Disposable filling systems associated with prefilled sy […]
Disposable filling systems associated with prefilled syringes are increasingly being discussed in the pharmaceutical industry. This approach eliminates the need to clean and verify parts that come into contact with the product, reducing the cost of biotech products. At this point, peristaltic pumps are re-popular because they do not touch the filling material. This also greatly increases the availability of the machine, as it does not take time to clean or sterilize the machine online (CIP/SIP).
Once the filling process is complete, the syringe is stoppered by a stopper rod. Due to the boom in biotechnology, coated rubber plugs are becoming more common, but their coatings are not well suited for this approach. Vacuum stoppering provides another option: a vacuum is created in the syringe to draw the gel plug into place. Although this more complicated method can bring the rubber stopper to a certain extent, this method is not as accurate as the plug method. The exact plugging requirements and the ideal residual bubble size will affect the capacity of the equipment.
New packaging type: emerging
The trend of prefilled syringes is unstoppable. Numerous new projects are based on prefilled syringes – not just small batches, but also high production lines. But for pharmaceutical companies, other types of pre-sterilized packaging, although slow to develop, will certainly shift from niche products to attractive alternatives to prefilled syringes.
Manufacturers of glass-based packaging materials, as well as plastic packaging materials manufacturers, are working to promote this transformation, such as the development of pre-sterilized, ready-to-use vials and cartridges.
The biggest difference here is the nest system and the tray system: the trays are especially suitable for traditional bulk filling machines, while the honeycombs are usually suitable for syringe filling machines, including automatic opening of bags and boxes, although possible Some adjustments need to be made to the geometry, material and structure of the package (Figure 2). The resulting wide range of packaging changes will pose significant challenges for machine builders and pharmaceutical manufacturers. In this regard, initiatives like ISO standardization work need to be promoted, but there is still no standard method.
