FILLING DEVICE FOR FILLING A MEDICAL BAG, METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH A DEVICE AND PLANT FOR PRODUCING FLUID-FILLED MEDICAL BAGS

Abstract

To further develop filling devices for filling a medical bag, in particular in terms of a massive basic body or massive filling blocks, proposes the invention a filling device for filling a medical bag with fluids comprising a basic body with fluid channels and valve seats, on which valve means can be arranged to adjust fluid volume flows passing through fluid channels, wherein the basic body is produced at least partially by means of an additive producing process.

Claims

1. Filling device (1) for filling a medical bag with fluids comprising a basic body (2) with fluid channels (10) and valve seats (11), on which valve means (12) can be arranged to adjust fluid volume flows passing through the fluid channels (10), characterized in that the basic body (2) is at least partially produced by means of an additive producing process.

2. Filling device (1) for filling a medical bag with fluids comprising a basic body (2) with fluid channels (10) and valve seats (11), on which valve means (12) can be arranged to adjust fluid volume flows passing through the fluid channels (10), characterized in that within the basic body (2) running fluid channels (10) are at least partially bow-shaped (14) designed.

3. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the fluid channels (10) is designed steady curved.

4. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the fluid channels (10) is with respect to his total length designed more then 50% curved, especially more that 80%.

5. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the length of a curved portion (18) of one of the fluid channels is more than 50%, preferably more than 100%, of the length of a straight section (19) of this fluid channel (10).

6. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the fluid channels (10) along its longitudinal extension (20) comprises a variable cross-section (21).

7. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the fluid channels (10) is protruding from a side wall (25) of the basic body (2).

8. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that between fluid channels (10) existing gaps (26) are at least partially free of material or are component-free.

9. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fluid channels (10) are produced at least partially by means of an additive producing process.

10. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the valve seats (11) are produced at least partially by means of an additive producing process.

11. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening means for attaching valve means (12) on the basic body (2) are at least partially produced by means of an additive producing process

12. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that fluid inlets (27) and/or fluid outlets (28) are at least partially produced by means of an additive producing process.

13. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fluid facing surfaces (35) of the fluid channels (10), of the valve seats, of the fluid inlets (27) and/or fluid outlets (28) are produced at least partially by means of an additive producing process.

14. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fluid channels (10) are partially configured through pipe segments (24), which protrudes over side walls (25) of the basic body (2), whereby said pipe segments (24) and the basic body (2) are produced together at least partially by means of an additive producing process.

15. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the basic body (2) comprises connection means (29, 29A, 29B, 29C) for connecting fluid inlets or filling elements (5) to change interact with the medical bag, whereby said connection means (29, 29A, 29B, 29C) and the basic body (2) are at least partially produced together by means of an additive producing process.

16. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that multiple connection means (29, 29A) are arranged to a common support bar element (30) side by side, whereby this common support bar element (30) and the basic body (2) are at least partially produced together by means of an additive producing process.

17. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the common support bar element (30) is arranged on the basic body (2) by means of an additional holder part (31), whereby said additional holder part (31), said support bar element (30) and said basic body (2) are together at least partially produced by means of an additive producing process.

18. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the additive producing process is a 3D printing process, a 3D laser sintering method or the like.

19. Filling device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the basic body is made of formless or shape-neutral materials.

20. Method for producing a filling device (1) for filling a medical bag, in which a basic body (2) of the filling device (1) is provided with fluid channels for conducting fluids to handle with respect to the medical bag and with valve seats (11) or adjusting fluid flow rates, characterized in that the basic body (2) is produced at least partially generative.

21. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that the basic body (2) is generated successively at least around the fluid channels (10).

22. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that the basic body (2), the fluid channels (10), the valve seats (11) and/or fluid inlets (27) and fluid outlets (28) disposed on the basic body (2) are produced by a single producing process (producing type).

23. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that the basic body (2) is produced at least partially from a data record for operating a single manufacturing plant.

24. Plant for producing of fluid filled medical bags with a filling device (1) or producing the medical bags, with a device for filling the produced medical bags and with a device for closing the filled medical bags characterized by a filling device (1) according to claim 1.

