High Precision Filling System

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems of preparing containment vessels which contain a precise volume of fluid. An auger filler, comprising a rotor and a stator, may dispense this precise volume of fluid into a containment vessel when the rotor is rotated relative to the stator in a first direction, causing fluid contained the auger filler to be dispensed into the containment vessel, until the precise volume of fluid is dispensed. The rotor may then be rotated relative to the stator in a second direction to prevent more fluid from being dispensed, ensuring that the containment vessel is not significantly overfilled past this precise volume of fluid. The containment vessel may then be sealed to define a prepared containment vessel. The methods and systems herein may allow for a continuous process flow that continuously produces prepared containment vessels, with each being near identical to one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing, filling and packaging a containment vessel with a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a containment vessel;   b. dispensing a volume of fluid via an auger filler such that a precise volume of fluid is contained in the containment vessel, the auger filler comprising a rotor at least partially enclosed by a stator, the rotor at least partially enclosed by the stator defining one or more cavities, the one or more cavities at least partially being filled with the fluid prior to the fluid being dispensed; and   c. sealing the containment vessel to define a packaged containment vessel;   wherein the auger filler dispenses the precise volume of fluid by rotating in a first direction the rotor relative to the stator about a rotation axis until the precise volume of fluid is dispensed followed by rotating in a second direction the rotor relative to the stator about the rotation axis; and   wherein the second direction is of the opposite angular direction as the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the volume of each of the one or more cavities ranges from 0.1-1 ml. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the volume of each of the one or more cavities is the same. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cavities are completely filled with the fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a CBD oil, a THC oil, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of sealing the containment vessel is performed 30 seconds or less after the step of dispensing the precise volume of fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a cross section of the stator and at least a portion of a cross section of the rotor are of a sinusoidal shape. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of sealing the containment vessel is operative to induce a containment pressure inside the containment vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is brought to a dispensing temperature prior to the fluid being dispensed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auger filler dispenses the precise volume of fluid by rotating in the first direction the rotor relative to the stator about the rotation axis by at least a 360-degree rotation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rotating in the second direction the rotor relative to the stator is operative to induce a suction effect, the suction effect being operative to prevent the fluid from being dispensed from the auger filler. 
     
     
         12 . A system for preparing a containment vessel containing a fluid stored therein, the system comprising:
 an auger filler operative to dispense a precise volume of fluid such that the precise volume of fluid is deposited and contained in the containment vessel, the auger filler comprising a rotor at least partially enclosed by a stator, the rotor at least partially enclosed by the stator defining one or more cavities operative to be at least partially filled by the fluid, the auger filler further comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet being operative to receive the fluid such that the fluid at least partially fills at least one of the one or more cavities, the auger filler being operative to dispense the precise volume of fluid by rotating in a first direction the rotor relative to the stator about a rotation axis such that the fluid in the one or more cavities is dispensed from the fluid outlet until the precise volume of fluid is dispensed followed by rotating in a second direction the rotor relative to the stator about the rotation axis, the second direction being of the opposite angular direction as the first direction; and   a sealing unit operative to seal the containment vessel to define a prepared containment vessel.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the system further comprising a temperature adjusting element being operative to bring the fluid to a dispensing temperature prior to the fluid being dispensed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the dispensing temperature is operative to prevent at least one component of the fluid from chemically decomposing. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , the system further comprising a priming motor operative to pump the fluid into the fluid inlet such that the fluid at least partially fills at least one of the one or more cavities. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the system is operative to produce 100 or more prepared containment vessels in one hour. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , the system further comprising an electric motor operative to rotate the rotor relative to the stator in the first direction by a first angular value and the second direction by a second angular value. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator in the first direction by the first angular value is operative to dispense the fluid contained in one of the one or more cavities. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first angular value is at most a 360-degree rotation. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator in the second direction by the second angular value is operative to prevent the fluid from being dispensed.