Container for lyophilizing biological products

[0002] This application is a continuation in part of pending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/754,045 filed Dec. 29, 2000 now abandoned, the disclosure of said application being incorporated herein by reference thereto.

[0004] 1. Field of the Invention

[0005] The present invention in its simplest form is a container for freeze-drying and storing pharmaceutical material. In its more expanded form it serves to collect, process, freeze-dry, store, reconstitute and utilize biological and/or pharmaceutical material solutions preferably under sterile conditions. In one preferred form the container can be collapsed to accommodate the volume of the freeze-dried product during storage and expanded to the volume corresponding to the rehydrated product. Hereinafter, the use is made of blood products, and the special needs associated with such product, as the lyophilized product is for description purposes and by no means should be taken as a limitation of the invention.

[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0007] Lyophilization is used to increase the shelf life of biological/pharmaceutical solutions by freezing the solution and then removing the solvent (usually water) by applying high vacuum. The rate of lyophilization is dependent on the vapor pressure of the drying mass, which in turns depends on the heat transferred by conduction from the shelf of the lyophilizer to the top of the frozen mass where evaporation occurs. The dehydrated frozen mass, or cake, is then stored until it is reconstituted by adding a solvent similar to that removed and then used as intended.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,327 of Goodrich et. al. of Cryopharm Corp discloses many of the desirable features of the present invention as described in the Abstract: “A lyophilization bag is provided in which a fluid, such as blood, may be introduced, lyophilized without collapsing the bag, stored, reconstituted and distributed from the bag without intermediate transfer of the useful contents from the bag”.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,983 discloses a container with its flexible peripheral walls reinforced with rigid structures to prevent its inward collapse and a bottom wall made of a rigid material. Samples of the last containers made by Cryopharm (obtained from Dr. Goodrich) were square rigid trays 1″ high 10″×10″ made of polyester film 0.020″ thick.

[0010] Bergmann's U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,649 discloses “a container for freeze drying materials under sterile conditions, wherein the sides of the container consist at least partly of a hydrophobic, porous, germ-impermeable, water vapor-permeable membrane.” Two forms of the container were described: a bag and a rigid rectangular tray both covered with the membrane. In 1995 W. L. Gore introduced the Lyoguard bag, a single-use sterilizable processing bag providing a protective barrier before, during and after bulk freeze drying (Flyer # LP001:03/08/95 and a brochure from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Microfiltration Technologies Group, Elkton Md.) that looks very much like that shown by FIG. 2 of '649. The bag described by Pat. '649 and Gore's bag are open along one entire side to allow product introduction after which the open side of the bag is heat-sealed. Further, both are made with two layers, a floor and a roof, with the roof incorporating a hydrophobic membrane. Neither have sidewalls. Pat. '649 also illustrates a tray covered with a hydrophobic membrane, described as a “. . . trough (tray) consists of liquid-impermeable synthetic resin and preferably has a wall thickness of 0.5 to 1 mm” (i.e. 0.020 to 0.040″ thick).

[0011] U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D430,939 and D425,205 and resulting Lyoguard tray (W. L. Gore & Associates) illustrate a rigid wall container topped with a hydrophobic membrane with a flexible, transparent, thin-film bottom that closely conforms to the lyophilizer shelf for more efficient heat transfer. It also incorporates a large top port positioned above the floor of the tray.

