Vacuum package system and method

Abstract

A vacuum packaging system for transporting a plurality of medical containers including a tray that supports the medical containers and an air impervious flexible film defining an internal cavity. The air impervious flexible film completely surrounds the tray and the medical containers. The internal cavity is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level below atmospheric pressure. A method for packaging the plurality of medical containers for transportation in the tray includes inserting the medical containers into the tray, inserting the tray filled with medical containers into the internal cavity, evacuating the internal cavity to a predetermined vacuum pressure and sealing the flexible film such that the predetermined vacuum pressure is generally maintained in the internal cavity.

1 . A vacuum packaging system for transporting a plurality of medical containers comprising: 
 a tray that supports the medical containers; and    an air impervious flexible film defining an internal cavity, the air impervious flexible film completely surrounding the tray and the medical containers, the internal cavity being evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level below atmospheric pressure.    
     
     
         2 . The vacuum packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the tray includes opposing first and second side walls and opposing front and rear walls.  
     
     
         3 . The vacuum packaging system of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 side pockets formed in the first and second side walls, the side pockets conforming to at least a portion of an external surface of one of the medical containers when the containers are located in the tray proximate one of the side pockets.    
     
     
         4 . The vacuum packaging system of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 front pockets formed in the front wall; and    rear pockets formed in the rear wall, the front and rear pockets conforming to at least a portion of an external surface of one of the medical containers when the containers are located in the tray proximate one of the front and rear pockets.    
     
     
         5 . The vacuum packaging system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 depressions formed in a floor of the tray, the medical containers including a head side and a base side, the plurality of depressions conforming to one of the head side and the base side when the medical containers are positioned in the tray to orient the medical containers with respect to the tray.    
     
     
         6 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a peripheral flange formed proximate a mouth of the tray, the peripheral flange having a generally U-shaped cross section.    
     
     
         7 . The vacuum system of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 vents formed in the peripheral flange comprised of a first series of troughs formed in an upper surface of the peripheral flange proximate a first side wall of the tray and a second series of troughs formed in the upper surface of the peripheral flange proximate a second side wall of the tray.    
     
     
         8 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a nesting plate removably mountable in the tray, the nesting plate including a plurality of generally cylindrical sleeves, each of the plurality of sleeves releasably receiving one of the plurality of medical containers.    
     
     
         9 . The vacuum system of  claim 8  wherein the nesting plate includes a generally planar base and reinforcing ribs extending generally perpendicularly from the base, the cylindrical sleeves defining holes in the base.  
     
     
         10 . The vacuum system of  claim 8  wherein the tray includes a mouth and a lip proximate its mouth, the nesting plate including a peripheral edge that is positioned on the lip to support the nesting plate within the tray in an assembled configuration.  
     
     
         11 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the air impervious flexible film is comprised of a vacuum bag.  
     
     
         12 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the medical containers are comprised of one of vials and syringes.  
     
     
         13 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a vacuum groove formed in a floor of the tray.    
     
     
         14 . The vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the tray includes a rounded peripheral bulb at a peripheral edge that provides an arcuate surface for the air impervious flexible film to contact.  
     
     
         15 . A method for packaging a plurality of medical containers for transportation in a tray within an evacuated internal cavity of an air impervious flexible film, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) inserting the medical containers into the tray;    b) inserting the tray filled with the medical containers into the internal cavity;    c) evacuating the internal cavity to a predetermined vacuum pressure such that the flexible film surrounds and engages the tray and at least portions of the medical containers; and    d) sealing the flexible film such that the predetermined vacuum pressure is generally maintained in the internal cavity.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step prior to step (a) of: 
 e) grasping one of the medical containers with a mechanical arm as one of the medical containers flows off of a medical container assembly line.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step after step (d) of: 
 e) irradiating the sealed flexible film, the tray and the medical containers.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps after step (d) of: 
 e) transporting the sealed flexible film and the medical containers;    f) inspecting the flexible film to ensure that the film is engaging the tray and at least portions of the medical containers indicating that the predetermined pressure is maintained within the internal cavity;    g) breaking the flexible film to gain access to the medical containers;    h) removing the tray from the internal cavity; and    i) removing the medical containers from the tray for introduction onto an assembly line for the introduction of medial products into the medical containers.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the medical containers are comprised of syringes, the tray includes a lip and step (a) comprises the steps of: 
 a)(1) inserting a nesting plate into the tray such that a peripheral edge of the nesting plate is positioned on the lip; and    a)(2) inserting the syringes into cylindrical sleeves in the nesting plate such that a top rim of the sleeves is in contact with a flange of the syringes.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the medical containers are inserted into the tray in step (a) in a series of rows.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of: 
 e) irradiating the sealed flexible film, the tray and the medical containers following step (d); and    f) introducing an inert purge gas into the vacuum bag prior to step (c) to stabilize and prevent one of changes in chemical composition and discoloration of the medical containers in step (e).    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of: 
 e) molding the medical containers prior to step (a);    f) robotically transporting the medical containers to an inspection station prior to step (a); and    g) irradiating the sealed and evacuated vacuum bag and the medical containers following step (d).    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of: 
 e) transporting the sealed and evacuated flexible film, the tray and the medical containers to a filler; and    f) opening the internal cavity by tearing the flexible film at a tear notch;    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the medical containers are comprised of vials including a head side and a base side and further comprising the steps of: 
 g) inserting the vials into the tray in step (a) with their head side proximate a floor of the tray;    h) moving the tray, the vials and the rigid sheet out of the bag;    i) positioning a rigid sheet onto the base side and inverting the rigid sheet, vials and tray;    j) placing the rigid sheet on a support surface such that the base sides of the vials are resting on the rigid sheet;    k) moving the rigid sheet from beneath the base sides such that the base sides are resting on the support surface; and    l) moving the tray vertically away from the vials.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the medical containers are comprised of vials including a head side and a base side and further comprising the steps of: 
 g) inserting the vials into the tray in step (a) with their head side proximate a floor of the tray;    h) moving the tray and vials out of a tear in the bag such that the base side of the vials are in facing engagement with a support surface following step (f); and    i) moving the tray vertically away from the vials.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the predetermined vacuum pressure is approximately eight inches of mercury (8 in Hg) such that the flexible film surrounds and engages the tray and at least portions of the medical containers in a reduced external atmospheric pressure condition and the flexible film generally holds the vials in the tray without rubbing against each other or otherwise significantly moving during shipping.