous embodiment, the closure cover has a retaining ring on which the pierceable sealing membrane resting on the closure body in the assembled state is arranged.

The closure system is advantageously provided with a tamper-evident closure for the medication container in the manner of a disposable closure. This disposable closure, which can include, for example, a tear-off or sealed sealing lid, allows problem-free and reliable identification of whether the container has already been used for liquid transfer or not, and thus makes it easier to determine whether the container has already been “opened” and is therefore preferred for Further fluid removal should be used until it is completely drained and should therefore be discarded. For this purpose, a sealing plate that can be torn off from the retaining ring is advantageously arranged on the retaining ring of the closure lid to form a tamper-evident closure.

The closure cap is attached to the closure cap in the manner of a bayonet lock for particularly easy assembly and in particular for temporary removal from the closure cap. The term bayonet lock means in particular that the closure cap can be attached to the closure cap by means of a more or less extensive twist. For this purpose, the retaining collar of the closure cap is advantageously provided on the outside with a number of guide slots, in each of which a corresponding locking pin arranged on the inside of the retaining ring of the closure cap is guided.

A medication container, the interior of which is accessible via a container opening designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, closed with a closure system of the type described above, is also considered to be independently inventive.

The use of a closure system of the type mentioned for a medication container is also considered to be independently inventive. The advantages achieved with the invention are, in particular, that by providing a guide pairing between the locking ring and the locking cap by means of the respective snap rib on the one hand and the associated guide link on the other hand, a particularly high mechanical stability of the pre-assembled intermediate product made of the locking cap and locking ring can be achieved. This pre-assembled intermediate product is therefore particularly suitable for subsequent processing steps with comparatively high demands, for example in the context of automated processing or in processes with high cycle times or quantities.

Furthermore, the design of the closure body of the closure plug as a duckbill valve, provided according to one aspect of the invention, makes it possible for the medication container to be filled through the closure plug by means of a suitable filling needle system, in that the needle system merely displaces or shifts the components of the valve without This would require piercing a membrane or the like. When the needle system is inserted into the beak area of the valve, the flank surfaces that form the valve and run towards one another are pushed apart, whereby the valve opens. When the needle system is pulled out after the medication or active ingredient has been filled in, the flank surfaces then largely close again automatically due to the elastic restoring forces in the valve body. Overall, the risk of entry of contaminants, external particles or the like is kept particularly low, so that with such a closure system filling is possible particularly reliably even under high purity requirements, in particular under sterility conditions.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Show in it:

1 shows a medication container closed with a closure system,

2 shows the medication container according to FIG. 1 with the associated closure system in a side view in an exploded view,

3 shows the medication container according to FIG. 1 with the associated closure system in a longitudinal section in an exploded view, 4 shows the closure cap of the medication container according to FIG. 1 with the sealing plug installed in a longitudinal section,

5 shows the closure cap of the medication container according to FIG. 1 with the sealing plug installed in a perspective view,

Fig. 6 shows a sealing plug of the medication container. Fig. 1 in different perspective views (Fig. 6a, 6b) and in longitudinal section (Fig. 6c),

7 shows a closure lid of the closure system according to FIG. 1 in a side view in an exploded view,

8 shows a closure lid of the closure system according to FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section in an exploded view,

9 shows the closure cap of the closure system of the medication container according to FIG. 1,

10 shows a sequence of steps in attaching the closure system to the medication container according to FIG. 1 for pre-assembly,

11 shows a sequence of steps in filling the medication container according to FIG. 1, which is pre-assembled with the closure system, with an active ingredient, and

Fig. 12 shows a schematic flowchart for the automated filling of a large number of medication containers. Fig. 1 with active ingredient.

The same parts are given the same reference numbers in all figures.

