US3721525A - Process and device for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations - Google Patents

Process and device for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3721525A
US3721525A US00162974A US3721525DA US3721525A US 3721525 A US3721525 A US 3721525A US 00162974 A US00162974 A US 00162974A US 3721525D A US3721525D A US 3721525DA US 3721525 A US3721525 A US 3721525A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
containers
sterilizing
flaming
current
pharmaceutical preparations
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00162974A
Inventor
H Hortig
K Schutz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Hoechst AG
Original Assignee
Hoechst AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hoechst AG filed Critical Hoechst AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3721525A publication Critical patent/US3721525A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2/00—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor
    • A61L2/02—Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor using physical phenomena
    • A61L2/04—Heat
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B55/00—Preserving, protecting or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging
    • B65B55/02—Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
    • B65B55/04—Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging
    • B65B55/06—Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging by heat

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)

Abstract

Containers for pharmaceuticals can be sterilized by flaming, if the flames burn in a laminar-flow current of air, with little risk of contamination. A device for flame-sterilizing such containers is fitted out with means to produce a laminar-flow air current through the sterilizing part of the device.

Description

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,721,525 Hortig et a1. 1 1March 20, 1973 PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR [56] References Cited AMING UNITED STATES PATENTS PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS 3,616,252 10/1971 Forel ..21/78 X [75] Inventors: Hans-Pair Hortig, Frankfurt am OTHER PUBLICATIONS 2 fig' 'ng zggf Remingtons Pharmaceutical Sciences, 13:11 Ed. a y Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa., (1965) pp. [73] Assignee: Farbwerke Haechst Aktiengesell- 364-365.
schaft vormals Meister Lucius 81 Bruning, Frankfurt am Main, Primary Examiner-Morris O. Wolk Germany Assistant Examiner-Warren Bovee 22 Filed: y 15 1971 Attorney-Curtis, Morris & Safford [21] Appl. No.: 162,974 157 ABSTRACT 1 Containers for pharmaceuticals can be sterilized by 58.31 ..21/2, 2 "79,322: flaming, if the flames bum in a laminapflow current of I u 1 e v t t t I I s Q u u h l't k f A f 581 Field of Search ..21/2,79-, 78, 85,92, 93, 111, mammamn dev'ce 21/112, 117, 122', 263/19 A; 43l/D1G. 100, DIG. 106
flame-sterilizing such containers is fitted out with means to produce a laminar-flow air current through the sterilizing part of the device.
2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENIEnlAnzolsu 3,721,525
INVENTORS HANS-PETER Home KARL-FRIEDRICH SCHUTZ BY I v ATTORNEYS PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR STERILIZING BY FLAMING CONTAINERS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS The present invention provides a process for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations, especially ampoules; it also provides a device to carry out the said process.
The so-called flaming constitutes a very economic process which was used in industry for a long while to sterilize containers, especially ampoules. In said process, the containers were passed at a definite distance over flames, heated by the hot exhaust gas and thus'sterilized.
The aforesaid process had the disadvantages that the flames always formed soot, although a small quantity only, and additional foreign particles were introduced into the sterile zone by the gradual scaling of the burner. Hence, flaming was abandoned because of the modern requirement with respect to purity of the sterile zone not being met. Measurements have proved that the hot exhaust gas contained up to 2 X particles having a size greater than 0.5 micron per 3 liters.
In has now been found that containers for pharmaceutical preparations can be sterilized by flaming without danger of contamination by foreign particles by passing them through the current of exhaust gas over the tip of one or several flames burning in a laminar-flow current of air, said current having a velocity of flow in the range of from 0.05 to 0.3 meter per second.
It is surprising that the flames burn at all in a laminarflow current of air as in such a flow an exchange of substances practically does not take place in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow. It is furthennore surprising that in the flaming process according to the invention no soot is formed. The particles were counted in the zone through which the exhaust. gas passed and the following values were found, which are at least by a factor of 50 below the values requested by the US Federal Standard 209 a for clean rooms.
Fuel gas propane methane hydrogen particles greater than 0.5 micron per 3 liters 0.2 0.2 0.1
of air The device according to the invention suitable to sterilize containers by flaming essentially consists of a burner, transporting means to transport the containers continuously or discontinuously over the burner and means to produce a purified air current through the sterilizing zone, and is characterized by a distributing device arranged at the air inlet into the sterilizing zone to cause the air to flow through the said zone in a laminar flow.
The distributing device may simultaneously act as filter for the air current. Sometimes, it may be more advantageous, however, to install the filter at another place. In this case, a plate with holes or slits may be used as distributing device.
A device in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a cross section through the sterilizing zone of a washing and filling device for glass ampoules.
Blower l aspirates an air current through a preliminary filter 2 and conveys the said current throu h main filter 3 and air duct 4 to the sterilization cham er. At
the inlet of the sterilization chamber a distributing device 5 is mounted which transforms the arriving turbulent air current into a current with laminar flow 6. Fuel gas is supplied through burner pipe 7. Numeral 9 designates the transporting means, in the present case a turnable plate, the rim of which is provided with recesses wherein the ampoules 8 are suspended in a manner such that they pass by the tips of the flames of burner 7. The hot exhaust air escapes at 10. An access to the sterilization chamber-if need should arise-is ensured by a flap l I.
On principle, the separate distributing device 5 may be dispensed with and its function may be taken over by main filter 3. With a separate distributing device it is more simple, however, to mount and exchange the main filter.
The production of a laminar flow is known in the art and has been described by B.J.M. Pilcher, Ingenieur Digest 9, (1968), pages 71 75 and l-I.P. Hortig Chemie lngenieur Technik, 19 (1.969). Distributing devices to produce such laminar flows or main filters that can take over their function are commercially available.
What is claimed is:
1. A process for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations which comprises passing the containers through the exhaust gas over the tip of one or several flames burning in a laminar-flow current of air, said current having a velocity of flow in the range of from 0.05 to 0.3 meter per second.
2. A device for carrying out the process of claim 1, comprising a sterilization chamber with burner and transporting means to transport the containers over the burner and means to produce a purified air current in the said sterilization chamber, wherein at the inlet of the air current into the sterilization chamber a distributing device is mounted to cause the air current to pass the sterilization zone in a laminar flow.
* l l t t

