APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPENING AND CLOSING A MEDIA EXCHANGE OPENING BY MEANS OF AN ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATOR

Abstract

A sterilization container includes a housing having at least one opening and at least one valve unit for opening and closing the opening. The valve unit is of the electromechanical type having an electromechanical actuator which is controllable or actuated by a control unit. Furthermore, the valve unit has a valve body to which the control unit is coupled, wherein the opening can be opened and can be closed by the valve body, more precisely the actuator.

Claims

1. A sterilization container comprising a housing with an opening and at least one valve unit for opening and closing the opening, wherein the valve unit is of electromechanical design, with an electromechanical actuator which is controllable or driven by a control unit, and is coupled to a valve body by means of which the opening can be opened and closed by the actuator.

2. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is a sterilization filter unit.

3. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is a lid of the sterilization container which can be placed in a sealing manner on a container tray.

4. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the sterilization container comprises a sensor unit which is provided and adapted to communicate with the control unit.

5. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has or is at least one pressure sensor.

6. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has or is at least one temperature sensor.

7. The sterilization container according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit has or is at least one humidity sensor.

8. The sterilization container according to claim 1, further comprising at least one transmitter and/or receiver, each provided and adapted to communicate with the control unit.

9. A sterilization system comprising a sterilizer and at least one sterilization container according to claim 1.

10. The sterilization system according to claim 9, wherein the sterilizer is provided with at least one receiver and/or transmitter provided and adapted to communicate with a transmitter and/or receiver of the sterile container.

11. A control method for opening and closing an opening in a sterile container comprising a control unit, an electromechanical actuator, a power supply, a valve body and a signal generator, comprising the following steps: receiving a first signal of the signal generator, by the control unit; actuating the actuator by an actuation signal from the control unit, in response to the first signal; opening the opening by means of a movement of the valve body by the actuator in response to the second signal, and; receiving a second signal of the signal generator by the control unit; actuating the actuator by an actuation signal by the control unit in response to the second signal; and closing the opening by movement of the valve body by the actuator in response to the actuation signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0033] The invention is explained in more detail below by means of a preferred configuration example with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a sterile container, and

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an inner side of a side wall of the sterile container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows the schematic representation of a sterile container 2 with a lid 4 and a container tray 6. The lid 4 closes the sterile container 2 by being placed on the container tray 6 in a sealing manner. The body 6 has a side wall 8 in which preferably two sterile filter units 10 are inserted in preferably two openings 12 formed in the side wall 8.

[0037] FIG. 2 schematically shows the inside of the side wall 8 of the housing tray 6. A respective actuator 14, for example in the form of a piezo drive, is connected to a respective sterile filter unit 10. Each sterile filter unit 10 connected to the actuator 14 thus forms a valve body which is preferably movably seated on the respective opening 12 and can thus be moved back and forth between at least two relative positions to the opening 12, namely a closed position in which the sterile unit is thus firmly seated on the opening 12 and an open position in which the sterile filter unit 10 is spaced apart from the opening thus forming a gap.

[0038] The actuator 14 can move the sterile filter unit 10 and can thus open or close the opening 12. The actuator 14 is controlled by a control unit 16. The control unit 16 in turn receives a signal from a signal generator 18, wherein the signal generator 18 is a sensor and/or transmitter and/or receiver. The signal represents, for example, a pressure, a temperature and/or a humidity inside and/or outside the container 2.

[0039] The control unit 16 as well as the actuator 14 and the signal generator 18 are connected to a power supply 20. Alternatively, the signal generator can also be a passive sensor that is not directly connected to the power supply (battery) 20. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve unit constructed in this way (including actuator, control unit and battery) is located inside the container 2 and is thus protected from damage by the container wall 8.