US 2026/0233142 A1 · FILTER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PHARMACEUTICAL FILLING ISOLATORS

Abstract

The present invention involves a system and method for mounting an exhaust filter to a pharmaceutical isolator comprises a set of parallel cams joined by a rigid bar to urge a filter carriage containing the filter along a set of parallel spring-loaded linear guide rods. The system engages the exhaust filter under laterally uniform pressure with an exhaust flange of a controlled environment enclosure. In order to ensure that the exhaust filter cannot seal when incorrectly loaded in the filter carriage, an interlock bar obstructs the movement of the filter carriage along the linear guide rods if the exhaust filter is not fully inserted into the filter carriage. The system is employed in a pharmaceutical filling apparatus that has to maintain an aseptic interior environment condition under positive differential pressure.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A filter mount system for mounting a filter, the filter having a planar sealing surface perimetrically bounding a porous filter media, in overlying registry with a port of a controlled environment enclosure, wherein the enclosure comprises a flange having a planar sealing surface surrounding the port, the mount system comprising:

a mount frame mountable about the planar sealing surface of the flange;
a manually operated single-action actuation subsystem;
and
a filter carriage for receiving the filter with the planar sealing surface of the filter constrained by the filter carriage to be parallel to the planar sealing surface of the flange,
wherein the filter carriage is constrained to translate within the mount frame perpendicular to the planar sealing surface of the flange under the action of the single-action actuation subsystem to effect a sealing engagement of the planar sealing surface of the filter with the planar sealing surface of the flange such that the filter is positioned in overlying registry with the port.

2 more elements

A method for sealing a filter, the filter having a planar sealing surface perimetrically bounding a porous filter media, in overlying registry with a port of a controlled environment enclosure, the method comprising:

providing a filter mount system affixed to the enclosure about a planar sealing surface of a flange surrounding the port, wherein
the filter mount system comprises a manually operated single-action actuation subsystem;
the filter mount system comprises a filter carriage for receiving the filter with a planar sealing surface of the filter constrained by the carriage to be parallel to the planar sealing surface of the flange;
and
the filter carriage is constrained to translate perpendicular to the planar sealing surface of the flange under the action of the single-action actuation subsystem;
inserting the filter into the filter carriage with the planar sealing surface of the filter parallel to the planar sealing surface of the flange such that the filter is positioned in overlying registry with the port;
and
sealingly engaging the planar sealing surface of the filter to the planar sealing surface of the flange by a single action manually applied to the single-action actuation subsystem.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Filter system and method for pharmaceutical filling isolators

Life of this patent

Filter system and method for pharmaceutical filling isolators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15