The medication container 1 likes. Fig. 1, also referred to as a container or vial, is designed in the manner of a bottle. It comprises an interior 4 enclosed by a container wall 2, in which the medication or active ingredient is stored. The container wall 2, and with it the container 1 itself, is made in the exemplary embodiment from a suitably selected plastic with or without a barrier layer. A “medical grade” plastic is particularly preferred here, such as COP variants 690R®, 790R®, COC variants Topas® 8007S-04, 6013S-04, 6015S-04, or PP. The plastic is particularly preferably selected in a suitable manner with regard to the criteria transparent, break-resistant, little to no interaction with the intended medication, medical grade, in particular usable as a glass replacement, individually or in combination with one another. Alternatively, the container wall 2 could also be made of glass. The interior 4 is accessible via a container opening 6 designed in the manner of a bottle mouth.

The medication container 1 is designed to be particularly suitable for automated filling with active ingredient under aseptic or sterile conditions. In particular, the components of the medication container 1 should be sterilized completely or as required after their production and then further treated, stored or used in some other way under sterile conditions without the need for subsequent complete sterilization. In this case, the filling of the container with active ingredient is viewed as a weak point in particular, since for this purpose the interior of the container 4 must be made accessible and an entry of impurities or contamination would therefore be conceivable. In order to meet the requirements associated with the desired consistent maintenance of sterility in a particularly extensive manner, the medication container 1 is equipped with a closure system 10 that closes the container opening 6, with which, on the one hand, the risk of entry of unwanted contaminants is particularly reduced, especially during filling can be kept low, but on the other hand there should also be particularly effective protection against manipulation.

The closure system 10 comprises, as can be clearly seen from the longitudinal section in FIG. 2 and the perspective view in FIG. a fixing cap 16 designed as a closure cap 14, with which the closure plug 12 is fastened on the mouth opening 18 of the medication container 1, and a closure lid 20 with a tamper-evident closure 22 attached thereto. Their preferred configurations and respective functions are described in more detail below.

The container wall 2 of the medication container 1 is in the area of the container opening 6 with an external thread 24 as a fastening element for the closure system 10. see. With regard to its thread parameters, the external thread 24 is designed as a common thread, in particular as a thread in the sense of and in accordance with the specifications of the standard DIN ISO 11418-3 or DIN ISO 11418-7.

Significant components of the closure system 10 are the sealing element designed as a closure plug 12 for closing the container opening 6 and the fixing cap 16, with which the closure plug 12 can be firmly attached to the container opening 6. Adapted to the external thread 24, the fixing cap 16 is designed as a closure cap 14 that can be screwed onto the medication container 1 and is provided on its inner jacket side 26 with an internal thread 28 that is adapted to the external thread 24 in its thread parameters. When attaching the closure cap 14, it can thus be screwed onto the container opening 6.

The closure cap 14 comprises an annular cover 34 having a central opening 32. The closure plug 12, which is designed in one piece and is shown in the assembled state in the illustrations in FIGS. 4 and 5 and enlarged in various views in FIG a central closure body 36, which can be brought into locking engagement with the ring lid 34 in the opening 32 at its “upper” end, which is remote from the container interior 4 in the assembled state. For this purpose, the closure body 36 is provided in its connection area with the ring cover 34 with a circumferential groove 38 forming an undercut. The one-piece sealing plug 12 is, also with regard to the desired sealing purposes, made of a suitable and also comparatively soft and easily deformable material, in the exemplary embodiment made of rubber or TPE, preferably “medical grade”. Using these material properties, in particular the deformability, the closure plug 12 can be connected approximately firmly to the closure cap 14 by inserting the closure body 36 into the opening 32 in the ring cover 34 and the peripheral edge of the opening 32 then engaging in the groove 38 and thus the sealing element 12 is fixed on the closure cap 14.

In one aspect of the invention, the closure plug 12 is specifically designed to reduce the risk of entry of contaminants during media transfer into the medication container 1, i.e. during filling, and also out of the medication container, i.e. when active ingredient is removed from the container interior 4 , external particles or the like to be kept particularly low. This is intended to ensure, in particular, that the filling of the container interior 4 and also the removal of active ingredient can be ensured even under high purity requirements, especially under sterility conditions. To make this possible, the closure body 36 of the closure plug 12 is designed as a so-called duckbill valve.