[0012] Each of the prior art containers suggests useful features yet all can be improved. There are no prior art containers that provide a simple collapsible container having a flat bottom that conforms to the shelf of the lyophilizer or that provides the rectangular shape so useful for lyophilization. Some collapsible tray-shaped containers are complicated and require additional steps to receive and remove reinforcing members that allow the container to collapse or maintain its shape during lyophilization. Other trays used for lyophilization have a relatively heavy wall that results in at least two factors that reduce heat transfer between the shelf and the product. First, the thicker the floor of the tray, the greater the resistance to heat transfer. Second, and more importantly, it is almost impossible to maintain the bottom of a rigid thin plastic tray completely flat against the shelf of the lyophilizer. Though the product to be lyophilized weighs down the bottom of the tray downward towards the shelf, the weight of its thin layer (usually less than 10 mm) is insufficient. Thus, a bottom made of a noncompliant material will result in a non-conforming floor with some sections lifting off the shelf preventing said sections from having intimate shelf contact causing inefficient and non-uniform heat transfer. The latter, may result in non-uniform lyophilization of the product, which can lead to a final, less viable end product. Certainly, poor heat transfer would slow down the freezing and the warming of the product required for the process thereby increasing cost. A tray with a rigid wall also prevents reduction of the tray's volume prior to and/or after lyophilization. Since the product's volume relative to that of the tray is small before lyophilization and even smaller after lyophilization, it leads to unnecessary storage expenses especially when the lyophilized product has to be stored in a freezer.

[0013] Prior art bags designed for lyophilization, utilizing a hydrophobic membrane as the top wall. were made without side walls and without ports. Thus, when filled with a solution and placed on a lyophilizer shelf, the bag would have a cross-section that is tear-shaped, see FIG. 1a.This shape of the prior art bags presents two drawbacks for lyophilization. First, the contacting surface of the bottom of the bag with the shelf is limited to the midsection, while the sides are raised above the shelf, see FIG. 1a.As a consequence, less than 50% of the bottom surface may be available for direct heat transfer between the shelf and the product during both the freezing cycle and lyophilization (heating) cycle. The tear shaped cross-section also results in a non-uniform thickness of the product being lyophilized, which may cause product damage due to non-uniform freezing. Also, inefficient use of the lyophilizer is evident from the thinner sections drying much faster than the thicker midsection, and the tear-shaped tray results in lower product volume per foot print. Secondly, flexible containers without sidewalls are more likely to have the product contacting the membrane, resulting in, the product freezing against the membrane; the product would then dry against and plug up the membrane. Plugging of the membrane would result in reduction of the lyophilization rate. Furthermore, the lack of ports limits the usefulness of such bags, or requires complicated and expensive procedures to maintain sterility prior to lyophilization and when the product is to be used. The prior art also requires a heat sealer to seal the container once filled with product.

[0014] In general, molecules leaving any point along the top of a frozen mass can be viewed as a solid angle or a cone with its peak being the point on the surface of the product and its base, the perimeter of the membrane. The rate of evaporation depends on that solid angle. If part of the roof is blocked, the degree of blockage is dependent on the solid angle defined by the point on the surface and the external perimeter of the block. It is also possible to raise the membranous roof “far” above the product thereby decreasing the solid angle of blockage and increasing the chance of molecules “seeing” the hole. However, raising the roof above the product decreases the ratio of product volume to lyophilizer container volume, wasting valuable lyophilizer space and storage space. Therefore, lyophilization rate can be improved by assuring that the footprint of the membrane corresponds as close as possible to the footprint of the floor. Improvement in the prior art design, such as reducing or eliminating non-membrane area over the product to be lyophilized, would be welcomed.

[0015] It is therefore the objective of the present invention to provide a lyophilization container for collecting, processing, freeze drying, storing, reconstituting and utilizing biological and/or pharmaceutical products preferably maintaining sterile conditions.

[0016] It is a primary object of the invention to provide a lyophilization container comprising of a compliant bottom, foldable sidewalls, and a hydrophobic membrane as a top wall. The container preferably is designed for blood products but is adoptable to other products that would benefit from the design features of the invention such as having a flat pliable bottom that conforms to the shape of the lyophilizer's shelf that it is placed on, allowing heat transfer essentially across its entire bottom, providing a uniform thickness of product to be lyophilized that assures more uniform, safer, faster, and more efficient lyophilization process, as well as, achieving a greater product volume capacity for the same shelf area.

[0017] It is also the objective of the present invention to provide a lyophilization container with a hydrophobic membrane as a “roof” that provides a fluid path for vapor but not for liquids while acting as a barrier to bacteria.

