JP2008261406A - Gas filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas filling method which improves reliability of filling pressure to a degree applicable to the gas supply source of a needless injector. <P>SOLUTION: In the gas filling method according to the present invention, firstly, the mass before filling of a container provided with a specific identifier is recorded in association with the identifier. Next, the container is filled with gas with constant pressure and temperature for a predetermined time. Subsequently, the amount of gas with which the container is filled is calculated by subtracting the mass before filling recorded in association with the identifier of the container from the mass after filling of the container filled with the gas. Then, when the amount of gas is out of a predetermined standard range, it is determined that the container filled with the gas is nonstandard. When the amount of gas with which the container is filled is out of a control range, the predetermined time is adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas filling method for filling a high-pressure gas container such as a gas cartridge with a gas having a specified pressure with high accuracy.

  In recent years, needleless syringes using gas pressure have become widespread, but in order to accurately inject a necessary drug solution into a predetermined position of a human body using this needleless syringe, a predetermined pressure is required. It is necessary to supply gas with extremely high accuracy. Therefore, when a gas cartridge is employed as the gas supply source of the needleless syringe, it is necessary to fill the gas cartridge with a gas having a predetermined pressure with extremely high accuracy, and the reliability required therefor is 99.999. % Or more.

  However, the gas filling amount to the gas cartridge is usually adjusted by setting the container weight after filling to a predetermined value, and the container weight is also an empty state before filling the gas in a certain weight range group. Are managed separately. Therefore, the range of this group became the filling tolerance, and the reliability of the filling pressure was about 99.9%. The gas cartridge filled by such a method cannot be applied to the gas supply source of the needleless syringe.

On the other hand, various methods for increasing the accuracy of the gas filling amount have also been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-213399 discloses that the volume of a filled gas is measured from the pressure and temperature of a reference tank whose volume is known in advance and the pressure and temperature of a container filled with gas. ing.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-213399

  However, by measuring the gas filling amount using pressure or temperature as in the above measurement method, or by measuring the gas filling amount using a flow meter as described in the above document, the filling amount is reduced. In the gas filling method to be adjusted, the reliability of the filling pressure of the gas cartridge cannot be improved to the level required for the gas supply source of the needleless syringe.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas filling method capable of increasing the reliability of the filling pressure to the extent that it can be applied to a gas supply source of a needleless syringe.

  In the gas filling method according to the present invention, first, the pre-filling mass of a container to which a unique identifier is assigned is recorded in association with the identifier. Next, the container is filled with a gas whose pressure and temperature are kept constant for a predetermined time. Subsequently, the filling amount of the gas is calculated by subtracting the pre-filling mass recorded in relation to the identifier of the container from the post-filling mass of the container filled with the gas. When the filling amount is out of the predetermined standard range, the container filled with the gas is determined to be out of specification. Further, when the filling amount is out of the predetermined management range, the predetermined time is adjusted.

  According to the gas filling method of the present invention, the filling amount can be precisely controlled by adjusting the filling time while keeping the pressure and temperature constant. Further, since the filling time is adjusted based on the amount actually filled in the container in which the filling operation has been completed, the set amount of gas is always filled. In addition, the filling amount of the container filled with the gas is inspected using a unique identifier, and when the predetermined amount of gas is not filled, it is determined to be out of specification, so the filling pressure is out of the predetermined specification range. Containers are rarely included in shipping products. Therefore, according to this gas filling method, the reliability of the filling pressure can be increased to the extent that it can be applied to the gas supply source of the needleless syringe.

  Furthermore, since a unique identifier is assigned to the container filled with gas, product management including manufacturing, shipping, sales, and other history surveys using the identifier can be performed. Therefore, even after being shipped as a product, the reliability of the filling pressure can be maintained at a high level through product management using the identifier.