Such a duckbill valve, also known as a duckbill check valve, is widely used in liquid transfer systems, where depending on the flow direction of the medium or liquid, the valve opens or closes. This means that undesirable backflow of the medium can be prevented in common applications. For this purpose, such a duckbill valve comprises a number of, usually two or three, converging valve flanks 40, of which two adjacent ones lie against each other along a contact line 42 in the “unloaded” rest state. If the valve flanks in a liquid channel are subjected to excess pressure “in the flow direction”, the valve flanks 40 are forced apart due to the elastic properties of the material forming the valve body and open a flow opening for the medium. This allows the medium to flow in the opening direction. If, on the other hand, excess pressure is applied in the opposite direction, i.e. “in the return flow direction”, the valve flanks 40 are pressed together in the area of the contact line 42 and thus close the valve; Backflow is then not possible or at least only possible to a very small extent.

The use of such a duckbill valve in the closure body 36 of the closure plug 12 now causes, according to one aspect of the invention, that a media transfer, i.e. the filling of the medication container 1 or the removal of active ingredient from the medication container 1, through the closure plug 12 by means of a respectively suitable needle system, For example, an injection needle or a spike system for removal, can be done in that the filling needle system only has to displace or move the valve flanks 40 of the valve, without the need to puncture a membrane or the like. When the filling needle system is introduced into the beak area of the valve, the valve flanks 40 which form the actual valve and run towards one another are pushed apart, with the valve opening. When the filling needle system is pulled out after the medication or active ingredient has been filled in or removed through an injection needle, the valve flanks 40 then largely close again automatically due to the elastic restoring forces in the valve body. In the illustrations according to FIG. 6, the closure plug 12 is designed in an embodiment with three valve flanks 40, which rest against one another on three contact lines 42. Of course, instead, a duckbill valve could also be designed in a “usual” design, namely with two valve flanks 40, or with more than three valve flanks 40, which then abut each other in the idle state to form several contact lines 42.

According to a further advantageous aspect of the invention, the closure plug 12, designed as a sealing element, contributes to sealing the container opening 6 in two ways. On the one hand, the closure plug 12 has a sealing plate 44 which is molded onto the closure body 36 and runs radially around it. This achieves a sealing effect, which is quite comparable to known systems, in that in the assembled system the sealing plate 44, which is suitably adapted to the mouth edge 46 of the container opening 6 in terms of its dimensions, in particular its outer diameter, is screwed onto the sealing cap 14 which can be screwed onto the container mouth Mouth edge 46 is pressed on. Due to this axial force effect, seen in relation to the longitudinal axis of the container opening, the sealing plate 44 can already develop a sealing effect due to the deformability of the material. In addition, the provision of radial force components, i.e. contact forces, which press the sealing element in the radial direction against the inside of the container wall 2 in the area of its mouth, is also provided here for a particularly increased overall sealing effect.

For this purpose, a radial sealing element 50 is formed on the closure body 36 “below” the sealing plate 44, i.e. on its side facing the container interior 4 in the assembled state. The cross-sectional shape of this is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the container opening 6 in the mouth area (in the exemplary embodiment both are round). In terms of its dimensions, it is also adapted to the clear width I of the container opening 6 and is designed to be slightly larger than the clear width I of the container opening 6 with regard to the deformability of the material of the sealing element 12. This creates a flat pressing or pressing effect on the inner wall of the container in the area of the container opening when the radial sealing element 50 is inserted into the container opening 6, taking into account the deformability of its material. With regard to common standards and common norms for such components, the container opening can be suitably selected and dimensioned; For example, their clear width can be suitably matched to the standard dimension “13er Neck” (corresponds to an outer diameter of the container opening of 13mm), to the standard dimension “20er Neck” (corresponds to an outside diameter of the container opening of 20mm) or coordinated with special variants for the neck geometry for the inside diameter.

