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EP-4327038-B1 - FREEZE DRYING INSTALLATION

EP4327038B1EP 4327038 B1EP4327038 B1EP 4327038B1EP-4327038-B1

Inventors

  • NEHER, STEFAN
  • CROS GARCIA, Daniel

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220413

Claims (8)

  1. Freeze drying installation (8), including a device (9) for moving containers (10) such as vials or the like along a surface (63) supporting the containers (10) to load and/or unload the containers (10) into a freeze dryer processing chamber (200), wherein the device (9) comprises two articulated arms (102, 103), wherein each articulated arm (102, 103) comprises a first rigid upper arm (46, 23) and a first rigid lower arm (41, 21) connected to each other by a first rotary joint (45, 22), wherein the ends of the two articulated arms (102, 103) are connected to a rigid transfer bar (60) by articulated joints (40, 20), which are spaced apart from each other when seen along an extension axis (61) of the transfer bar (60), and wherein the two articulated arms (102, 103) are driven by at least one driving unit (70) in a synchronised manner such that the transfer bar (60) is movable along a loading and/or unloading axis (62) to load or unload containers (10) into or from the freeze dryer processing chamber (200), wherein - in a storage position of the articulated arms (102, 103) - the first upper arm (46, 23) and the first lower arm (41, 21) of each of the articulated arms (102, 103) are arranged in parallel or essentially in parallel with the extension axis (61) of the transfer bar (60).
  2. Freeze drying installation (8) according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading and/or unloading axis (62) is perpendicular to the extension axis (61) of the transfer bar (60).
  3. Freeze drying installation (8) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two articulated arms (102, 103) move in opposite directions of rotation.
  4. Freeze drying installation (8) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the articulated arms (102, 103) comprises a second upper (47) arm and a second lower arm (43) connected to each other by a second rotary joint (44).
  5. Freeze drying installation (8) according to claim 4, characterized in that the second upper arm (47) is driven by the at least one driving unit (70) in such a manner that the second upper arm (47) and the first upper arm (46) of the same articulated arm (102, 103) move in opposite directions of rotation.
  6. Freeze drying installation (8) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first upper arm (46) is driven around a first axis (49) and in that the second upper arm is driven around a second axis (48) and in that the first axis (49) and the second axis (48) are concentric to each other.
  7. Freeze drying installation (8) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the articulated arms (102, 103) are arranged on a first side of a supporting platform (110) and in that the at least one driving unit (70) is arranged on a second side of the supporting platform (110) which is opposite the first side.
  8. Freeze drying installation (8) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first side is part of a classified process area and in that the second side is outside of the classified process area.

Description

The invention relates to a freeze drying installation, including a device for moving containers such as vials or the like along a along a surface supporting the containers to load and/or unload the containers into a freeze dryer processing chamber. Loading and unloading devices tend to use a large area of a cleanroom in front of a freeze drying processing chamber and are difficult to fit within the available internal volume of aseptic containment isolators. Existing solutions of loading and unloading devices are also not easily accessible through gloves if manual action is needed. Sometimes access through gloves to certain areas of these devices is simply impossible because of the long distance between the glove-ports and these areas. Loading and unloading devices are complex mechanical devices that are difficult to clean, inspect and sterilize as required for the handling of pharmaceutical products. They often present areas that are inaccessible. Some systems use flexible bellows with inaccessible recessed areas that cannot be reached when these systems are in specific positions and in practice become not cleanable or sterilisable. CN 109 414 812 A, CN 104 552 247 B, US 7 644 558 B1 and CN 107866 803 disclose robotic handling systems. US 2014/0196411 A1 discloses a robotic filling system. The present invention resolves the above-mentioned problems by providing a freeze drying installation in accordance with claim 1. The device of the freeze drying installation is compact and able to provide a linear pushing and/or pulling movement of the transfer bar for loading or unloading containers (such as individual vials, vials in frames or trays, nests containing vials, pre-filled syringes or cartridges for freeze drying) while minimising the space taken from a cleanroom, the articulated arms and the transfer bar being compact enough to be fully contained inside an optional isolator and enabling full access to all their parts exposed to the process through gloves for easy cleaning, sterilization and inspection. In an embodiment, the extension axis of the transfer bar extends along a straight line, facilitating the loading and/or unloading of a plurality of containers. Preferably, the loading and/or unloading axis extends along a straight line, facilitating the loading and/or unloading of a plurality of containers. According to a preferred embodiment, the loading and/or unloading axis is perpendicular to the extension axis of the transfer bar, providing a robust and reliable mechanism. In particular, the transfer bar may comprise a pushing plane extending in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the transfer bar and acting in a pushing manner on a plurality of containers. In addition or in the alternative, the transfer bar may comprise additional elements (such as grippers, extended profiles, hooks or the like) acting on a plurality of containers in a pulling manner. Preferably, the two articulated arms move in opposite directions of rotation, providing for a stable and symmetric mechanism. Optionally, the freeze drying installation comprises a drive for the vertical displacement of the two articulated arms and of the transfer bar. It is preferred that the two articulated arms have the same effective length facilitating a linear movement of the transfer bar and avoiding lateral or bending forces acting on the transfer bar. Each of the two articulated arms comprises a first rigid upper arm and a first rigid lower arm connected to each other by a first rotary joint. Such articulated arms provide a simple and robust two-element linkage. The ends of such articulated arms correspond with extremes or the "wrists". These "wrists" are associated with the ends of each lower arm which are remote from the first rotary joint constituting an "elbow". It is preferred that the upper arms of the two articulated arms have the same length and that the lower arms of the two articulated arms have the same length. In particular, the rotation axes of all joints are parallel to each other so as to produce a planar movement of the two articulated arms and of the transfer bar in a plane which is parallel to a flat, in particular horizontal or slightly sloped supporting surface on which the containers are to be pushed or pulled along the loading and/or unloading axis. The invention proposes that - in a storage position of the articulated arms - the upper arm and the lower arm of each of the articulated arms are arranged in parallel or essentially in parallel with the extension axis of the transfer bar. Thus, a very compact footprint is achieved, wherein the two articulated arms and the transfer bar can be fully installed inside the available volume of an optional containment isolator. According to a preferred embodiment, at least one of the articulated arms comprises a second upper arm and a second lower arm connected to each other by a second rotary joint, thus providing a quadrilateral four-element linkage which is particularly sta