  A specific example of the gas filling method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. 1, 2, and 3 divide and show the gas cartridge manufacturing process from filling a container into gas and packing it into a box, FIG. 1 shows the process until the container is filled with gas, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an inspection process related to heat resistance and leakage after completion of filling, and FIG.

  In this manufacturing process, first, in the first step S1, the container filled with gas is inspected. If it is confirmed that there is no problem, an identifier unique to the container, for example, a serial number is imprinted in step S2. In this method, since the container manufactured in another facility is used, the received container is inspected in step S1, but if it has been manufactured by itself and already inspected, The process may be omitted. Further, in step S2, a method using laser marking is applied to assign an identifier to the container, but other methods may be employed as long as the relationship between the identifier and the container is maintained.

  Next, the pre-filling mass of the container with the identifier stamped is measured in the first measurement step S3 and recorded in association with the identifier. At this time, the mass of the sealing plate that seals the container after gas filling is also measured. In addition, the recording of the mass before filling is performed by an arithmetic processing device (computer) (not shown).

  When the measurement of the mass before filling is completed, the target gas is filled in the container in step S4. At this time, the filling amount of the gas is controlled by changing the filling time while keeping the pressure and temperature constant. Moreover, the container filled with gas seals an injection port using the sealing board with which the mass was measured with the container in previous process S3. Note that a method of filling the gas and a method of sealing the injection port may adopt a known technique, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Next, for the container filled with gas and sealed, first, in step S5, the identifier assigned in the previous step S2 is read, and in the next second weighing step S6, the mass after filling is measured. The measured post-fill mass is recorded in association with the read identifier.

  When the second weighing step S6 is completed, the gas filling amount is calculated by subtracting the pre-filling mass recorded in association with the container identifier from the post-filling mass measured there. This calculation is performed in step S7. As a result, when it is determined that the filling amount does not conform to a preset standard, for example, the standard value of the gas mass is 100 ± 5 (95 to 105). If the gas mass is less than 95 or greater than 105, the container filled with the gas is determined to be out of specification in step S8. Further, in step S7, it is further determined in step S9 whether or not the gas amount conforms to the standard value in step S9. For example, if the management range for maintaining the required reliability is 100 ± 2 (98 to 102), a gas mass of 96 is determined to be out of the management range although it conforms to the standard. The In step S10, the gas filling time is adjusted. The filling time adjusted in step S10 is reflected in the filling operation in the previous step S4, and as a result, the succeeding container is filled with the correct mass of gas.

  The steps up to S10 correspond to the gas filling method according to the present invention, and the steps shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are the same as those of the conventional gas filling method. To do.

  For a container that is determined to be filled with the correct amount of gas, a temperature test is first performed to check whether the container has a predetermined durability against heating. Next, the presence or absence of a leak is inspected using He slightly included in the filling gas. Finally, inspections relating to the outer shape of the container, such as the presence or absence of scratches, outer dimensions, etc., are carried out, and if all of these inspections are boxed and confirmed to be boxed in the correct state, all are finished.

It is a flowchart figure which shows the process until a container is filled with gas in the gas cartridge manufacturing process until it fills with a gas and packs into a box. It is a flowchart figure which shows the test | inspection process regarding the heat resistance and the leak after completion | finish of gas filling in the gas cartridge manufacturing process until it fills a container with gas and packs into a box. It is a flowchart figure which shows the process from the test | inspection regarding an external shape to the last boxing in the gas cartridge manufacturing process until a container is filled with gas and boxed.

Claims (1)

Record the pre-fill mass of the container with the unique identifier in relation to the identifier;
Fill the container with a gas whose pressure and temperature are kept constant for a predetermined time,
Subtracting the pre-fill mass recorded in relation to the identifier of the container from the post-fill mass of the container filled with the gas to calculate the fill amount of the gas;
When the filling amount is out of the predetermined standard range, the container filled with the gas is determined to be out of specification,
A gas filling method comprising adjusting the predetermined time when the filling amount is out of a predetermined management range.

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