The sealing element 12 is advantageously designed for an even further improved sealing effect in the radial direction. For this purpose, the shape is chosen such that the central region of the closure plug 12 that forms the closure body 36 is surrounded by a circumferential groove or trench-like recess 52 that extends deep into the sealing plate 44. The recess 52 can also completely penetrate the material thickness of the sealing plate 44, so that the sealing element 12 is designed to be multi-component in this embodiment. Adapted to this, the closure cap 14, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, has a reinforcing ring 54 which is formed on the underside of the ring cover 34 and surrounds the opening 32. When assembling the two components, this reinforcing ring 54 is inserted into the recess 52 of the sealing element 12. The dimensions are coordinated with one another in such a way that the reinforcing ring 54 gives the radial sealing element 50 of the sealing element 12 increased strength and rigidity towards the outside, i.e. in the radial direction, and thus further improves the radial sealing. In particular, due to the appropriately selected dimensions, the reinforcing ring 54 can deform the radial sealing element 50 more or less slightly outwards and thereby generate an additional contact force in the radial direction on the inner wall of the medication container 1 in the area of the container opening 6.

In the exemplary embodiment, the closure cap 14 consists of a suitably selected plastic, namely polypropylene (PP), a polyolefin, cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC), cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) or polycarbonate.

As a further component, as is again clear from the illustrations in FIGS. 2 and 3, the closure system 10 includes a locking ring 60 which can be pushed onto the closure cap 14. This is designed as a ring structure with a cylindrical lateral surface 64, leaving a sufficiently large central opening 62 designed; This can be pushed onto the closure cap 14 from the outside after the closure cap 14 has been screwed on. The locking ring 60 thus additionally fixes the internal thread 28 of the closure cap 14 radially via its cylindrical lateral surface 64. The locking ring 60 in turn has a number of snap ribs 66 formed on the inside of its cylindrical lateral surface and positioned at the ends, by means of which it can be fixed in a locking manner on the closure cap 14. Furthermore, the medicine container 1 closed with the closure system 10 has as a component the tamper-evident closure 22 shown in a side view in FIG. 7 and in a longitudinal section in FIG. 8. This is intended to ensure, in the manner of a disposable closure, that the user can easily and reliably determine whether the medication container 1 has already been used for liquid transfer or not, ie whether active ingredient has already been removed or not. It therefore makes it easier to determine whether the container has already been “opened” and should therefore preferably be used for further liquid removal until it is completely emptied and should therefore be disposed of. The tamper-evident closure 22 is designed as a sealing plate 68 molded onto the closure lid 20.

The closure lid 20 is provided in a design that is considered to be independently inventive as a functional supplement to the closure body 36 of the closure plug 12, which is designed as a duckbill valve. Since the closure plug 12 could possibly not have a completely hermetically sealing effect precisely because of its design as a valve function, especially if the filled medication container 1 is stored for a long time, the closure lid 20 is designed as a supplementary sealant. For this purpose, it includes a sealing membrane 72 attached to a retaining ring 70, which rests directly on the closure body 36 when the system is assembled and thus seals it from the outside. The sealing membrane 72 is dimensioned and positioned in such a way that, in the assembled state, it completely covers the central opening 32 of the ring cover 34 and thus the exposed surface of the sealing element 12 that is accessible therefrom. To form the tamper-evident closure 22, the sealing plate 68 is also attached to the retaining ring 70 so that it can be torn off. In order to access the interior of the medication container 1, i.e. to remove active ingredient, the sealing plate 68 must first be removed and then the sealing membrane 72 must be pierced before a corresponding needle system can be passed through the duckbill valve underneath. In Fig. 7, some of the fixing points 74 can be seen, at which the sealing plate 68 is attached to the retaining ring 70 so that it can be torn off.

