SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING A LIQUID IN A CLOSED CHAMBER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber which comprises at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of said closed chamber. In addition, the present invention also relates to a method of dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber which comprises at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of said closed chamber.

Claims

1. System for dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber which comprises: at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of said chamber, a first container configured to be coupled to the rapid transfer port, said first container housing in its interior a dispensing system which comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles held in a support, a robotic arm configured to remove the support and the plurality of dispensing nozzles from the first container and place them in a liquid dispensing position inside the closed chamber.

2. System according to claim 2, characterised in that the robotic arm is also configured to open the rapid transfer port before removing the plurality of dispensing nozzles from the first container.

3. System according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the robotic arm is also configured to remove the plurality of dispensing nozzles from the liquid dispensing position and introduce them into the container and close the rapid transfer port.

4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the dispensing system comprises a pipe connected to the plurality of dispensing nozzles and to a second container which contains the liquid to be dispensed, said second container being positioned outside of the first container and of the closed chamber.

5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one rapid transfer port is a DPTE port (Double Porte pour Transfert Etanche) or SART System (Sartorius Aseptic Rapid Transfer System).

6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said closed chamber is an isolator.

7. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said closed chamber is a suitable cleanroom.

8. System according to either claim 6 or claim 7, characterised in that it is configured to dispense blood products and/or haemoderivative products.

9. System according to either claim 6 or claim 7, characterised in that it is configured to dispense medicines.

10. Method of dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber which comprises at least one rapid transfer port in at least one wall of said chamber which comprises the following steps: coupling to a rapid transfer port a first container which houses in its interior a dispensing system which comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles held in a support, opening the rapid transfer port so that the interior of the first container is connected with the closed chamber, removing from the first container the support and the plurality of dispensing nozzles and placing them in a liquid dispensing position inside the closed chamber using a robotic arm, dispensing an amount of liquid.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that it also comprises the following steps: removing the support and the plurality of dispensing nozzles from the dispensing position and re-introducing them into the first container, closing the rapid transfer port, uncoupling the first container from the rapid transfer port.

12. Method according to either claim 10 or claim 11, characterised in that the opening of the rapid transfer port is carried out by a robotic arm.

13. Method according to either claim 11 or claim 12, characterised in that the closing of the rapid transfer port is carried out by a robotic arm.

14. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterised in that the removal of the dispensing nozzles and the re-introduction into the first container is carried out by a robotic arm.

15. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterised in that before carrying out the dispensing of the liquid, a pipe connected to the plurality of dispensing nozzles is connected to a second container which contains the liquid to be dispensed, said second container being positioned outside of the first container and of the closed chamber.

Description

[0044] For a better understanding, the accompanying drawings showing at least one embodiment of the system and of the method for dispensing a liquid in a closed chamber according to the present invention are given as an explanatory but non-limiting example.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a rapid transfer port.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dispensing system that can be used with the system according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a first embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a second embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

[0051] In the figures, elements that are the same or equivalent have been identified with identical reference numerals.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a rapid transfer port and, more specifically, shows diagrammatically the operation thereof. The rapid transfer port shown in this figure is of the DPTE (Double Porte pour Transfert Etanche) type. However, the principle of the operation of a DPTE port is applicable to other rapid transfer ports.

[0053] A DPTE port basically comprises two portions, an alpha port and a beta port. The alpha port is usually installed in a surface such as, for example, the wall of an isolator. The alpha port usually comprises a flange 10, a seal and a gate 11. Usually, the beta port also comprises a flange 20, a seal and a gate 21 and is connected to a container 30, another isolator or another device suitable for transfers, such as, for example, a bag. After connecting the alpha and beta ports, by rotating the beta portion through about 60 degrees, the gates 11, 21 are connected and act as a single part, at which moment the alpha side of the unit can be opened, giving access to the isolator or cleanroom. The outer surfaces of the gates 11, 21 of the alpha and beta portions remain firmly connected until the alpha gate 11 is closed and an opposite rotation of the beta unit takes place, separating the two gates 11, 21. For a correct operation of the system, the beta container 30 or the attached device must be internally sterile, like the isolator.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows in a simplified manner the process of coupling a container 30 provided with a beta port to an alpha port installed in the wall of an isolator. The first step 100 consists in coupling the beta port of the container 30 to the alpha port of the isolator, at which moment the gates 11, 21 of the respective ports , close the aperture defined by the respective flanges 10, 20.

[0055] After coupling the beta to the alpha port, the second step 200 consists in rotating the beta port , which is usually rigidly connected to the container 30, until the gates 11, 21 are connected to one another, so that the dirty faces of both are in contact and isolated with respect to the interior of the isolator or cleanroom and the interior of the container 30. Said rotation of the beta port is usually about 60 degrees.

[0056] Once both gates 11, 21 are connected to one another, the third step 300 consists in opening the gates 11, 21 so that the interior of the container 30 is in communication with the interior of the isolator.