[0018] In addition, the present invention provides a lyophilization container with removable means to cover the hydrophobic “roof”, said cover rendering said membrane inoperative until said means are removed, thereby protecting the membrane during any processing required before the lyophilization process.

[0019] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a lyophilization container with means to support the hydrophobic “roof” from contacting the product during the lyophilization process.

[0020] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a lyophilization container with side ports that allow the user to introduce the rehydration solution and/or administer the rehydrated solution to the patient in a sterile manner.

[0021] It is also the objective of the present invention to provide a lyophilization container having a low profile and a high ratio of product volume to container volume as well as allow loading the product with minimal reduction in the membrane area available for lyophilization.

[0022] It is also the objective of the present intention to provide a lyophilization container that can be used as a rigid container but also can be collapsed prior to and post lyophilization thereby reducing storage costs. Further, the container may be expanded to the volume corresponding to the rehydrated product.

[0023] Other innovative and useful features of the present invention will become apparent in the specification given below. It should be emphasized that the use of blood products as the lyophilized product in describing the invention is for descriptive purposes only and should not be taken as a limitation of the invention in any shape or form.

[0024] FIG. 1ais a cross sectional view of a typical lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane used in prior art devices filled with a product to be lyophilized.

[0025] FIG. 1bis a cross sectional view of a typical lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane used in prior art device filled to a level that prevents the product to be lyophilized from contacting the membrane.

[0026] FIG. 2ais a cross sectional view of a lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane of the present invention filled with a product to be lyophilized.

[0027] FIG. 2bis a cross sectional view of a lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane of the present invention devices filled to a level that prevents the product to be lyophilized from contacting the membrane.

[0028] FIG. 3ais a three dimensional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane according to present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3bis a cross sectional representation of a side view of the lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 3a.

[0030] FIG. 3bais a cross sectional representation of a side view of the lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 3bwith its membrane concave relative to the floor to prevent contact with the product.

[0031] FIG. 3bbis a cross sectional representation of a side view of the lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 3bpost lyophilization with its membrane convex relative to the floor to hold water for controlled rehydration of the product.

[0032] FIG. 3cis a cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag incorporating a hydrophobic membrane and a bottom and a top-supporting frame.

[0033] FIG. 3ccis a cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag incorporating a smaller hydrophobic membrane that eliminates stagnation areas between the membrane and the landing.

[0034] FIG. 3dis a cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag having ports incorporated in its sidewall.

[0035] FIG. 3eis a cross sectional view of lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 3dviewed along line 1-1′.

[0036] FIG. 3fis a cross sectional view of lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 3eviewed along line 2-2′.

[0037] FIG. 4ais a three dimensional view of another preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag having its ports sandwiched between the top of its product chamber and its roof.

[0038] FIG. 4bis a cross sectional representation of a side view of the lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 4a.

[0039] FIG. 4cis a cross sectional representation of a side view of a partial lyophilization bag shown in FIG. 4abut having its ports face upwards.

[0040] FIG. 4dis a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization container having a large port, said port incorporating a hydrophobic membrane that facilitates lyophilization under said port.

[0041] FIG. 4eis a cross sectional view of lyophilization container shown in FIG. 4dviewed along line 3-3′.

[0042] FIG. 5ais a cross sectional view of one preferred combined with a rigid supporting tray.

[0043] FIG. 5bis a three dimensional view of one preferred embodiment of two lyophilization bags combined with a multicavity rigid supporting tray.

[0044] FIG. 5cis a three dimensional view of one preferred embodiment of a matching flange used in combination with multicavity rigid supporting tray shown in FIG. 5b.

[0045] FIG. 5aais a cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag with a thermal plate between it and the supporting tray.

[0046] FIG. 5dis a three dimensional view illustrating how the user would place lyophilization containers in the supporting tray shown in FIG. 5b.

[0047] FIG. 5eis a three dimensional view illustrating the supporting tray shown in FIG. 5bfilled with four lyophilization containers.

[0048] FIG. 5fis a three dimensional view illustrating the alignment and placement of the matching flange to the top of the filled supporting tray shown in FIG. 5e.