The closure system 10 of the medication container 1 is designed in a design that is considered to be independently inventive for a particularly stable pre-assembly of the locking ring 60 on the closure cap 14, so that the pre-assembled system can also be used for subsequent process steps with high stress, for example in the frame. tomato filling or packaging processes, is particularly suitable. For this purpose, the snap ribs 66 arranged on the inside of the locking ring 60 are also used in the manner of an additional function to form a guide pairing, which, in addition, as shown in the perspective view of the closure cap 14 in FIG. 9, one for each of the snap ribs 66 in the outer Guide link 82 arranged on the lateral surface 80 is included. The guide pairing formed by the snap rib 66 on the one hand and the corresponding guide link 82 on the other hand causes the respective snap rib 66 to be guided in the corresponding guide link 82 when the inner lateral surface 84 of the locking ring 60 moves relative to the corresponding outer lateral surface 80 of the closure cap 14 is so that the positions of these components relative to one another can be adjusted in a reproducible and controllable manner.

In the exemplary embodiment, the respective snap rib 66 is arranged on the inside of the locking ring 60 and, correspondingly, the respective guide link 82 is arranged on the outside of the closure cap 14; Alternatively, the snap rib 66 could also be positioned on the closure cap 14 and, correspondingly, the guide link 82 on the inner lateral surface 84 of the locking ring 60.

9, the guide link 82 comprises a first axial segment 86 which is designed in the manner of an axial groove and extends in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the closure cap 14. This axial segment 86 has a linear guide edge on both sides 88, 90, which guide the respective snap rib 66 when the locking ring 60 is pushed onto the closure cap 14. Furthermore, a locking bead 92 is arranged in the first axial segment 86. As soon as the snap rib 66 has been pushed over the locking bead 92 when the locking ring 60 is pushed onto the closure cap 14, the respective snap rib 66 is locked with the locking bead 92.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the invention, the guide link 82 has a tangential segment 94 designed in the manner of a tangential groove and extending in a tangential direction about the axis of rotation of the closure cap 14. The tangential segment 94 has a lower or proximal guide edge 96 in a first region, above which an extension of a second axial segment 98 is formed with an opening region that is kept open, into which the respective snap rib 66 can be inserted. The leading edge 96 forms when the locking ring is attached 60 on the closure cap 14 a stop for the respective snap rib 66 and thus prevents a further linear push-on movement. The tangential segment 94 also merges into the axial segment 86, with a stop 102 for the respective snap rib 66 being formed in the transition region 100 between the tangential segment 94 and the axial segment 86. This serves to limit rotation of the locking ring 60 relative to the closure cap 14.

A locking tooth 104 with an inclined stop surface 106 for the snap rib 66 is also arranged in the tangential segment 94 of the guide link 82.

As can also be clearly seen from the representation of the closure cap 14 in FIG. 9 and the representation of the closure cap 14 with the inserted sealing plug 12 in a perspective top view in FIG. This is intended and designed so that the closure cap 20 can be attached to it via its retaining ring 70. In order to make this possible, a type of bayonet lock is also provided - somewhat analogous to the intended connection of the locking ring 60 to the closure cap 14 - in which cams arranged on the inside of the retaining ring 70 engage in an assigned guide link 112 formed on the outside of the retaining collar 110.

The medication container 1 together with its closure system 10 is designed to be pre-assembled after the individual parts have been produced and sterilized in such a way that the complete system can be fed into an automated filling process. In the first phase, after the components have been manufactured and sterilized, pre-assembly takes place, in which the closure system 10 is pre-assembled with all of its components ready for use. It can then be delivered to a suitable filling device and automatically filled with the active ingredient.

The attachment of the closure system 10 to the medication container 1 in the sense of said pre-assembly is shown in FIG. 10 using a sequence of steps. In a first step, shown in Fig. 10a, the intended locking ring 60 with its snap ribs 66 is first screwed onto the container mouth above the opening areas of the respective second axial segments 98 on the pre-assembled, already provided with the sealing element 12 comprising the closure body 36. end cap 14 positioned. The locking ring 60 is then pressed linearly downwards onto the closure cap 14 and thus placed onto it. The snap ribs 66 dip into the second axial segment 98 of the respectively assigned guide link 82 until they abut the guide edge 96. During pre-assembly, the respective snap rib 66 is first inserted into the tangential segment 94 of the guide link 82 assigned to it.

