A machine for filling and closing pharmaceutical containers, arranged in respective support elements, comprising:
- a conveyor means predisposed for receiving and conveying the support elements of the pharmaceutical containers;
- a work environment in a controlled and sterile atmosphere comprising an inlet passage and an outlet passage,
- the conveyor means being arranged with respect to the work environment and having a length that is such as to cross the work environment through the inlet passage and the outlet passage and to have:
- a first portion externally of the work environment and upstream of the inlet passage, for receiving the support elements of the pharmaceutical containers which are to be filled with pharmaceutical substances or products and then closed, a second portion internally of the work environment, between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, to which the conveyor means conveys and positions the support elements of the pharmaceutical containers to be filled and closed, and a third portion externally of the work environment downstream of the outlet passage,
- a collecting station internally of the work environment and predisposed and configured for collecting and extracting the pharmaceutical containers from the support elements which have been conveyed by the conveyor means through the inlet passage at the respective second portion,
- wherein the work environment comprises a second outlet passage and in that it comprises a second work environment in a controlled and sterile atmosphere comprising an inlet and an outlet, the second work environment being predisposed with respect to the work environment in such a way that the inlet is at the second outlet passage of the work environment so as to identify a common passage between the two work environments, and in that it comprises:
- a conveyor predisposed and positioned so as to pass through the common passage and to have a first part located internally of the work environment and a second part located internally of the second work environment, and predisposed so that the first part can receive the pharmaceutical containers extracted from the support elements at the collecting station and in that the pharmaceutical containers can be conveyed through the common passage internally of the second work environment at, and along, the second part of the conveyor,
- a filling station, internal of the second work environment, for carrying out the filling of the pharmaceutical containers conveyed by the second part of the conveyor with pharmaceutical substances or products,
- a closing station, internal of the second work environment, for applying a closing element on the pharmaceutical containers once filled,
- extraction means, predisposed for collecting the pharmaceutical containers that have been filled and closed from the conveyor and for transporting the containers externally of the second work environment through the respective outlet.