Patent ID: 9241874
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: A61J,B65D

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: a housing defining an inlet end, an outlet end, and a sterile zone between the inlet and outlet ends; a conveyor located at least partially within the sterile zone and configured to support and move a container in a conveyor movement direction from the inlet end toward the outlet end through the sterile zone; a fluid sterilant station located within the sterile zone and configured to transmit a a fluid sterilant onto at least a penetrable portion of the container during movement of the container through the sterile zone to thereby sterilize at least the penetrable portion of the container; at least one sterilant removing station located within the sterile zone and downstream of the fluid sterilant station in the conveyor movement direction, and configured to transmit sterile gas onto at least the penetrable portion of the container during movement of the container through the sterile zone to thereby at least substantially remove the fluid sterilant from at least the penetrable portion of the container; and a filling station located within the sterile zone and downstream of the fluid sterilant station in the conveyor movement direction, the filling station including an injection member that is moveable relative to the container and operable to penetrate the penetrable portion of the container, fill the container through the penetrable portion, and withdraw from the container after filling.