It is then provided that the locking ring 60 is rotated relative to the closure cap 14. This twisting causes the respective snap rib 66 to be guided in the respective tangential segment 94 until it abuts the stop 102. This ends the twisting. During rotation, the snap rib 66 is also moved over the locking tooth 104 arranged in the tangential segment 94, which is possible due to the bevel of the stop surface 106 in this direction of rotation. However, due to the asymmetrical contour of the locking tooth 104, turning backwards is no longer possible, so that the locking ring 60 is then also secured against rotation relative to the closure cap 14. The locking ring 60 is thus fixed both axially and rotationally in a defined and reproducible position on the closure cap 14.

In this position, the snap rib 66 is then also located in the transition region 100 from the tangential segment 94 of the guide link 82 to its first axial segment 86. From this position, the locking ring 60 can later be pushed further onto the closure cap 14 in the axial direction. The components are in secure engagement with one another, so that the locking system 10 preassembled in this way is particularly well suited for automated further processing, even under high stress and large quantities. This corresponds to the condition shown in Fig. 10a.

The locking ring 60 is then moved downwards so that its cylindrical lateral surface surrounds the closure cap 14 on the outside. This additionally secures the connection of the internal thread 28 of the closure cap 14 to the external thread 24 of the container mouth, and the medication container 1 in the position shown in FIG. 10b is securely connected to the closure cap 14 and the closure plug 12 located in it, the Locking cap 14 molded retaining ring 110 protrudes “upwards” from the locking ring 60 and is therefore freely accessible. The medication container 1 is in this position shown in FIG. 10b now ready for the temporary attachment of the closure cap 20 together with tamper-evident closure 22 and sealing membrane 72 on the retaining ring 110.

Such a temporary attachment can be significant in an embodiment that is considered to be independently inventive in that the closure cap 20 should first be removed again after the pre-assembled medication container 1 has been delivered to a filling system, so that the closure body 36 designed as a valve is exposed and thus accessible and filling the medication container 1 is permitted.

For temporary attachment, the retaining ring 70 of the closure lid 20 is placed onto the retaining collar 110 of the closure cap 14 in such a way that the locking pins mounted on its inside each engage in one of the assigned guide slots 112 on the retaining collar 110. Subsequently, by appropriately rotating the retaining ring 70 relative to the retaining collar 110 and the corresponding guide pairing in the respective guide slot 112, the closure cap 20 can be releasably fixed to the retaining collar 110 in such a way that the sealing membrane 72 rests on the top of the sealing plug 12. This is therefore protected from contamination by particles, aerosols and the like, even in the pre-assembled state, so that, for example, when using suitable outer packaging, the pre-assembled system can be transported from the production site to a filling site while consistently maintaining sterile conditions. The medication container 1 preassembled in this way is shown in FIG. 10c.

The pre-assembled medication container 1 can then be provided in a filling device for filling with the active ingredient. According to one aspect of the present invention, due to the design of the closure system 10, this can be done while maintaining sterile conditions without the medication container 1 having to be sterilized again at the filling point. The filling of the medication container 1 is shown in FIG. 11 using a sequence of steps. As a starting point, the pre-assembled container 1 is shown in FIG. 11a after it has been brought to the filling location, but otherwise in the same state as in FIG. 10c.

In a first step, in preparation for filling, the closure cap 20 is removed from the screw by “turning it backwards”, i.e. turning its retaining ring 70 relative to the retaining collar 110 in the opposite direction to the pre-assembly described above. End cap 14 detached. This creates the state shown in FIG. 11b, in which the sealing membrane 72 has been lifted from the closure plug 12, so that the closure body 36 designed as a valve is exposed and is therefore accessible. This is preferably done under sterile or aseptic conditions within the filling system.

