Patent ID: 8287680

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a bag ( 20 ) of plastics material for containing biological samples in particular for the cryopreservation of such samples, the bag being of the type made of facing spaced-apart layers ( 10 â€², 10 â€³) of a plastics film joined around a sealed peripheral edge ( 21 ) whereby the facing spaced-apart layers of plastics film define a volume for containing a sample, the method comprising: (a) placing between two superposed layers ( 10 â€², 10 â€³) of a film of plastics material a molding insert ( 40 ) having a shape, width and thickness that corresponds to the inside shape, width and thickness of the bag to be formed, (b) forming the layers into a part-formed bag ( 22 ) whose inner shape, width and thickness are defined by the molding insert ( 40 ), the part-formed bag being made of spaced-apart layers that are closed around a portion of the bag periphery by joined edges, leaving open edges ( 23 ) along one side that form an opening ( 24 ) for removal of the molding insert ( 40 ); (c) sealing together said joined edges ( 23 ) of the part-formed bag ( 22 ) around a portion of the bag periphery, leaving said opening ( 24 ) in one side; (d) removing the molding insert ( 40 ) from the part-formed bag ( 22 ) through said opening ( 24 ); (e) bringing together the open edges ( 23 ) of the spaced-apart layers of the part-formed bag ( 22 ) along said opening ( 24 ); and (f) sealing the brought-together edges to form a bag ( 20 ) that is closed around substantially its entire periphery by the sealed joined edges ( 21 ), characterized in that said method comprises using a mold ( 30 ) that comprises: two mold parts ( 31 , 32 ) that can be spaced apart and brought together in facing relationship, the two mold parts defining therebetween when they are placed together a cavity ( 34 ) that corresponds to the outside shape and dimensions of the bag ( 20 ) to be manufactured, this cavity ( 34 ) being closed around a portion of its periphery corresponding to a portion of the periphery of the bag to be manufactured and having an opening ( 35 ) that opens into a lateral face of the two mold parts ( 31 , 32 ); and the molding insert ( 40 ) has an inserted position in which an insertable end section ( 41 ) of the insert is situated in the cavity ( 34 ) between the two mold parts when they are placed together, this end section ( 41 ) of the molding insert having a shape and thickness that corresponds to the inside shape and thickness of the bag ( 20 ) to be formed in the cavity and being insertable into and removable laterally from the cavity ( 34 ) via said opening ( 35 ) by inserting or removing the insert ( 40 ) when the two mold parts ( 31 , 32 ) are placed together or spaced apart.