Medicament vial having a heat-sealable cap, and apparatus and method for filling the vial

A method of providing and filling a container with a predetermined substance, comprising the following steps:

• providing a thermoplastic stopper defining a needle penetration region that is pierceable with a needle to form a needle aperture therethrough, and is heat resealable to hermetically seal the needle aperture by applying laser radiation at a predetermined wavelength and power thereto, wherein the stopper further includes a thermoplastic body defining a predetermined wall thickness in an axial direction thereof, and includes a styrene block copolymer and an olefin;
• providing the thermoplastic stopper with a predetermined amount of pigment that allows the body to substantially absorb laser radiation at the predetermined wavelength and substantially prevent the passage of radiation through the predetermined wall thickness thereof;
• connecting the stopper to an opening of a container and defining a sealed chamber between the stopper and container;
• providing a needle defining a non-coring, conically-pointed tip and at least one flow aperture located adjacent to the tip and connectable in fluid communication with a source of the predetermined substance;
• penetrating the needle penetration region of stopper with the conically-pointed tip of the needle such that the flow aperture of the needle is in fluid communication with the chamber of the container;
• providing a lubricant at the interface of the needle and stopper to reduce friction forces therebetween;
• introducing the predetermined substance through the needle and into the chamber of the container, and withdrawing the needle from the stopper;
• and
• transmitting laser radiation at the predetermined wavelength and power onto the needle penetrated region of the stopper, and hermetically sealing the needle aperture formed in the needle penetration region thereof in a time period of less than about 2 seconds.