The medication container 1 is now ready to be filled with active ingredient. For this purpose, according to an aspect considered to be independently inventive, a filling needle system 120 of an injector unit connected to a storage container for the substance to be filled is positioned on or near the closure body 36 designed as a valve within the filling device, not shown, as shown in Fig. 11c.

After the filling needle 122 has been removed from the closure body 36, the closure lid 20 is put back on, this time permanently, so that it would not be possible to reopen the container 1 without causing damage, as is the case after the pre-assembly described. The locking of the retaining ring 70 of the closure lid 20 on the retaining collar 110 of the closure cap 14 is designed analogously to the locking of the locking ring 60 on the closure cap 14. For this purpose, the retaining ring 70 is rotated relative to the retaining collar 110, with the locking pins arranged on the inside of its cylindrical lateral surface being guided in the guide link 112 assigned to them on the outside of the retaining collar 110. As a result of this twisting, the respective locking pin is moved over a locking tooth with a bevelled front surface arranged in the respective guide link 112, which is possible due to the bevelling of the front surface in this direction of rotation. However, due to the asymmetrical contour of the locking tooth, turning backwards is no longer possible, so that the retaining ring 70 is then secured against rotation relative to the retaining collar 110 of the closure cap 14. The closure lid 20 is thus fixed on the closure cap 14 in a tamper-proof manner, and access to the container interior 4 is only possible by opening the tamper-evident closure, i.e. by tearing the sealing plate 68 off the retaining ring 70 and then piercing the sealing membrane 72.

The simultaneous filling of a plurality of such medication containers 1 can be carried out automatically in a filling process, as shown schematically in FIG. 12. In addition to the respective process steps indicated schematically, one of the medication containers 1 is shown in its current state for clarity. When filling, in a first step 140, a plurality of medication containers 1 with a pre-assembled closure system 10 are fed to a transport system 142 of the filling device 144 in a common arrangement (“nesting”, shown in plan view in the diagram) and separated there in the sense that they are now transported sequentially one after the other in the transport system. Via the transport system 142 they sequentially reach a unit in which, in a step 146, the closure lid 20 is removed by “turning backwards” as described above and supplied for temporary storage in an interim storage facility 148. The actual filling then takes place in a filling step 150 according to the concept described above. Finally, the closure lids 20 are removed again from the intermediate storage 148 and, in a step 152, are reapplied to the respective, now filled medication container 1. In this step, the application now takes place in a latching manner, so that the respective closure lid 20 can no longer be removed from the respective medication container 1 without being destroyed. Subsequently, in a step 154, the now filled and tamper-proof sealed medication containers 1 are again combined into several bundles or pallets and conveyed out of the filling system 144 in these units.

Reference symbol list

1 medication container

2 container wall

4 interior

6 container opening

10 closure system

12 sealing plugs

14 cap

16 fixing cap

18 mouth opening

20 caps

22 tamper evident clasp

24 external threads

26 shell side

28 internal threads

30 locking elements

32 opening

34 ring lids

36 shutter bodies

38 groove

40 valve flank

42 contact line

44 sealing plate

46 mouth edge

50 radial sealing element

52 deepening

54 reinforcement ring

60 circlip

62 opening

64 lateral surface

66 snap ribs

68 seal plate

70 retaining ring

72 sealing membrane Fixing points Lateral surface Guide link Lateral surface Axial segment , 90 Guide edge Locking bead Tangential segment Guide edge second axial segment0 Transition area2 Stop 4 Locking tooth 6 Stop surface 0 Holding collar 2 Guide slot 0 Filling needle system 2 Filling needle 4 Protective tube 6 Contour 7 Needle jacket 8 Media channel 9 Needle jacket 0 Annular gap 2 Partition 4 Gap segment 0 Step 2 Transport system 4 Filling device 6 Step 8 Intermediate storage 0 Filling step 2, 154 step

