Apparatus and method for filling bulk materials into a container
AssigneeAzurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorsPremal Gandhi, James B. Nagle, Kevin Hacker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for dispensing a powdered pharmaceutical into a bottle is disclosed. The system includes a filler having a powder filler head and respective weight sensor, two or more draft shields, and one or more static reduction devices. In some embodiments, the system also includes one or more dust extractors. In some embodiments, the static reduction device is an active static reduction device, such as one or more static bars. The two or more draft shields may include an inner draft shield to reduce small pressure and/or airflow changes and an outer draft to reduce large pressure and/or airflow changes.
Claims39
A system for filling a powdered pharmaceutical into one or more bottles, the system comprising:
- a filler having a first powder filler head arranged to dispense a powdered pharmaceutical into a bottle and a first weight sensor positioned below the first powder filler head;
- one or more static reduction devices arranged to reduce static generated during a filling process;
- an inner draft shield positioned around at least an outlet of the first powder filler head;
- and
- an outer draft shield positioned around the entire filler.
A method of filling a bottle with a prescribed weight of a powdered pharmaceutical via a filling system having a filler with a first powder filler head and a weight sensor positioned below the first powder filler head, one or more static reduction devices arranged to reduce static during a filling process, an inner draft shield, and an outer draft shield, the method comprising:
- transferring an empty bottle to the first powder filler head of a filler, the empty bottle passing by the one or more static reduction devices as the empty bottle moves towards an outlet of the first powder filler head;
- filling the empty bottle with the powdered pharmaceutical via the first powder filler head;
- reducing a draft during a filling process via the inner draft shield positioned around at least the outlet of the first powder filler head and the outer draft shield positioned around the entire filler;
- and
- transferring a filled bottle from the first powder filler head to a downstream station.
A system for filling a powdered pharmaceutical into one or more bottles, the system comprising:
- a filler having a first powder filler head arranged to dispense a powdered pharmaceutical into a bottle and a first weight sensor positioned below the first powder filler head;
- one or more static reduction devices arranged to reduce static generated during a filling process;
- an inner draft shield positioned around an outlet of the first powder filler head, the powdered pharmaceutical being dispensed into the bottle via the outlet;
- and
- an outer draft shield positioned around the filler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.