Process for the preparation of a container closed under sterile conditions and containing lyophilized material

• US 4,060,911 A
• Filed: 08/07/1975
• Issued: 12/06/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Behringwerke Aktiengesellschaft (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Behringwerke Aktiengesellschaft (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Schneider, Hans, Weyrich, Ludwin, Weiler, Herbert, Von Janecek, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolk, Morris O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garris, Bradley
• Application Number:
  US05/602,911
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 21/2, 34/5, 34/15, 53/101, 53/102
• US Class Current: 34/284
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/00 Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/22 by applying snap-on caps
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/24 Special measures for applying and securing caps under vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/06 the process involving freezing

Abstract

A process for the preparation of a container closed under sterile conditions and containing lyophilized material, which comprises

1. filling the material to be lyophilized into a container,

2. putting a rubber stopper and a closing cap loosely on the container,

3. introducing the container with its contents into a lyophilization apparatus,

4. lyophilizing the contents,

5. within the lyophilization apparatus and in a single operation, pressing the rubber stopper deep into the container, at the same time pressing the closing cap onto the same, and

6. removing the container closed under sterile conditions from the lyophilization apparatus.

Claims

1. In a process for preparing and packaging a lyophilized material by the steps of filling a container with the material to be lyophilized, loosely closing said container with a rubber stopper, introducing the loosely-stoppered container with the material in the container into a lyophilization apparatus, which apparatus is maintained under sterile conditions, lyophilizing the material in the container, pressing the rubber stopper into the container while the container is in the lyophilization apparatus, whereby said container is sealed, and then removing the sealed container from the lyophilization apparatus, the improvements wherein (1) said container has an external circumferential bead thereon, (2) a snap-on closure cap having an internal circumferential groove sealably engageable with said bead on said container is also loosely placed on said container over said rubber stopper before the loosely-stoppered container is introduced into said lyophilization apparatus, and (3) said closure cap is simultaneously pressed into snap-on sealing engagement with said container, over said rubber stopper, as said rubber stopper is pressed into the container, whereby said container is provided, under sterile conditions, with a snap-on closure cap over said rubber stopper.