Adjustable needle filling and laser sealing apparatus and method

• US 7,628,184 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medinstill Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medical Instill Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Py, Daniel, Adamo, Benoit, Guthy, John
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US10/983,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20050145295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 141/82, 141/164, 141/165, 141/234, 141/237, 141/238, 141/329, 141/330, 604411-415, 206/204, 534/77
• US Class Current: 141/329
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/80 General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/006 Related operations, e.g. scoring ampoules
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/00 Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging forming pockets in sheets, blanks or webs, by pressing the material into forming dies or moving it through folding dies B65B47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/00 Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

An assembly includes a support and drive assembly, a first structure and a second structure. The first structure is in operable communication with and supported by the support and drive assembly. The first structure includes at least one needle assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of needle assemblies. The second structure is supported by the support and drive assembly. The second structure includes at least one seal assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of seal assemblies. A method includes determining a number of vials that are to be filled concurrently and adjusting an assembly to include at least one needle assembly and at least one seal assembly. A number of the needle assemblies and the seal assemblies equals the number of vials.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a support and drive assembly including at least one first support and at least one second support laterally spaced relative to said at least one first support;

a first structure in operable communication with and supported between said at least one first and at least one second supports of said support and drive assembly, wherein said first structure includes at least one needle assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of needle assemblies;

a second structure supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said second structure includes at least one seal assembly including a laser optic device that transmits a laser beam to seal at least one aperture created by said at least one needle assembly; and

a drive unit in operable communication with at least one of said first and second supports for driving said at least one needle assembly between penetrating and non-penetrating positions.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said needle assembles, wherein each of said plurality of said needle assemblies is releasably retained with at least one other of said needle assemblies.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said needle assemblies and a plurality of said seal assemblies, wherein each of said plurality of needle assemblies and each of said plurality of seal assemblies form a plurality of units that are releasably retained with each other.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said needle assembly is configured to penetrate and fill a container.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said seal assembly is a laser optic assembly that is adapted to provide a laser beam.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said second structure comprises at least one sense assembly, wherein said sense assembly is adjustable to receive a plurality of sense assemblies.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said sense assembly is configured to determine a temperature of said sealed hole.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said sense assembly is an infrared sensor.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of needle assemblies equals said plurality of seal assemblies.

10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said needle assemblies and a plurality of said seal assemblies, wherein said plurality of needle assemblies are arranged linearly adjacent to one another, and said plurality of seal assemblies are arranged linearly adjacent to one another.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said needle assembly includes a needle and a needle support, and said needle is adapted to deliver a substance into a container.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said needle assembly is configured to receive a cover.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first structure is releasably retained by said support and drive assembly.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said second structure is releasably retained by said support and drive assembly.

15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said laser optic device includes a laser source.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said laser optic device is connected to an external laser source.

17. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said second structure is supported between said at least one first and at least one second supports of said support and drive assembly, and is adjustable to receive a plurality of said seal assemblies.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of seal assemblies is releasably retained with at least one other of said needle assemblies.

19. An assembly comprising:

a support and drive assembly including a pair of stands, said pair of stands each having a base and a support column extending from said base, wherein each base includes a drive shaft, and each drive shaft is in operable communication with a drive unit;

a first structure in operable communication with and supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said first structure includes at least one needle assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of needle assemblies; and

a second structure supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said second structure includes at least one seal assembly, is adjustable to receive a plurality of seal assemblies, and each seal assembly includes a laser optic device that transmits a laser beam to seal at least one aperture created by said at least one needle assembly;

wherein said needle assembly is in operable communication with said drive unit, and said first structure and said second structure are received between said pair of stands.

20. An assembly comprising:

a support and drive assembly including first means for supporting and second means for supporting laterally spaced relative to said first means for supporting;

a first structure in operable communication with and supported between said first and second means for supporting of said support and drive assembly, wherein said first structure includes at least one needle assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of needle assemblies;

a second structure supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said second structure includes at least one seal assembly including a laser optic device that transmits a laser beam to seal at least one aperture created by said plurality of needle assemblies;

third means, in operable communication with at least one of said first and second means for supporting, for driving said at least one needle assembly between penetrating and non-penetrating positions;

fourth means for releasably retaining said plurality of needle assemblies with each other; and

fifth means for releasably retaining said plurality of seal assemblies with each other.

21. The assembly of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of said needle assemblies and a plurality of said seal assemblies, wherein each of said plurality of needle assemblies and each of said plurality of seal assemblies are formed as one unit.

23. The assembly of claim 20, wherein said first means is at least one first support, said second means is at least one second support, said third means is a drive unit, said fourth means is a needle manifold, and said fifth means is a seal manifold.

24. The assembly of claim 20, wherein said second structure is supported between said first and second means for supporting, and is adjustable to receive a plurality of said seal assemblies.

22. An assembly comprising:

a support and drive assembly including a pair of stands;

a first structure in operable communication with and supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said first structure includes at least one needle assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of needle assemblies; and

a second structure supported by said support and drive assembly, wherein said second structure includes at least one seal assembly and is adjustable to receive a plurality of seal assemblies, and each seal assembly includes a laser optic device that transmits a laser beam to seal at least one aperture created by said at least one needle assembly;

wherein at least one of said stands is movable in a lateral direction relative to the other to allow for (i) the insertion of at least one of (a) one or more additional needle assemblies and (b) one or more additional seal assemblies and (ii) the removal of at least one of (a) one or more needle assemblies and (b) one or more seal assemblies.