[0049] FIG. 5gis a three dimensional view illustrating the filled supporting tray shown in FIG. 5etopped with the matching flange shown in FIG. 5cready to be placed in a lyophilizer.

[0050] FIG. 6ais a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization container having semirigid wall, said wall incorporating hinges that allow the end user to collapse its product chamber for more efficient storage.

[0051] FIG. 6bis a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization container shown in FIG. 6awith its product chamber collapsed.

[0052] FIG. 7ais a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization container in a protective over-pouch prior to said pouch being evacuated.

[0053] FIG. 7bis a cross sectional representation of FIG. 7aviewed along line 4-4′.

[0054] FIG. 7cis a cross sectional representation of FIG. 7bafter said pouch has been evacuated.

[0055] FIG. 8ais a cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the lyophilization container bag combined with a floorless disposable rigid supporting tray.

[0056] FIG. 8bis a three dimensional view of the floorless disposable rigid supporting tray shown in FIG. 8a.

[0057] FIG. 9ais a cross sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the lyophilization bag combined with a rigid supporting tray.

[0058] FIG. 9bis a three dimensional view of another preferred embodiment of two lyophilization bags combined with a multicavity rigid supporting tray similar to that shown in FIG. 5b.

[0059] FIG. 9cis a three dimensional view illustrating how the user would place lyophilization containers in the supporting tray shown in FIG. 9b.

[0060] FIG. 9dis a three dimensional view illustrating a supporting tray shown in FIG. 9cfilled with four lyophilization containers.

[0061] Reference should now be made to the drawings wherein the last two reference numerals are used throughout to designate the same or similar parts (e.g. membrane 103 and 203 in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively). It should be noted that the use of blood products is for descriptive purposes, and should not be taken as a limitation to the use of the devices described hereinafter. Below, unless otherwise specified, the term roof and membrane are used interchangeably, both signifying a hydrophobic membrane serving as a roof for the described container. Further, unless otherwise specified, the membrane is hydrophobic that provides fluid communication with the product chamber for vapor but not for liquids or bacteria, and the term sidewall and vertical wall forming the product chamber are used interchangeably. And lastly, all references to specific physical characteristics may be limited by acceptable manufacturing tolerances.

[0062] FIG. 1ais a cross sectional view of prior art lyophilization bag 21 incorporating a hydrophobic membrane as its roof. This bag lacks sidewalls. It is formed by sealing floor 102 to roof 103 that incorporates a hydrophobic membrane to form product chamber 105. When filled, chamber 105 forms a pointed ellipsoid cross-section that reduces the contact area, between its floor 102 and lyophilizer shelf 1, to mid-section 102a.Side sections 102cand 102bof floor 102 rise above and therefore do not make thermal contact with shelf 1. The limited contact between floor 102 and shelf 1 limits the heat exchanged between the two surfaces thereby extending the time required to process product 4.

[0063] FIG. 2ais a cross sectional view of lyophilization bag 22 incorporating a hydrophobic membrane according to one form of the present invention. Bag 22 has vertical walls 207, extending from floor 202 and sealed to roof 203, said roof incorporating a hydrophobic membrane to form product chamber 205. When comparing the ellipsoid cross-section of bag 21 to the rectangular cross-section of bag 22, it is clear that filled bag 21, accommodates a lower volume of product 4 than filled bag 22. In addition, it is also important to prevent membrane 103 from contacting product 4 to reduce the possibility of product 4 plugging the pores of said membrane. Under such a preferred filling condition, the relative volume of product 4 that bag 21 can accommodate, shown in FIG. 1b,is even lower than can be accommodated by bag 22, shown in FIG. 2b.This difference is illustrated by superimposing the volume of product 4 in bag 21 as a solid line (labeled 21) over the volume of product 4 in FIG. 2b.In addition to lower filling volume, the non-uniform cross-section, inherent to Bag 21, may result in non-uniform freezing and a lower grade of reconstituted product 4.

