METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A LYOPHILIZATION SYSTEM

• Main Authors: PROCYSHYN, CHRISTOPHER A, SENGER, JOHN, NAING, JUVENAL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 19.10.2017
• Subjects: BABY COMFORTERS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICALPURPOSES; CONVEYING; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGINGPHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL ORADMINISTERING FORMS; HAND TOOLS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; MANIPULATORS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; STORING; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

Disclosed are systems and methods for aseptically filling pharmaceutical containers with a pharmaceutical substance and then lyophilizing it. In one general aspect, the system and method can employ a lyophilizer loader subsystem having an interior chamber in communication with an interior chamber of a lyophilizer subsystem via a portal with a sealable door, with the collective interior being aseptically sealable. An articulated robotic arm can be employed to batch transfer to the lyophilizer subsystem container nests bearing the pharmaceutical containers. In one embodiment, the nests may be transferred serially to the loader subsystem, with the articulated robotic arm being configured to transfer the nests of containers in batches to the lyophilizer subsystem. The articulated robotic arm can also be configured to be used to move batches of nests within the lyophilizer subsystem. One implementation includes two articulated arms and a joint rotary wrist driven by two rotary shoulders.