A connection including a first profile having a first end and a first lumen, the first profile including a first polymeric material and a second profile having a second end and a second lumen, the second profile including a second polymeric material, a metal, or combination thereof, wherein the first end and the second end are coincidently welded via an ionized gas treatment.

A welding process includes inserting two work pieces inside a sealable container. Placing the container with the two work pieces inside into a welding device and welding the two members together while inside the container.

A method is described for opening a heat bonded sterile connection that includes a skin of material blocking flow between the connection site. The method includes applying external pressure to the connection site.

Methods and devices for automated sterile connection and liquid transfer between containers. The methods and devices involve welding (e.g., nest welding) to form sterile fluidical connection between the containers. The method includes: (a) placing a first tube and a second tube into a welding mount, wherein the first tube is connected to a first container and the second tube is connected to a second container, and (b) welding the first tube and the second tube to form a first sterile fluidical connection between the first container and the second container. The method also includes (c) transferring a liquid between the first container and the second container via the first sterile fluidical connection. (d) scaling and cutting the first fluidical connection between the first container and the second container to disconnect the first sterile fluidical connection. The devices executing the method can be automated by a controller.

The invention discloses an apparatus for aligning and supporting a first and a second length of thermoplastic tubing, preparatory to and during cutting and welding of said lengths of tubing, that includes a first holder arranged to accommodate portions of the first and second lengths of tubing in a first and a second elongated holding space respectively, a second holder arranged to accommodate portions of the first and second lengths of tubing in a third and a fourth elongated holding space respectively, and movable in a direction essentially perpendicular to the holding spaces of the first and second holders from a cutting position, a cutting means arranged between said first and second holders for cutting said lengths of tubing when the second holder is in the cutting position and an aligning means to align these lengths of tubing with each other.

A device for welding thermoplastic tubes to a welding method, and to a welding knife. The device is provided for welding thermoplastic tubes, wherein the tubes are placed into tube holders and squeezed with the aid of tube clamps. A welding knife is moved between the first and the second tube holder and severs the tubes in the process. Cut ends and residual ends are thereby produced. The cut ends are aligned with one another by a relative movement of one tube holder with respect to the other tube holder and, by a horizontal movement of the two tube holders, are welded simultaneously to form continuous tubes.

A manufacturing assembly has at least a sterilizable chamber containing at least one of a three-dimensional printing device (additive manufacturing), a Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) finishing head (subtractive manufacturing), a vacuum-forming unit, an injection-molding unit, a laser-cutting unit, a ultrasonic-welding unit, a robotic arman analysis device, a sampling device or a combination thereof. A plurality of individual sterilizable chambers may be aseptically connected into a network of sterilizable chambers that provides additional functionality for the manufacturing assembly. A sterilizable printer assembly may include at least one printing head, a printing platform, and a driving mechanism adapted to perform a movement of the at least one printing head relative to the printing platform along three degrees of freedom; a printer housing enclosing the printer assembly in a sterile manner, at least one aseptic connector fluidly connected to a corresponding one of the at least one printing head.

An integrated system for fusing and sealing of a plurality of tubes is disclosed. The integrated system includes one or more fusing units configured to cut one or more tubes of multiple tubes simultaneously, and fusing the one or more tubes together along their respective cut ends; one or more sealing units configured to seal an end of the tube of the multiple tubes; and a control unit for controlling functions of the one or more fusing units and the one or more sealing units.

A method for the sterile connection of pipes, consisting of: providing a first and a second pipe; a separating area of the first and second pipes is heated; both pipes are mechanically separated by exerting traction and/or shear force onto the pipes so that both pipes are respectively separated in the heated separating area; after the pipes are separated, a mechanical contact between the end of the first pipe section of the first pipe formed by the separation of the first pipe is established with the end of the first pipe section of the second pipe, formed by the separation of the second pipe, and mechanical contact is established such that the ends of the pipe sections still have, following heating when they come into mechanical contact with each other, a temperature such that they form a material fit connection without additional heating after separation.

A blood bag sterile connection method includes the following steps: 1) placing blood bag tubes above the wire box, clamping positions to be cut by using the vascular clamps, and simultaneously moving the two vascular clamps in opposite directions; 2) heating the composite metal wire, and cutting the blood bag tubes by using the composite metal wire; 3) after cutting the blood bag tubes, aligning the blood bag tubes to be connected; 4) moving the two vascular clamps towards each other, rolling away the used composite metal wire, and rolling out a new composite metal wire; 5) connecting the blood bag tubes by heating the composite metal wire, and simultaneously moving the two vascular clamps towards each other; and 6) returning the wire box to the initial position, taking out the connected blood bag tubes, and returning the vascular clamps to the initial positions.