Claims

Claims Closure system (10) for a medication container (1), the interior (4) of which is accessible via a container opening (6) designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, the closure system (10) being able to be screwed onto the mouth area of the container opening (6). , a closure cap (14) provided with a sealing plug (12) provided as a sealing element comprises a locking ring (60) which can be pushed onto it and which, in a position which is completely pushed onto the closure cap (14), by means of a number of snap ribs (66) on the closure cap (14 ) can be lockably fixed, and wherein the or each snap rib (66) is in a corresponding guide slot (82) when the inner lateral surface (84) of the locking ring (60) moves relative to a corresponding outer lateral surface (80) of the closure cap (14). ) is guided. Closure system (10) according to claim 1, in which the or each snap rib (66) is arranged on the inside of the locking ring (60) and, correspondingly, the respective guide link (82) is arranged on the outside of the closure cap (14). Closure system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, the guide link (82) of which has a first axial segment (86) designed in the manner of an axial groove and extending in an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the closure cap (14) or the locking ring (60). includes. Closure system (10) according to claim 3, in the first axial segment (86) of which a locking bead (92) is arranged for locking the respective snap rib (66). Closure system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the guide link (82) of which is designed in the manner of a tangential groove and extends in a tangential direction around the axis of rotation of the closure cap (14) or the locking ring (60). ). Closure system (10) according to claim 5, in which the tangential segment (94) of the guide link (82) merges into its first axial segment (86), in the transition region (100) between the tangential segment (94) and axial segment (86) to limit rotation of the A stop (102) for the respective snap rib (66) is formed relative to the closure cap (14) of the locking ring (60). Closure system (10) according to claim 5 or 6, in the tangential segment (94) of which a locking tooth (104) with an inclined stop surface (106) for the snap rib (66) is arranged. Closure system (10) for a medication container (1), the interior (4) of which is accessible via a container opening (6) designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, comprising a sealing element (12) which can be screwed onto the mouth area of the container opening (6). Closure cap (14) with a ring cover (34) having a central opening (32), and a closure plug (12) with a closure body (36) which completely fills the central opening (32) of the ring cover (34) and can be brought into locking engagement with it. , in particular according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the closure body (36) is designed as a duckbill valve. Closure system (10) according to claim 8, in which a radial sealing element (50) with a radial sealing element (50) adapted to the clear width (I) of the container opening (6), with regard to the Deformability of the material of the sealing plug (12) is formed slightly larger than the clear width (I) of the container opening (6) selected cross section. Closure system (10) according to claim 8 or 9, on the closure cap (14) of which a holding collar (110) surrounding the central opening (32) is formed for an associated closure cover (20). Closure system (10) according to claim 10, the closure cover (20) of which has a retaining ring (70) on which a pierceable sealing membrane (72) resting on the closure body (36) in the assembled state is arranged. Closure system (10) according to claim 11, on the retaining ring (70) of which a sealing plate (68) which can be torn off from the retaining ring (70) is arranged to form a tamper-evident closure (22). Closure system (10) according to one of claims 10 to 12, in which the retaining collar (110) of the closure cap (14) is provided on the outside with a number of guide slots (112), in each of which there is a corresponding one on the inside of the retaining ring (70) of the closure lid (20) arranged locking pin is guided. Closure system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 13, the closure cap (14) and / or locking ring (60) made of a plastic, preferably polypropylene (PP), a polyolefin, cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC), cyclo-olefins -Polymer (COP) or polycarbonate is made. Medicine container (1), the interior (4) of which is accessible via a container opening (6) designed in the manner of a bottle mouth, which is provided with a closure system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 14. Filling device for a medication container (1) according to claim 15, with an injector unit connected to a storage container for a substance to be filled, which has a filling needle (122) guided in an outer protective tube (124). Use of a closure system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 14 for closing the mouth opening of a medication container (1) for a medical active ingredient or a medication.