METHOD FOR FORMULATING AND ASEPTICALLY FILLING LIQUID PRODUCTS

• US 20090098250A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medinstill Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medinstill Development, LLC
• Inventors: Py, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/245,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20090098250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/62
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/46 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/04 with packages on endless chain or band conveyors A23L3/022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/22 with transport through tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/025 Packaging in aseptic tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/10 by liquids or gases
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/12 Sterilising contents prior to, or during, packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/023 Filling multiple liquids in a container B67C3/208 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 7/0073 Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing B67C3/2642 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for formulating and aseptically filling liquid products. A first liquid source includes at least one first liquid component; a second liquid source includes at least one second liquid component; and a container includes a body defining an empty, sterile storage chamber therein that is sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere. The container is introduced into a sterile filling chamber. A first filling member coupled in fluid communication with the first liquid source is placed in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the sterile filling chamber, and the first liquid component is aseptically introduced through the first filling member and into the storage chamber. A second filling member coupled in fluid communication with the second liquid source is placed in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the sterile filling chamber, and the second liquid component is aseptically introduced through the second filling member and into the storage chamber and, in turn, the first and second liquid components are combined into a liquid product formulation within the sterile chamber of the container. The first and second filling members are withdrawn from fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located within the sterile filling chamber, and the filled storage chamber is sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere to hermetically seal the liquid product formulation within the storage chamber of the container.

Claims

1. A method of formulating and aseptically filling liquid products, comprising:

providing a first liquid source including at least one first liquid component;

providing a second liquid source including at least one second liquid component;

providing a container including a body defining an empty, sterile storage chamber therein that is sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere;

introducing the container into a sterile filling chamber;

placing a first filling member coupled in fluid communication with the first liquid source in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the sterile filling chamber, and aseptically introducing the least one first liquid component through the first filling member and into the storage chamber;

placing a second filling member coupled in fluid communication with the second liquid source in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the same or a different sterile filling chamber, and aseptically introducing the least one second liquid component through the second filling member and into the storage chamber and, in turn, combining the at least one first and at least one second liquid components into a liquid product formulation within the sterile chamber of the container; and

withdrawing the first and second filling members from fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located within the sterile filling chamber and sealing the filled storage chamber with respect to ambient atmosphere to hermetically seal the liquid product formulation within the storage chamber of the container.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of providing a container including at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion in fluid communication with the storage chamber;

penetrating the at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container with a first filling needle;

penetrating the at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container with a second filling needle;

withdrawing the first and second filling needles from the needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container and leaving at least one resulting needle hole therein; and

applying laser radiation to the at least one resulting needle hole to thermally reseal the needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion and, in turn, hermetically seal the liquid product formulation within the storage chamber.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising sterilizing the at least one first liquid component and separately sterilizing the at least one second liquid component.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second liquid components is heat labile, and the sterilizing step does not damage, destroy or decompose the heat labile components.

5. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second liquid components is heat labile, and the sterilizing of the at least one heat labile component is by filtration.

6. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one first liquid component is heat labile, the at least one second liquid component is not heat labile, the at least one first liquid component is sterilized by filtration, and the at least one second liquid component is thermally sterilized.

7. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one first liquid component and the at least one second liquid component are sterilized prior to introducing the first and second liquid components into the storage chamber.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one first liquid component is a micronutrient.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the micronutrient is selected from the group including minerals, vitamins, hormones, growth factors, nucleotides, polynucleotides, biopolymers, and mixtures of at least one of proteins, carbohydrates and nucleotides.

10. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one first liquid component is a living organism.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the living organism is selected from the group including probiotics, bacteriophages, yeasts, molds and fungi.

12. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one first liquid component is selected from the group including a flavoring and an aroma.

13. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one second liquid component is selected from the group including water, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the proteins are selected from the group including milk, vegetable proteins, fractions of milk proteins, fractions of milk protein fractions, and hydrolyzed forms of any of the foregoing.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the carbohydrates are selected from the group including lactose, glucose, sucrose, maltodextrins, galactooligosaccharides, glucooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and other oligosaccharides known to provide explicit physiological benefits or to be present in human or other mammalian milks.

16. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the lipids are selected from the group including lipids of animal, plant or microbial origin.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising

mounting the sealed, empty container on a conveyor;

transmitting a fluid sterilant onto at least an exposed portion of the container and, in turn, sterilizing with the fluid sterilant at least such exposed portion of the container;

transmitting a heated gas onto the portion of the container exposed to the fluid sterilant, flushing away with the heated gas the fluid sterilant from the exposed portion of the container and, in turn, placing at least one of the first and second filling members in fluid communication with the sterile storage chamber of the container at the sterilized exposed portion of the container; and

moving the conveyor through the sterile filling chamber.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first liquid component is selected from the group including a heat labile component, a flavoring and an aroma, and the at least one second liquid component defines a base.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the base is selected from the group including water, milk, a milk-based beverage, soy, a soy-based beverage, a dairy product, and a fruit juice.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprising first introducing the at least one first liquid component, and then introducing the base to facilitate mixing the first and second liquid components.

21. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising introducing the at least one first liquid component and the at least one second liquid component into the storage chamber by pumping each liquid component through the first and second filling members, respectively.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising selecting at least one of speed, flow rate and time of operation of a pump to control the volume of each of the first and second liquid components introduced into the storage chamber.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising providing a first pump drivingly coupled to the first filling member, and a second pump drivingly coupled to the second filling member.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein each pump is a positive displacement pump.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising reversing the direction of at least one positive displacement pump upon terminating introducing a respective first or second liquid component to prevent dripping of the component from the respective filling member into the storage chamber.

26. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a substantially hermetic seal is maintained between the storage chamber and ambient atmosphere during filling thereof.

27. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the container includes at least one filling valve coupled in fluid communication with the storage chamber, and the first and second filling members fill the storage chamber through the valve.

28. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the filling members are cannulas.

29. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the filling member is a needle, the container includes a needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion, and a substantially hermetic seal is maintained between the filling needle and needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion during filling therethrough.

30. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an overpressure of sterile gas in the sterile chamber during filling therein.

31. A liquid product made in accordance with the following method:

providing a first liquid source including at least one first liquid component;

providing a second liquid source including at least one second liquid component;

providing a container including a body defining at least one empty, sterile storage chamber therein that is sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere;

introducing the container into a sterile filling chamber;

placing a first filling member coupled in fluid communication with the first liquid source in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the sterile filling chamber, and aseptically introducing the least one first liquid component through the first filling member and into the storage chamber;

placing a second filling member coupled in fluid communication with the second liquid source in fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located in the same or a different sterile filling chamber, aseptically introducing the least one second liquid component through the second filling member and into the storage chamber and, in turn, combining the at least one first and at least one second liquid components into a liquid product formulation within the sterile chamber of the container; and

withdrawing the first and second filling members from fluid communication with the storage chamber of the container located within the sterile filling chamber and sealing the filled storage chamber with respect to ambient atmosphere to hermetically seal the liquid product formulation within the storage chamber of the container.

32. A liquid product made in accordance with the method of claim 31, further comprising the following steps:

providing a container including a body defining an empty, sterile storage chamber therein, and at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion in fluid communication with the storage chamber;

penetrating the at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container with a first filling needle coupled in fluid communication with the first liquid source, and aseptically introducing the least one first liquid product through the first filling needle and into the storage chamber;

penetrating the at least one needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container with a second filling needle coupled in fluid communication with the second liquid source, and aseptically introducing the least one second liquid product through the second filling needle and into the storage chamber and, in turn, combining the at least one first and at least one second liquid products into a liquid product formulation;

withdrawing the first and second filling needles from the needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion of the container and leaving at least one resulting needle hole therein; and

applying laser radiation to the at least one resulting needle hole to thermally reseal the needle penetrable and thermally resealable portion and, in turn, hermetically seal the liquid product formulation within the storage chamber.