The purpose of the innovative inline vial management device developed by Telstar is to reject, retrieve for sampling, or reintroduce vials automatically during the loading / unloading process into pharmaceutical freeze-dryers.
Under the brand of Lyogistics Smart R3, the new system has been designed for the automatic detection and treatment of vials in an automatic line.
The new compact inline quality control unit needs to be fully integrated in automatic loading and unloading systems to automatically manage the paths of vials during the loading and/or the unloading of freeze dryers.
Designed for detection and the subsequent management of a particular vial in the process line, the module is able to identify and separate a specific vial according to different parameters, including stopper position, missing stopper, wrong stopper position, and colour variation. After identification, it is capable of performing several tasks such as rejection of the vial to a rejection container, separation of a vial for sampling, separation of one vial for a specific function, introduction of a pre-prepared vial or re-introduction of a vial subsequent to removal.
The system integrates several mechanisms, ensuring appropriate processing of lyophilised products, as well as reducing the risk of batch contamination, spoilage and the time of operator intervention.
Vials are transported by conveyors and screws without pushers, neither bellows nor mechanisms in contact with the product, which allows the module to work in an open system without concealed parts guaranteeing cleanliness and greater performance.
In addition, the compact module is featured by a diaphanous nature, unobstructed and clear. No racks, belts or linkages occupy the work area and all mechanisms are under the base plate or closed. The compact and versatile solution has been conceived for management at high process speeds of up to 600 vials per minute, is compatible with cold sterilisation methods as hydrogen peroxide and offers easy integration with restricted-access barrier systems (RABS) and isolators.
The versatile module has been configured to be integrated to industrial-scale single-side or pass-through freeze-dryers and the vial detection/sampling system will work according to the freeze-dryers features, only inlet side, inlet and outlet side (same side) and inlet and outlet side (opposite side).
Lyogistics Smart R3 is a result of Telstar鈥檚 continuous innovation process. In fact, this version enhances the unit presented by the company in 2015 doubling the maximum speed of vials and reducing the footprint, as well as the number of change parts when different vial formats need to be used.