A vial closure assembly (10) for sealing a container (12) includes a ring (28), a cap (32), a shell (70), and an optional cover (30). The ring has a first top wall (34) defining a first central through-opening (29) and a skirt (36) extending downwardly from the first top wall that includes a plurality of locking tabs. The cover includes a second top wall (54) defining a second central through-opening (58), a sidewall (56) extending downwardly from the second top wall, and an interior cavity (57) defined by the second top wall and the sidewall. The cap includes a plurality of tabs (66) configured to engage the first or second top wall. The shell includes a barrel-shaped body (71) having an inwardly radially extending upper (72) and lower lip (74), such that the shell is configured to captivate the cover or ring. The upper lip includes at least one rail (76) for sliding contact with a top surface of either the first or second top wall.

The invention relates to containers for the drying, especially the freeze-drying, of material. In particular, the invention relates to a lid of a drying container, said lid enabling to close the container body of the drying container so as to avoid i) contamination of the material to be dried inside the container and ii) spills of airborne solid particles of said material from the container to the environment. The lid comprises a lower and an upper frame with a vapor permeable sheet positioned in between. The invention further provides methods for the drying, especially the freeze-drying, of material.

A closure device for closing a container is provided. The closure device (10) includes a ring (28), a cover (30) and a cap (32). The ring has a top wall (34) and a flexible skirt (36) extending downwardly from the top wall. The flexible skirt includes a plurality of spaced-apart first legs (40) and a plurality of spaced-apart second legs (42) arranged in an alternating manner. Each of the first and second legs has a first end at the top wall and an opposing second end. The first legs are different from the second legs. An interior surface of each first leg has a first inwardly protruding ledge (44) between the first and second ends. Each second leg has a second inwardly protruding ledge (48) at the second end. An interior surface of each second leg has a flexible tongue (50) and a recess (52) configured to receive the flexible tongue. The tongues are adapted to retain an elastomer stopper (14).

Provided is a multi-part lyophilization container for lyophilizing a fluid, storing the lyophilizate, reconstituting the lyophilizate, and infusing the reconstituted lyophilizate into a patient, including a method of using same. The container includes a front surface, a back surface, a non-breathable section including a port region, a breathable section including a breathable membrane, and an occlusion zone encompassing a boundary between the non-breathable section and the breathable section. The non-breathable section is configured to accommodate any of a liquid, a solid, a gas or combination thereof. The breathable section is configured to accommodate only a gas. The method includes creating a temporary seal between the non-breathable section of the container and the breathable section, inputting a liquid into the non-breathable section, freezing the liquid, removing the temporary seal to allow vapor transport between the non-breathable section and the breathable section, and adding heat energy the frozen liquid under vacuum.

A locking top for blocking a stopper in the neck of a vessel comprises an outer body and a cage that is configured to fit into and lock axially in the outer body. The cage comprises an upper ring, a plurality n of branches connected to the upper ring, n/2 median bridges and n/2 lower bridges arranged in alternation on the periphery of the cage, each connecting together two adjacent branches. When the top is in an intermediate holding position in which the stopper is partially pushed into the neck, the lower bridges surround, at least in part, a collar of the neck; the median bridges located, in an axial direction, between the upper ring and the lower bridges are designed to form an open space between them and the collar.

The invention relates to a locking cap for a container comprising a neck, intended to block a stopper in the neck of the container and comprising: an external body having a breakable part, a cage that is configured to fit into and lock axially in the external body, and having a breakable zone, the cage further comprising: an upper ring, a plurality n of branches that are connected to the upper ring and define therewith a generally cylindrical shape, n/2 first bridges and n/2 second bridges, each interconnecting two adjacent branches, at least one opening tab, which is supported by a second bridge, which is inclined toward the outside of the cage and is oriented toward the upper ring, the opening tab being adjacent to the breakable zone, which is located on the second bridge.

A closure device for closing a container is provided. The closure device (10) includes a ring (28), a cover (30) and a cap (32). The ring has a top wall (34) and a flexible skirt (36) extending downwardly from the top wall. The flexible skirt includes a plurality of spaced-apart first legs (40) and a plurality of spaced-apart second legs (42) arranged in an alternating manner. Each of the first and second legs has a first end at the top wall and an opposing second end. The first legs are different from the second legs. An interior surface of each first leg has a first inwardly protruding ledge (44) between the first and second ends. Each second leg has a second inwardly protruding ledge (48) at the second end. An interior surface of each second leg has a flexible tongue (50) and a recess (52) configured to receive the flexible tongue. The tongues are adapted to retain an elastomer stopper (14).

A method for lyophilizing a substance is provided which may include placing at least one vial containing the substance in a lyophilization chamber, the at least one vial having an opening in which a stopper is inserted in a closed state not allowing gas exchange between the interior and exterior of the vial; providing mechanical means external to the stopper and arranged at the opening for restricting an upward movement of the stopper; lowering the temperature within the lyophilization chamber to a predefined value below the freezing temperature of the substance and reducing the pressure within the lyophilization chamber to a predefined pressure at a predefined temperature, the predefined pressure being chosen such that the force exerted by it on the stopper lifts the stopper from the closed state to an exchange state in which the stopper is only partly inserted in the opening of the vial allowing gas exchange between the interior and exterior of the vial, wherein the lowering of the temperature within the lyophilization chamber to the predefined value is performed before reducing the pressure within the lyophilization chamber to the predefined pressure and wherein lifting the stopper from the closed state abruptly lowers the pressure within the at least one vial which initiates nucleation in the substance within that vial. In addition, mechanical means is provided which may be used in order to perform the method for lyophilizing a substance.

Provided is a multi-part lyophilization container for lyophilizing a fluid, storing the lyophilizate, reconstituting the lyophilizate, and infusing the reconstituted lyophilizate into a patient, including a method of using same. The container includes a front surface, a back surface, a non-breathable section including a port region, a breathable section including a breathable membrane, and an occlusion zone encompassing a boundary between the non-breathable section and the breathable section. The non-breathable section is configured to accommodate any of a liquid, a solid, a gas or combination thereof. The breathable section is configured to accommodate only a gas. The method includes creating a temporary seal between the non-breathable section of the container and the breathable section, inputting a liquid into the non-breathable section, freezing the liquid, removing the temporary seal to allow vapor transport between the non-breathable section and the breathable section, and adding heat energy the frozen liquid under vacuum.

Provided is a multi-part lyophilization container for lyophilizing a fluid, storing the lyophilizate, reconstituting the lyophilizate, and infusing the reconstituted lyophilizate into a patient, including a method of using same. The container includes a front surface, a back surface, a non-breathable section including a port region, a breathable section including a breathable membrane, and a peelable region including a peelable seal encompassing a boundary between the non-breathable section and the breathable section. The method includes inputting a fluid into a non-breathable section of the container, freezing the fluid, applying, in a lyophilization chamber, vacuum pressure, opening the peelable seal using a pressure differential, applying heat energy, sublimating the fluid and creating a temporary occlusion in a peelable region of the container.