Description

[0084] In the drawing show:

[0085] FIG. 1 a schematic perspective view of the filling device;

[0086] FIG. 2 schematically a perspective view of the basic body;

[0087] FIG. 3 schematically a top view of the basic body that is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

[0088] FIG. 4 schematically a partially sectioned side view of the basic body shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0089] According to the representation according to FIG. 1, a filling device 1 for filling at least partially a medical bag (not shown here) is shown in particular in terms of their with respect to this medical bag intermittently displaceable basic body 2 at a plant 3 for producing medical bags filled with fluids.

[0090] The basic body 2 of the filling device 1 provides in the context of the invention massive filling block 4, which is linearly displaceable for docking of filling elements 5 to the medical bag to be filled with respect to this medical bag or a corresponding bag holding device (not shown).

[0091] The filling elements 5 are in this embodiment as filling needles elements 6 performed.

[0092] The basic body 2 or the massive filling block 4 has a plurality of fluid channels 10 (only exemplified numbered, see in particular FIGS. 3 and 4) and valve seats 11 (only exemplified numbered) on which valve means 12 (only numbered as an example) are arranged.

[0093] These valve means 12 are performed in this embodiment as diaphragm valves 13 (numbered only as an example), wherein at the present basic body 2 a total of five such valve means 12 and diaphragm valves 13 respectively are arranged as well visible according to the illustration of FIG. 1.

[0094] In this respect, on the basic body 2 fastening means are available (not explicit here shown) for securing the valve means 12, whereby such fastening means can be of different nature.

[0095] For example, such fastening means include threaded holes, in which screws of the valve means 12 can be screwed to attaches the valve means 12 to the basic body 2.

[0096] Furthermore, such fastening means may have centering means, by means of which defines the valve means 12, for example secured against rotation, on that the basic body 2 can be arranged.

[0097] In any case, the basic body 2 is produced by means of an additive producing process, wherein this basic body 2 is produced by means of a 3D laser sintering method, whereby in particular the fluid channels 10 are arranged very compact side by side within the basic body 2 and generally on the basic body 2.

[0098] As a result of this dense side by side position of the fluid channels 10, the basic body 2 is build particularly compact, so lower masses in terms of docking and undocking the medical bag must be moved, which in turn allows to shorten decisively cycle times.

[0099] This makes it possible to produce medical bags to be filled with fluids on the plant 3 much more effective, since by the filling device 1 the operating clocking timing between the device for producing the medical bags and the device for closing the filled medical bags, etc. is ideally not limited.

[0100] In addition, the fluid channels 10 can be much easier introduced in the basic body 2, since an otherwise required subtractive producing process such as for example, drilling, can be completely eliminated.

[0101] As a result, the fluid channels 10 can also be optimized for flow, since they can be produced edge-free by means of the additive producing process in the area of curves 15 (only explicitly numbered), as clearly recognizable for example in accordance with the illustration of FIG. 4.

[0102] It is particularly advantageous, that in particular within the basic body 2 extending fluid channels 10 are configured bow-shaped, that is curved, whereby fluids to be passed through the fluid channels 10 are again more optimized to pass through the fluid channels 10.

[0103] Only, for example, this is well illustrated with respect to the fluid channel curve section 16, since the fluid channel 10 is configured continuously curved in this fluid channel curve section 16.

[0104] This is all the more true if at least one of the fluid channels 10 is configured with respect to its total length (not explicitly drawn here) more than 50% or better even more then 80% curved, in particular continuously curved, so that as a result fluid channels 10 can be realized bent with large radii, causing that the fluids passing thought the fluid channels configured in this way are guided particularly turbulence-free up to the filling elements 5.

[0105] Preferably, the fluid channels 10 are bow-shaped over their entire length, that is curved, designed, whereby the individual fluid channels can be realized even with more complicated geometries dense or very close to each other on the basic body 2, whereby it can be provided naturally very compact and therefore with a lesser mass.

[0106] For example, the length of a curved section 18 is more than 100% of the length of a straight portion 19 of this fluid channel 10, as is only numbered shown in terms of FIG. 4 by way of example.

[0107] In addition, the basic body 2 comprises at least one fluid channel 10, which has along its longitudinal extension 20 (see for example FIG. 4) a variable cross section 21.

