An apparatus for securing a cap on a cylindrical container includes: a stage including a receiving region for separately receiving a cap and a container; and an elevator movable upwardly away from the stage and downwardly toward the stage. The elevator includes: a carrier disposed over the stage; a capturing member on the carrier and configured to capture the cap; and at least one extendable member extending from the carrier, the at least one extendable member movable from a home position with the extendable member above a center of the cap and an engagement position with the extendable member engaging the center of the cap and urging the center of the cap downwardly relative to an outer sidewall of the cap.

An auto-injector assembly comprises a medicament container defining a substantially cylindrical chamber containing a liquid medicament. A proximal end of the chamber is closed by a piston and a distal end of the chamber is closed by a seal spanning an opening. A biasing means, such as a spring, is coupled to the piston and acts to bias the piston towards the seal, thereby pressurizing the liquid medicament. The assembly also comprises a hypodermic needle and a removable needle cap for maintaining the hypodermic needle in sterile conditions until use. A means for establishes fluid communication between the chamber and the hypodermic needle such that the pressurized liquid medicament is automatically delivered through the hypodermic needle when communication has been established.

The invention provides a process for preparing an aqueous pharmaceutical solution of calcium gluconate. The process comprises the steps of: (i) mixing calcium gluconate, calcium saccharate and water at a mixing temperature of 60-100? C. to form a bulk solution; (ii) filling portions of the bulk solution into containers at a filling temperature of 60-100? C.; and (iii) sealing the containers with a closure. The invention also provides a batch of containers obtainable by this process.

The invention relates to a device (10) for closing pharmaceutical containers (12) by means of closures (14).

A container, in particular a plastic ampoule produced using a blow molding process, and filled and closed in the production mold, has a sleeve-shaped neck part (4) connected to a container body (2) as an axial extension. The neck part forms a seat (6) for a preformed insert (8) extending along the axis (12) of the neck part (4), and is formed in the production mold, on a peripheral region (14) of the insert (8). At least one sealing element (42; 68) is provided on the insert (8). The sealing element forms a seal in a sealing region surrounding the axis (12), in combination with a contact surface (38) formed on the seat (6) of the neck part (4).

An assembly fixture device for attaching a vial adapter to a vial includes a base, a support member secured to the base, a handle connected to the support member, a vial adapter grip assembly connected to the handle and comprising an adapter grip member configured to engage and hold a vial adapter, and a vial grip assembly connected to the base comprising first and second grip members that are movable relative to each other and configured to engage and hold a vial. The first grip member is biased toward the second grip member to provide a vial engagement force, where the vial engagement force is about constant when a distance between the first and second grip members is less than 40 mm.

An assembly fixture device for attaching a vial adapter to a vial includes a base, a support member secured to the base, a handle connected to the support member, a vial adapter grip assembly connected to the handle and comprising an adapter grip member configured to engage and hold a vial adapter, and a vial grip assembly connected to the base comprising first and second grip members that are movable relative to each other and configured to engage and hold a vial. The first grip member is biased toward the second grip member to provide a vial engagement force, where the vial engagement force is about constant when a distance between the first and second grip members is less than 40 mm.

In one general aspect, a method for filling multiple containers with a pharmaceutical product is disclosed, which comprises decontaminating sealed nested materials in a transfer chamber, removing from the sealed nested materials one or both of a container nest holding the multiple containers and a closure nest holding multiple closures, transferring from the transfer chamber to a controlled environment enclosure the removed nest, aseptically filling the containers with the pharmaceutical product, and closing the containers with the multiple closures. The nests are configured to allow multiple closures and containers to be simultaneously aligned concentrically, and closed simultaneously. Spring-loaded retaining structures on the closure nest allow it to releasably retain multiple closures above the corresponding multiple containers. In some embodiments the spring-loaded features are monolithically integrated with the closure nest. The product may be lyophilized in partially sealed containers while the sealing closures are releasably retained by the closure nest.

There is described a method of aseptically filling a plurality of nested containers with a pharmaceutical product and applying closures to filled containers in an aseptic environment, said method comprising: removing any coverings from the nested containers and nested closures; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to the closures on a shuttle; moving the uncovered containers and uncovered closures to an aseptic filling zone; transferring the uncovered containers and closures to a multi-nest holder; locating the uncovered containers laterally adjacent to a plurality of closures in the multi-nest holder; filling the containers with a pharmaceutical product; removing a closure from the nest of closures into a closure transfer device; moving the nest of filled containers beneath the closure transfer device; and removing a closure from the closure transfer device into the filled container thereby scaling the filled container.

A closure for a pharmaceutical vial. The closure comprises an aluminum foil with an inductively meltable adhesive, an elastic seal, and a cap. The cap has an opening through which a perforating cannula can be inserted.