Nlt Technologies, Ltd.

University System of Maryland

Richard R Newberg

Douglas A Newberg

Jackson C Yang

Vjekoslav Pavlin

A method and apparatus for capturing a sample of flowable material from a closed system inside a receptacle without exposing the sample to the ambient environment. The apparatus includes a housing having an opening at one end for receiving a receptacle and stopper. An end cap is removably mounted to the housing for opening and closing the opening. An inlet is provided in the housing for feeding a cleaning or sterilizing agent or the flowable material to be sampled into an interior of the housing. A clasp is provided to manipulate the receptacle to separate the receptacle and the stopper while the stopper and receptacle are inside of the housing. Once the receptacle and the stopper are separated, the flowable material is fed into the receptacle through the inlet. The clasp is then manipulated to reattach the receptacle and the stopper in order to capture the flowable material. The apparatus is particularly useful in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as the fine chemical, food and beverage industries where accurate, uncontaminated samples of materials from a closed system are desired without contaminating the sample of material or the closed system.

Housing for receptable filling

Housing for receptacle filling

An apparatus can withdraw a sample from a vessel or conduit or provide a sample to this vessel or conduit. This apparatus includes a main body with an inlet passage and drain passage. The main body has a longitudinal axis with the axes of the drain passage and inlet passage being inclined relative thereto. A flexible bellows is positioned within an internal cavity of the main body. A sealing tip of the bellows is movable by a valve operating rod to close an orifice to a sample cavity within the body. A sample can be taken from the vessel or conduit, through this sample cavity and out the drain passage to a sampling device when the apparatus is used as a sampler. On the other hand, a sample can be fed through the inlet passage, sample cavity and orifice to the vessel or conduit when the apparatus is used as a feeder/inoculator. Steam, pure dry air and/or a wash medium can be provided through the inlet passage to cleanse the apparatus. Crevices and exposure to moving parts are avoided in the apparatus to prevent contamination of the sample. This apparatus can be retrofitted to existing containers or vessels and can be automatically controlled and monitored.

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Gambrills, MD, United States of America

Richard R Newberg