[0057] It is important to mention that before initiating the process described here, the interior of the container 30 has been sterilised using an autoclave, radiation or any other applicable technique. Although it cannot be seen in FIG. 1, the alpha and beta ports comprise respective seals to provide a sealed closure between both ports.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of a system according to the present invention. In the system of the embodiment shown, the rapid transfer port 1 is of the DPTE type, i.e., similar to that in FIG. 1. Consequently, said rapid transfer port 1 also comprises and alpha portion and a beta portion. The beta portion is part of a container 30 which contains in its interior a dispensing system 70. Said rapid transfer port is mounted in an isolator 40, although in other embodiments it may be mounted in a cleanroom. The presence of more than one rapid transfer port 1 is also possible, and all said ports may be of the same type or of a different type (DPTE, SART, etc.).

[0059] In the embodiment shown, the alpha portion comprises a flange 10, a seal 12 and a gate 11 connected to the flange 10 by a hinge 13. However, in other embodiments the gate 10 may not be hinged or the hinge 13 may have a different arrangement from that shown here. Similarly, the beta portion also comprises a flange 20, a gate 21 and a seal 22. In addition, to facilitate the coupling between the alpha portion and the beta portion, the gate 11 comprises a projection 13 configured to accommodate a recess 23 of a matching shape present in the gate 21. In addition, the projection 13 in the embodiment shown comprises a seal 131 to guarantee that the connection of the gates 11, 21 is sealed.

[0060] In the embodiment shown, the dispensing system 70 comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 associated with respective supply pipes 72. Said plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 may be held in a support 60. Said support 60 facilitates the combined handling of the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 by a robotic arm 50. Said support 60 for the dispensing nozzles is in turn attached to the container 30 or to the flange by a support 61 which, as well as holding the support 60, may act to protect said support and the 20 dispensing nozzles 71 against blows, etc. Said protection is particularly important in embodiments in which the container 30 is not rigid or is semi-rigid, such as, for example, if it is a bag.

[0061] The robotic arm 50 allows human intervention in the dispensing process to be eliminated, or significantly reduced, thus reducing the risk of accident or contamination due to human error and increasing security at work for employees, particularly given that the liquid to be dispensed may on occasion be toxic, irritant, etc., in other words, harmful to health.

[0062] The fluid dispensing system 70 may be disposable, i.e. may be destroyed or discarded after the fluid dispensing is complete or alternatively reusable. If it is reusable, after the dispensing process has ended it must be properly sterilised using any suitable sterilisation method. It is also possible for the dispensing system 70 to be partly reusable and partly disposable, i.e., for example, the dispensing nozzles 71 are reusable, whereas the respective supply pipes 72 and/or other elements are disposable. If any element of the dispensing system 70 is reusable, said element must be properly sterilised by any suitable sterilisation system (heat, steam, radiation, chemical agents, etc.) before being used again.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows three distinct phases of the process of dispensing a liquid by means of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention. In the first phase 100 the alpha port of the isolator 40 and the beta port of the container 30 are closed and said container 30 houses in its interior a fluid dispensing system 70.

[0064] The second phase 200 consists in connecting the alpha port to the beta port in order subsequently to lock together the gates 11, 21 of the alpha and beta portions using, in this embodiment, a rotation of the beta port and of the container 30 rigidly connected thereto. However, in other embodiments in which the rapid transfer port is of a different typology, the connection and locking process may differ from that described above.

[0065] In the third phase 300 shown in FIG. 2 the gates 11, 21 have already been opened so that the interior of the isolator 40 and of the container 30 are in communication. At the moment illustrated, the robotic arm 50 is in the process of placing the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 in a dispensing position after grasping the support 60 and then removing it, together with the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71, from the respective support 61 in the container. In the third phase 300 illustrated, before removing the support 60 with the corresponding dispensing nozzles 71 from the container 30, the ends of the supply pipes 72 have been removed from the container 30. Accordingly, the container 30 comprises means for removing said supply pipes whilst maintaining their sterility and without breaking the isolation of the interior of the container 30 from the exterior. Although in FIG. 2 a plurality of supply pipes 72 has been shown passing through the container 30, usually a single connection with the exterior is made after joining the plurality of supply pipes 72 into a single pipe (see FIG. 3).

[0066] In the embodiment shown, the interior of the isolator 40 may be grade A according to ISO 14644-1:2015, whilst the exterior thereof may be grade B, C or D, as circumstances require, thus reducing the technical complexity and the associated economic cost involved in maintaining a grade A closed chamber, such as, for example, a white room. This is because when using the system shown in FIG. 2 only the interior of the isolator, where the most critical processes are carried out, need be maintained at grade A and this is usually of a relatively small size compared with the rooms housing them, that may have a lower grade of cleanliness.

[0067] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dispensing system 72 which may be used in a system according to the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the rapid transfer port 1 is of the SART type and the container 30 associated therewith is a flexible bag configured to maintain hermetic conditions even though the pipe 721 passes into and through said bag. In a way similar to that shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the dispensing system 72 shown in this figure comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 held in the same support 60 configured to be handled by a robotic arm. However, unlike the dispensing system 72 of FIG. 2, that shown in FIG. 3 comprises a bag 720 which acts as a buffer reservoir responsible for supplying the various pipes 72 which supply each dispensing nozzle 71 directly and individually. Said pipe 721 is responsible for supplying the bag 720, which in turn supplies the various pipes 72. Said pipe 721 may be connected to an external reservoir for supplying the product to be dispensed continuously (see FIG. 4).