[0064] FIG. 3ais a three dimensional illustration of one preferred design of the present invention, an empty Lyo-Bag™, 22, and FIG. 3bis a cross sectional representation of filled bag 22. As with other drawings, the relative dimensions may not be to scale but were chosen to better illustrate the invention; appropriate dimensions are given in the specifications. Here, bag 22 consists of tray 308 having naturally flat rectangular shaped floor 302, said floor extending, along its outside periphery, to form vertical wall 307, said wall ending with landing 308atopped with a hydrophobic membrane serving as roof 303. Note, hereinafter, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “floor” and “roof” refer to opposing planar walls of the lyophilization container when it is placed on a shelf with the membrane being on top. The membrane is sealed along landing 308ato form product chamber 305. Landing 308ais preferably flat, parallel to floor 302, and extending outward from inside periphery 308bto outside periphery 308c.Tray 308 preferably is made of a film that resists tearing (high tear strength), is flexible, can be vacuum formed and heat-sealed, (or ultrasonically welded or RF welded), and at least its inside surface is compatible with product 4 (e.g. polyurethane, polypropylene, polyester). Floor 302 of product chamber 305 should be sufficiently thin and pliable to assure that it conforms to the surface, which it is placed on (i.e. lyophilizer shelf 1) when chamber 305 is filled with product 4. Conformability of floor 302 to shelf 1 (as shown in FIG. 2aby floor 202) assures the intimate contact between the two surfaces necessary for the most efficient thermal transfer between shelf 1 and product 4 via floor 302. Intimate thermal contact is also essential for uniform freezing, and drying, as well as the efficacy of the final product. Floor 302, having a product side and a shelf side, is naturally flat, and is sufficiently conformable to allow the weight of product 4 to smooth out bends in floor 302 that tend to lift floor 302 off shelf 1 due to warping. The minimum force per surface area (pressure, P) required to push floor 302 down against shelf 1 can be expressed as a function of the thickness (e.g. the height or H) of the solution to be processed (product 4) and its density (ρ) in chamber 305 as: P(gr/cm²)=p(gr/cm³)*H(cm). For example, when lyophilizing blood products, it is standard practice that the thickness (or height) of product 4 in chamber 305 is between 4 and 7 mm. Assuming a minimum height of 4 mm and a solution with a density approximating that of water (1 gr/ml), the pressure required to conform floor 302 to shelf 1 should be less than or equal to 0.4 gr/cm². Less compliant floor can be used if greater thickness of product 4 is acceptable. For example, for a product thickness of 10 mm, the minimum pressure required to conform floor 302 to shelf 1 should be equal to or less than 1.0 gr/cm². Representative material and construction are hereinafter described.

[0065] Another innovative feature of bag 22 is that its sidewalls 307 are preferably sufficiently stiff to support roof 303 above product 4 yet sufficiently bendable to collapse, much like an IV bag, when reconstituted product 4 is administered to the patient. For example, when roof 303 is made of a membrane that weighs 0.0075 gr/cm², the wall's stiffness must support a minimum pressure of 0.0075 gr/cm², or a weight of 0.0075(gr/cm²)*A_r(cm²), where A_ris the area of the roof. Similarly, a minimum pressure of 10 cm H₂O (the expected minimum height of the an IV bag height above a patient) in product chamber 305, or a force of 10 gr/cm₂should overcome the stiffness of walls 307 and or floor 302, allowing said walls to bend thereby reducing the volume of chamber 305 as the product is administered. Should bag 22 need not collapse during administration of reconstituted product 4, (e.g. air is allowed to enter chamber 305 during administration), yet still collapse for storage, the stiffness of walls 307 may be increased for it to withstand a higher pressure difference across wall 307, a design described in reference to FIG. 6a.It should be clear that the shorter wall 307 is, the less likely it would “buckle” under the weight of the roof, yet it must be high enough to keep roof 303 above product 4. The deleterious effects that result from the product contacting the membrane have been described in reference to the prior art devices. For example, to assure that the membrane does not contact the product, a bag having a 12 cm by 20 cm floor 302 can be utilized for a product that can have a thickness of 8 mm for the lyophilization process, if its wall 307 is at least 10 mm high and preferably 15 mm high. It should be clear that when contact of product 4 with membrane 303 is not detrimental to the lyophilization rate, then wall 307 can be lowered to even allow membrane 303 to contact product 4.