[0108] In other words, this means that fluid channels 10 on the basic body 2 have a variable inner diameter.

[0109] For example, this is a constantly changing cross section 21, wherein the relevant fluid channel is extended continuously funnel-shapedapproximately in basic flow direction of the respective fluid.

[0110] In the present case, it does not matter if the fluid channels 10 are arranged entirely within the basic body 2 or alternatively at least partially outside of the basic body 2. Depending on the variant, it is also possible that at least one of the fluid channels 10 is arranged extending completely outside the basic body 2.

[0111] Preferably, however, the fluid channels 10 are both partially within the body 2 disposed as well as partially disposed outside of the basic body 2, whereby in particular here the respective fluid channel 10 protrudes from one of the side walls 25 (numbered only as an example) of the basic body 2.

[0112] For completeness, it should be explained here that the term side walls comprises in general any outer boundary (not separately numbered here) of the basic body 2, so it describes front, back, upper and lower sides and other sides of the basic body 2.

[0113] Furthermore, it is with respect to a weight reduction of the basic body 2 so that between individual fluid channels 10 existing gaps 26 (only explicitly numbered) are configured material-free, so that with respect to the basic body 2 to accelerating masses are again significantly reduced.

[0114] The basic body 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is with regard to its fluid channels 10 produced entirely by means of an additive producing process.

[0115] Also, all the valve seats 11 are on the basic body 2 produced by means of the additive producing process.

[0116] Even the not shown fastening means of the valve means 12 are produced by the additive producing process.

[0117] In addition, the base body 2 comprises at least in this embodiment a total of five fluid inlets 27 (only explicitly numbered) and a total of two fluid outlets 28, which are produced also all by means of the additive production process.

[0118] The fluid inlets 27 and the fluid outlets 28 embody here in general connection means 29 of the basic body 2

[0119] Of these, at least four of these fluid inlets 27 are performed as upper connection means 29A, which are arranged on a common support bar element 30 side by side.

[0120] The support bar element 30 is for stability reasons attached by means of an additional holder part 31 additionally to the basis body 2. In this respect, this results in a very solid and compact connection unit.

[0121] The connection means 29 serve in this context to connect fluid supply pipes, whereby the connection means 29A or fluid inlets 27 are arranged on the common support bar element 30 and provided for gaseous fluids, and connection means 29B arranged below the support bar element 30 are provided for a liquid fluid.

[0122] Also, the fluid inlets 27 and the fluid outlets 28 and all connection means 29 related thereto are produced by means of the additive producing process.

[0123] Thus, preferably, all the surfaces 35 facing the fluids (here only exemplified in terms of the valve seats 11) are produced also by means of the additive producing process.

[0124] At least in this embodiment, the basic body 2 is completely produced via the additive producing processes, making it both constructive and procedurally particularly effective and therefore also produced cost-efficiently.

[0125] It should be explicitly stated at this point that the features of the present or in the claims and/or in the figures described solutions can be combined to achieve correspondingly cumulative the explained features, effects and benefits.

[0126] It is understood that the example described above is only to a first embodiment of the filling device 1 according to the invention and in particular of their basic body 2 respectively. In this respect, the execution of invention is not limited by the design of this embodiment.

[0127] All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential to the invention, if they are individually or in combination new compared with the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS USED

[0128] 1 filling device

[0129] 2 basic body

[0130] 3 plant

[0131] 4 massive filling block or filling block element

[0132] 5 filling elements

[0133] 6 filling needle elements

[0134] 10 fluid channels

[0135] 11 valve seats

[0136] 12 valve means

[0137] 13 diaphragm valves

[0138] 14 continuously curved bow

[0139] 15 curve

[0140] 16 fluid channel curve section

[0141] 18 curved section

[0142] 19 straight section

[0143] 20 longitudinal extension

[0144] 21 cross section

[0145] 24 pipe segments

[0146] 25 side walls

[0147] 26 gaps

[0148] 27 fluid inlets

[0149] 28 fluid outlets

[0150] 29 connection means

[0151] 29A upper connection means

[0152] 29B lower connection means

[0153] 29C additional connection means

[0154] 30 common support bar element

[0155] 31 additional holder part

[0156] 35 surfaces facing the fluids