[0068] FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of a system according to the present invention. In this figure, the dispensing system 70, as well as other elements, has been shown in a simplified manner. This figure shows how the reservoir 73 supplies the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 through the pipes 721, 72, which are inserted into the isolator 40 through the rapid transfer port 1. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for dispensing large batches of product, as the reservoir 73 may be of a large size since said reservoir is not subject to the space restrictions imposed by the size of the isolator 40. In the embodiment shown in this figure, the dispensing system according to the present invention dispenses a fixed amount of liquid into vials 80. Said liquid is preferably a haemoderivative product or a drug, although it may be any type of liquid (a food product, a chemical product, etc.).

[0069] Although in FIGS. 2 to 4 the system according to the present invention is configured to dispense relatively large amounts of fluid, in other embodiments said system may be configured to dispense smaller amounts of product. Accordingly, the system according to the present invention may have, for example, a small container which acts as a reservoir inside the container 30, 30 and is connected to the dispensing system 70, 70 in such a way that said small internal reservoir may supply the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71, 71. Although this configuration may have lower productivity than that shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, it has the advantage of eliminating the need to have a connection with the exterior of the sterile closed chamber, whether this is an isolator 40 or a cleanroom, thus significantly reducing the risk of contamination of the sterile area due to error or accident.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a first embodiment of a method of dispensing a liquid according to the present invention. The first step 1000 consists in coupling to a rapid transfer port 1, 1, 1 a container 30, 30 which houses in its interior a dispensing system 70, 70, 70 which comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 held in a support 60. The second step 2000 consists in opening the rapid transfer port 1 so that the interior of the first container 30, 30 is in connection with the closed chamber 40. The third step 3000 consists in removing from the container 30, 30 the support 60 and the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 held therein and placing them in a liquid dispensing position inside the closed chamber 40 using a robotic arm 50. The fourth step 4000 consists in dispensing a fixed amount of liquid into a destination container, for example, a vial. Although, preferably, in the present invention each dispensing nozzle 71 dispenses fluid into a different container, it is also possible that more than one nozzle 71 dispenses into a common container.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a second embodiment of a method of dispensing a liquid according to the present invention. In this second embodiment, the steps 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 are similar to those described in FIG. 5, and therefore will not be described again. In the second embodiment, the dispensing method comprises an additional step 3500 between the third 3000 and the fourth 4000 step, which consists in connecting a pipe 721, 721 which supplies the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 to a container 73 positioned outside of the container 30, 30 and of the closed chamber 40 and which contains the liquid to be dispensed.

[0072] The second embodiment in FIG. 6 after step 4000 which consists of dosing the liquid comprises the fifth step 5000 which consists of removing the support 60 and the plurality of dispensing nozzles 71 from the dispensing position and re-inserting them into the container 30, 30. After completing the fifth step 5000, the sixth step 6000 consists in closing the rapid transfer port 1, 1, 1 so that the respective gates 11, 21 of the alpha portion and beta portion close the isolator 40 and the container 30, 30, respectively. The seventh step 7000 consists in uncoupling the container 30, 30 from the rapid transfer port 1, 1, 1 and then discarding or recycling the container 30, 30 and/or the used dispensing system 70, 70, 70 contained therein.

[0073] Preferably, steps 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 are carried out by a robotic arm 50, in other words, with no human interaction with the fluid to be dispensed or with the dispensing system 70, 70, thus reducing the risk of accidents and/or contamination due to human error. The part of step 3500 that takes place inside the closed chamber is also preferably carried out by a robotic arm 50. The closed chamber may comprise a robotic arm 50 capable of carrying out the steps described above or may comprise more than one robotic arm, each of said robotic arms specialising in carrying out specific steps from among those described above.

[0074] Although, preferably, a robotic arm is used in the present invention to carry out the steps performed inside the closed chamber 40 and the container 30, 30, embodiments are also possible in which the robotic arm only carries out the steps 3000 and 4000 described above, the rest of the steps being carried out in a conventional way by an operator handling the components inside the closed chamber 40 through specially designed gloves. Embodiments in which the process is carried out completely automatically by the use of one or more robotic arms may also have handling gloves as a safeguard in case a problem occurs inside the closed chamber 40.

[0075] For the description of FIGS. 5 and 6, and those shown in the figures, the reference numerals shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 have been used, to make said figures easier to understand.

[0076] Although the invention has been presented and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it should be understood that said embodiments do not limit the invention, and therefore many structural or other details which may be obvious to persons skilled in the art after interpreting the subject matter disclosed in the present description, claims and drawings, may vary. In particular, in principle and unless explicitly stated otherwise, all the characteristics of each of the different embodiments and alternatives shown and/or suggested may be combined with one another. Thus, all variants and equivalents are included within the scope of the present invention if they can be considered to fall within the widest scope of the following claims.