[0066] Assuring that membrane 303 does not contact product 4 also requires that any sagging of roof 303 must be less than the difference in height between landing 308aand the top most part of product 4. This can be achieved by having roof 303 sufficiently stiff to support itself from over sagging; a stiffness that depends on the weight of the roof and its unsupported extension over floor 302. An example is Emflon 0.2 μ PTFE membrane made by Pall Corp of East Hills NY laminated on one side by Typar® Spunbond polypropylene. weighing 2 oz/yd²(Snow Filtration West Chester Ohio), placed over tray 308 with an inside rectangular periphery 308bof landing 308anominally being 5″×7″. Other designs that limit membrane contact with the product (e.g. membrane 303 shaped concavely relative to floor 302 raises the roof 303 above product 4 as well as stiffens the roof) are possible. Alternatively, the membrane can be held tight along its periphery by stiffer frame 309, as described in more details below, or supported by supporting tray 528 described in reference to FIGS. 5aand 5b.

[0067] Bag 22 can, for example, be made by vacuum forming tray 308 using Cryovac multilayer sterilizable medical film (Medical film M321, Duncan, S.C.), which provides heat resistance, gloss and strength (polyester), flexibility and moisture barrier (polyethylene), and biocompatible and sealable surface (polypropylene). The film typically is 0.0075″ thick and weighs 17.5 mg/cm². Thus, a typical Lyo-Bag designed to process 100 ml of product 4 with a 5 mm thickness would have a 200 cm²floor that weighs 3.5 gr. Roof 303, frame 309 and landing 308acan be sealed to form bag 22 using, for example, heat-sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or adhesives/sealants or a combination of such processes that are suited for the materials used and the manufacturing tools available. It should be clear that all components used to form bag 22 preferably withstand temperatures of at least as low as −60° C. (lyophilizer temperature) and at least as high as 70° C. (shipping and sterilization temperatures). Using a multilayer film allows the thickness of each layer to be adjusted to provide the desired physical characteristic. For instance, when forming a tray using the aforementioned M321 film, increasing the thickness of the polyethylene layer would provide a greater moisture barrier, while increasing the thickness of the polyester layer would provide greater stiffness. When a thicker film is used to form the container, that film must be sufficiently pliable for the floor of the container to form intimate thermal contact with the lyophilizer's shelf at least when the container is loaded with the product to be lyophilized.

[0068] The hydrophobic membrane used as roof 303 should allow water vapors crossing but inhibit bacteria from crossing. It should have a large fractional open area (product of pore area and number of pores divided by the total membrane area), either support itself or have a supportive backing, incorporate means to integrate it as roof 303 of bag 22. In addition, its product side should be compatible with the product being processed, and its external side should resist damage due to expected handling conditions. Tests have shown that thin PTFE membranes, being very inert and having relatively low resistance to vapor flow, are the membranes of choice (e.g. the aforementioned Emflon 0.2 μ PTFE membrane). PTFE membranes, being flimsy and not heat sealable, preferably integrate a backing to support and protect the PTFE layer, as well as provide a sealant layer, said sealant adding little to the resistance of vapor flow. There are a few options in topping tray 308 with membrane 303 as the roof of chamber 305. The determining factors are whether membrane 303 integrates a sealant on the product side, external side or both, and the location of ports 314aand 314b.The descriptions given below should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, but as examples of preferred methods to seal membrane 303 to landing 308a.

