Method for the sterilizing a product that is packaged in a packaging material

Abstract

Illustrated and described are a method and an apparatus for the sterilisation of a product packaged in a packing, where the package ( 1 ) comprising the product and the packing is subjected to a heat treatment at a specific temperature and for a specific duration. For protection of the packages ( 1 ), that would usually not be able to withstand the conditions in an autoclave, the following steps are used: Introduction of at least one package ( 1 ) into a protective casing ( 2 ′), Evacuation of the space between protective casing ( 2 ′) and package ( 1 ), Closing of the protective casing ( 2 ′) hermetically, and Autoclaving of the protective casing ( 2 ′) and package ( 1 ) in an autoclave. The corresponding apparatus is provided with one of each of the following units downstream of the filling unit: one repackaging unit, one evacuation unit, one autoclave unit and, if required, one unpacking unit.

1 . A method for the sterilisation of a product packaged in a packing, where the package comprising the product and the packing is subjected to a heat treatment at a specific temperature and for a specific duration, characterized by the following steps: 
 Introduction of at least one package into a protective casing,    evacuation of the space between protective casing and package,    closing of the protective casing, and    autoclaving of the protective casing and package in an autoclave:    
     
     
         2 . A method for the sterilization of a product packaged in a packing, where the package comprising the product and the packing is subjected to a heat treatment at a specific temperature and for a specific duration, characterized by the following steps: 
 Introduction of at least one package into a protective casing,    Closing of the protective casing,    Evacuation of the space between protective casing and package, and    Autoclaving of the protective casing and package in an autoclave.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized by a separate protective casing for each package.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the protective casing is removed from the package after the autoclaving.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the protective casing remains on the package after the autoclaving.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that a protection system comprising a protective casing and a base plate can receive multiple packages.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for performing the method according to one of the  claims 1  to  5 , characterized by one of each of the following units downstream of the filling machine, namely a repackaging unit, an evacuation unit, an autoclave unit, and, if required, an unpacking unit.  
     
     
         8 . Apparatus for performing the method according to  claim 6 , characterized in that a protection system comprising at least one base plate for the reception of multiple packages and at least one protective casing covering the packages, wherein the space between base plate and protective casing can be evacuated.  
     
     
         9 . Apparatus according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the base plate is a metal plate.  
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 8  or  9 , characterized in that the base plate is essentially positioned horizontally, and the packages are placed on the top of the base plate at a distance to each other.  
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 8  or  9 , characterized in that the base plate has multiple openings for the reception of packages, and the packages are held in the base plate by means of the at least one protective casing.  
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the base plate in the protection system is essentially positioned horizontally.  
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the base plate in the protection system is essentially positioned vertically.  
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 7  to  13 , characterized in that each protective casing consists of a flexible foil.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the foil is a plastic foil comprising a barrier layer.  
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 14  or  15 , characterized in that the protective casing consists of polypropylene (PP).  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 14  or  15 , characterized in that the protective casing consists of polyethylene terephtalate (PETP).  
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 14  or  15 , characterized in that the protective casing consists of a thin duroplastic foil.  
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the protective casing consists of rubber.  
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to one of the  claims 14  to  19 , characterized in that the protective casing consists of a shrinking foil.  
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to one of the  claims 14  to  20 , characterized in that the protective casing has a metallic coating.