System for handling sterilization of thin body flexible containers (pouch)

A method for filling flexible pouches, comprising the steps of:

• providing a transport group comprising a plurality of transport devices, each carrying sterilized closed non-filled pouches, the transport devices being stacked, wherein each closed pouch comprises a container body having walls made of film, a straw sealingly applied to the container body and a sacrificial closure sealingly and reversibly applied to an inlet of a tube of the straw to close the tube, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet so as to preserve a condition of sterility inside the pouch;
• picking the closed pouches from the transport group and sending the closed pouches in succession to a sterile chamber;
• for each sterilised closed pouch, making at least a portion of the tube provided with the sacrificial closure to pass through the sterile chamber;
• during said passing through of the sterile chamber, separating the sacrificial closure from the tube, filling the sterilised open pouch and applying a tamper-proof cap to the tube to close the pouch.

A method for sterilising and filling flexible pouches, comprising the steps of:

• producing a plurality of pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a container body formed by walls made of flexible film and a straw comprising an entrance portion with an inlet and a tube with an outlet, said straw being sealingly applied to the container body with at least a section of the tube protruding outside of the container body;
• providing a plurality of sacrificial closures reversibly applicable to the outlet mouth of the straw;
• applying one of the sacrificial closures to the outlet of the straw, thereby obtaining provisional closed non-filled pouches to be sterilised, wherein the sacrificial closure is sealingly applied to the outlet so as to preserve a future condition of sterility inside the pouch;
• loading a plurality of provisional closed pouches to be sterilised on a transport device for collective transport;
• performing a sterilisation of the transport group loaded with provisional closed pouches, by ionising radiation;
• picking the sterilised provisional closed pouches from the transport device and sending the sterilised provisional closed pouches in succession to a sterile chamber;
• for each sterilised closed pouch, making at least a portion of the tube provided with the sacrificial closure to pass through the sterile chamber;
• during said passing through of the sterile chamber, separating the sacrificial closure from the tube, filling the sterilised open pouch and applying a tamper-proof cap to the tube to close the pouch;
• collecting and setting aside the sacrificial closures.