Claims (1)

  1. 2. A device for carrying out the process of claim 1, comprising a sterilization chamber with burner and transporting means to transport the containers over the burner and means to produce a purified air current in the said sterilization chamber, wherein at the inlet of the air current into the sterilization chamber a distributing device is mounted to cause the air current to pass the sterilization zone in a laminar flow.
US00162974A 1970-07-18 1971-07-15 Process and device for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations Expired - Lifetime US3721525A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2035822A DE2035822C3 (en) 1970-07-18 1970-07-18 Method and device for sterilizing containers for pharmaceutical preparations by flaming

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3721525A true US3721525A (en) 1973-03-20

Family

ID=5777241

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00162974A Expired - Lifetime US3721525A (en) 1970-07-18 1971-07-15 Process and device for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3721525A (en)
JP (1) JPS5039957B1 (en)
DE (1) DE2035822C3 (en)
FR (1) FR2099453B1 (en)
GB (1) GB1345814A (en)
IT (1) IT992027B (en)
SE (1) SE361820B (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3893807A (en) * 1973-11-30 1975-07-08 Univ Karlova Device for heating of instruments particularly for sterilization
US4921679A (en) * 1989-02-21 1990-05-01 Martin Juan N Exhaust system for laser surgery
US4923681A (en) * 1986-10-03 1990-05-08 Archeraire Industries, Inc. High velocity hot air sterilization device with controller
US20160090204A1 (en) * 2013-04-05 2016-03-31 G.F. S.P.A. Sterilising system

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5267148U (en) * 1975-11-13 1977-05-18
DE2631352C3 (en) * 1976-07-13 1983-02-17 Bayer Ag, 5090 Leverkusen Process for low-particle sterilization
DE3412597C2 (en) * 1984-04-04 1986-12-04 Gerresheimer Glas AG, 4000 Düsseldorf Device for sterilizing glass containers
DE102020114221A1 (en) * 2020-05-27 2021-12-02 Syntegon Technology Gmbh Apparatus and method for sudden sterilization

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3893807A (en) * 1973-11-30 1975-07-08 Univ Karlova Device for heating of instruments particularly for sterilization
US4923681A (en) * 1986-10-03 1990-05-08 Archeraire Industries, Inc. High velocity hot air sterilization device with controller
US4921679A (en) * 1989-02-21 1990-05-01 Martin Juan N Exhaust system for laser surgery
US20160090204A1 (en) * 2013-04-05 2016-03-31 G.F. S.P.A. Sterilising system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE361820B (en) 1973-11-19
FR2099453B1 (en) 1976-02-13
IT992027B (en) 1975-09-10
JPS5039957B1 (en) 1975-12-20
FR2099453A1 (en) 1972-03-17
GB1345814A (en) 1974-02-06
DE2035822A1 (en) 1972-01-27
DE2035822B2 (en) 1977-08-04
DE2035822C3 (en) 1978-04-06

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3721525A (en) Process and device for sterilizing by flaming containers for pharmaceutical preparations
ES2105014T3 (en) ATOMIZING DEVICE WITH A HEATING ELEMENT.
DE2631352C3 (en) Process for low-particle sterilization
US1473095A (en) Apparatus for sterilizing liquids by means of ultra-violet rays
McGarrity et al. Procedures to reduce contamination of cell cultures
Druett et al. A wind tunnel for the study of airborne infections
Goetz et al. Basic mechanisms of photochemical aerosol formation
SE7507398L (en) DEVICE FOR COATING GLASS WITH METAL OXIDE
Kethley et al. Ultraviolet lamps for room air disinfection
US3056247A (en) Air filter
JPH04502957A (en) Method and apparatus for combustion of oxygen-free toxic gas effluents
EP0529937A2 (en) Air treatment apparatus
Elrod et al. A phytopathogenic bacterium fatal to laboratory animals
Henle et al. Studies on air-borne infection in a hospital ward: II. Effects of ultraviolet irradiation and propylene glycolvaporization upon the prevention of experimental air-borne infection of mice by droplet nuclei
JPS6063050A (en) Fluid sterilizer
GB603337A (en) Improvements in apparatus for normalizing air by the mediumship of liquids
GB190922211A (en) Improvements in Rotary Radiators for Cooling Liquids, Gases or other Substances and for Purifying or Perfuming Air.
JPS5794319A (en) "arai" system purifying apparatus for smoke pollution
Goetz et al. The synthesis of defined aerosol systems
GB729009A (en) Improvements in or relating to the separation of suspended particles from gases involving electrostatic precipitation
GB190900654A (en) Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Air.
GB830859A (en) Preventing reinfection of the sterile side of a web of packaging material that is sterile only on one side
GB191424264A (en) Improvements in Air-heaters, more especially suitable for use in Smelting Works.
GB191000834A (en) Improvements relating to the Sterilisation of Milk and other Liquid Foods, Liquids used for Medicinal and Surgical Purposes, Serums and the like.
GB478090A (en) Apparatus for heating liquids with steam