A coupler for aseptically coupling and controlling fluid communication between at least two components, the coupler comprising:
- a first connector housing including two opposed side walls, two opposed end walls, a top section and an open bottom, the side walls, the end walls and the top section each having respective inner surfaces that, in combination, define an inner cavity, and wherein the inner surfaces of the top section and the side sections define, in combination, a concave surface that has a shape that defines a portion of a cylinder;
- a first connector formed on or attached to and extending from the top section, the first connector adapted to connect to a first component of the at least two components;
- a first connector conduit extending through the first connector and the top section of the first connector housing so as to define a fluid passageway from an outer opening at an upper end of the first connector to an inner opening on the inner surface of the top section of the first connector housing;
- a rotary valve located within the inner cavity of the first connector housing and having a longitudinal axis, the rotary valve including at least two rotary valve segments, each rotary valve segment includes a valve segment outer surface and a valve segment inner surface, the valve segment outer surface having a curved surface that defines a portion of cylinder, and the valve segment inner surface having at least one inner planar surface, wherein the valve segment inner surface of one of the rotary valve segments is configured to contact the valve inner surface of an adjacent rotary valve segment, and wherein the curved outer surfaces of the rotary valve segments, in combination, define a cylindrical surface, and wherein the rotary valve segments are configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis within the cavity and against the concave inner surface of the first connector housing;
- wherein at least one of the at least two rotary valve segments includes a fluid conduit extending through the at least one rotary valve segment from a first opening to a second opening, the first opening being positioned so that:
- in a first rotational position of the at least one rotary valve segment relative to the first connector housing corresponding to the open state, the first opening aligns with the inner opening of the first connector conduit in the connector housing and the second opening of the fluid conduit simultaneously aligns with an inner opening on a second connector conduit so as to provide a fluid path from the outer opening of the first connector conduit and into the second connector conduit, and
- in a second rotational position of the at least one rotary valve segment relative to the first connector housing corresponding to the closed state, the first opening does not align with the inner opening of the first connector conduit in the connector housing, the second opening of the fluid conduit does not align with the inner opening on the second connector conduit, and the valve segment outer surface of one of the at least two rotary valve segments blocks the inner opening of the first connector housing and the valve segment outer surface of the other of the at least two rotary valve segments blocks the inner opening of the second connector housing conduit such that no fluid path is provided from the first connector conduit to the second connector conduit through either of the at least two rotary valve segments.