Supporting structure for concurrently supporting a plurality of vials, use thereof and process for the treatment of such vials

A supporting structure comprising:

• a vial, wherein the vial has a horizontal base, a cylindrical side wall, and an annular transition region between the horizontal base, and the cylindrical side wall, and an annular transition region between the horizontal base and the cylindrical side wall;
• a carrier having an upper side, a lower side that is opposite to the upper side, and a plurality of receptacles into which the vial van be at least partially inserted so that the vial is supported at the carrier;
• and
• a plurality of retaining protrusions, one each in each of the plurality of receptables, wherein each of the plurality of retaining protrusions protrudes inwardly in a radial direction into an associated receptacle at a lower end of the associated receptacle, so that the vial, when in the receptable, is supported at the transition region, and so that the horizontal base of the vial juts out of the associated receptacle and is accessible from the lower side of supporting structure.

A transport or packaging container, comprising:

• a box-shaped transport or packaging container;
• and
• a supporting structure accommodated in the box-shaped transport or packaging container for supporting the plurality of vials inside the transport or packaging container, the supporting structure comprising:
• a plurality of vials, wherein each of the plurality of vials has a horizontal base, a cylindrical side wall, and an annular transition region between the horizontal base and the cylindrical side wall;
• a carrier having an upper side, a lower side opposite the upper side and a plurality of receptacles into which the plurality of vials are at least partially inserted;
• a retaining protrusion that protrudes into a respective receptacle of the plurality of receptacles in an inward radial direction at a lower end of the respective receptacle;
• wherein the retaining protrusion contacts or supports an associated vial of the plurality of vials at the transition region of the horizontal base so that the horizontal bases of the plurality of vial juts out of the respective receptacle of the carrier and is accessible from the lower side of the carrier.

A method of concurrently supporting a plurality of vials using a supporting structure, comprising:

• selecting a supporting structure that comprises a carrier having an upper side, a lower side opposite to the upper side, and a plurality of apertures or receptacles, the carrier having a retaining protrusion that protrudes into a respective aperture or receptacle at the lower end of a respective aperture or receptacle inward in radial direction;
• selecting vials that have a bottom, which forms a horizontal base, a cylindrical side wall, and an annular transition region between the horizontal base and the cylindrical side wall;
• and
• inserting the vials, at least partially, into the apertures or receptacles so that the retaining protrusion contacts the transition region of the respectively associated vial, so that the transition regions of the vials are supported outside the horizontal bases in such a manner that the bottoms or horizontal bases of the vials jut out of the apertures or receptacles of the carrier and are freely accessible from the lower side of the carrier.

A method for the treatment of vials, comprising:

• providing a supporting structure having an upper side, a lower side opposite to the upper side, and a plurality of apertures or receptacles, the supporting structure having a retaining protrusion that protrudes into the respective aperture or receptacle at a lower end of a respective aperture or receptacle inward in radial direction;
• providing a plurality of vials, wherein the vials have a bottom, which forms a horizontal base, a cylindrical side wall, and an annular transition region between the horizontal base and the cylindrical side wall;
• disposing the vials in the apertures or receptacles of the supporting structure so that the retaining protrusion contacts a vial at the transition region outside the horizontal bases in such a manner that the bottoms or horizontal bases of the vials jut out of the apertures or receptacles of the carrier and are freely accessible from the lower side of the carrier;
• and
• treating the vials while being supported at the supporting structure and while being accommodated in the apertures or receptacles.