Method and Apparatus for Plasma Treatment of Hollow Bodies

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention discloses a device and method for plasma treatment of hollow objects such as bottles, vials, syringes, and caps. It features a unique arrangement of concentric tubes creating a dual-chamber system that optimizes the process for applications like sterilization. The system allows for precise control of plasma conditions and pressure gradients, making it efficient for in-line, high throughput sterilization and plasma treatments across different gas atmospheres.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Sterilization of pharmaceutical vials, syringes, and bottles used for medicines or vaccines.
• Decontamination and cleaning of packaging materials in the food, health, and cosmetic industries.
• Activation or preparation of hollow plastic parts prior to coating, bonding, or printing.
• Production lines requiring in-line, high-speed sterilization or surface treatment without the need for vacuum chambers.
• Disinfection of medical device packaging and closure caps to ensure safety and product integrity.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables fast, in-line, high-rate plasma treatment and sterilization processes, increasing throughput and reducing processing time.
• Reduces or eliminates the need for complex vacuum systems, lowering equipment and operational costs.
• Minimizes risk of contamination by maintaining process gas purity, even in case of sealing system failure.
• Allows effective treatment across a range of hollow body shapes, materials, and sizes, providing manufacturing flexibility.
• Consumes less process gas compared to conventional methods, making it cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
• Compatible with a variety of plasma discharge types (dielectric barrier, high-frequency, microwave), broadening its application scope.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for plasma-treating hollow bodies, such as bottles, vials, syringes, shut-off caps, etc., in particular with a view to sterilising said hollow bodies, and is equally suitable for various discharge types such as dielectric barrier discharge and discharges with high frequency and microwave excitation. The device allows a pressure gradient to be set between the interior and the exterior of the object to be treated, which can be advantageously used for process control and plasma formation and forms the basis for an optimised in-line method of plasma-treatment of hollow bodies. An essential feature of the invention is the original combination of a plasma process and a sealing system. According to the main claim, this is achieved with external tubes (4, 6), which are connected to each other so as to be impermeable to gas, but galvanically insulated, and of which at least one is electrically conductive, such that the external tubes form an antechamber between the two external tubes (4, 6) and a treatment chamber between the external tube (6) and the internal tube (1). Thus materialises a double-chamber system.