[0069] FIGS. 3aand 3billustrate one preferred method where membrane 303 has the external side (topside) of a PTFE layer laminated with a nonwoven layer (e.g. Typar® Spunbond polypropylene weighting 2 oz/yd², or 7 mg/cm², made by Snow Filtration West Chester Ohio) that supports and protects the PTFE against external damage and provides a sealant layer. Membrane 303 is sized such that its outside periphery 303ais larger than inside periphery 308band smaller than outside periphery 308cof landing 308a.Frame 309, composed of at least a sealant material (e.g. aforementioned Typar®) and sized as landing 308a,and with its inside periphery 309aand outside periphery 309bpreferably matching inside periphery 308band outside periphery 308cof landing 308arespectively, is used to seal membrane 303 to landing 308a.To assemble, membrane 303 is laid on top of landing 308a,and frame 309 is laid on top of both membrane 303 and landing 308a.The three layers are then pressed with a heat sealer to seal the bottom of frame 309 to the exposed section of landing 308aas well as to the external (top) face of membrane 303 simultaneously. To maximize the functional area of membrane 303 over product 4, it is preferable that inside periphery 309aof frame 309, corresponds to inside periphery 308bof landing 308a.To further maximize effective membrane area, frame 309 preferably also consists of Typar® like water repellent yet breathable material that assures that if any product 4 is trapped in the stagnate area described below, it could also be lyophilized. Frame 309 preferably has a thickness between 0.002″ and 0.020″, said thickness depending on the degree of stiffness desired. Its width is nominally between ¼″ to ⅝″.

[0070] The combination of the area of membrane 303 over landing 308athat is not being sealed and the flexibility of landing 308aand membrane 303 may entrap product 4 in a stagnant area formed between said two layers. For example, when bag 22 is positioned upside down and lifted by its floor, it can cause landing 308ato move away from membrane 303 and allow product 4 to fill that space. This should be significantly limited and even eliminated when using supporting tray 528 with its rigid mating flange 529 as described in reference to FIGS. 5band 5c.Otherwise, the stagnant area can be limited by stiffening membrane 303, at least its area over by landing 308a,said stiffening achieved by using a frame 309 that is stiffer than that of landing 308apreventing the parting between membrane 303 and landing 308a.It is also possible to seal a second frame, like 309, to the underside of landing 308astiffening the entire area of landing 308afurther limiting landing 308afrom flexing away from membrane 303 again limiting the aforementioned stagnation zone. By limiting the motion of landing 308a,frame 309 also adds stability to the rectangular shape of tray 308. It should also be understood that the material used for frame 309 should preferably correspond to a material that can be sealed (via heat, adhesive, or mechanical crimping) to tray 308.

[0071] Alternatively, a sealant layer (e.g. polypropylene) can be applied to the product side (underside) of membrane 303 along the area that membrane 303 overlaps landing 308a,so that membrane 303 can be sealed directly to landing 308aeliminating aforementioned stagnant zones and without adversely affecting vapor transfer rate. This design can be visualized by FIG. 3aless frame 309. Applying a sealant patterned along the outside periphery of membrane 303 is usually more expensive than laminating the entire surface. Thus, should the additional resistance to vapor flow due to a sealant layer is acceptable and the sealant is compatible with product 4, then a sealant layer can be applied to the entire product side of membrane 303 thereby eliminating frame 309 and reducing the width of landing 308ato that necessary to provide a functional seal between membrane 303 and tray 308. The external backing protects the membrane from damage during processing and use. Problems that may be introduced by product 4 seeing the product side of roof 303 that is less hydrophobic (i.e. the sealant rather than the PTFE membrane) can be reduced as described in reference to FIGS. 5a,5b,8a,8b,9aand 9b.If necessary landing 308acan be stiffened by sealing frame 309 to the topside of membrane 303 along landing 308aand/or second frame 311 to the underside portion of landing 308a,see FIG. 3c.

[0072] Another preferred design that eliminates the aforementioned stagnation between membrane 303 and landing 308ais shown in FIGS. 3aand 3cc.Here outside periphery 303aof membrane 303, which equals to but not larger than inside periphery 308bof landing 308a,is attached to landing 308avia frame 309. Frame 309, composed of at least a sealant material (e.g. aforementioned Typar®), has inside periphery 309athat is smaller than outside periphery 303aof membrane 303 such that when frame 309 is centered over membrane 303, they form overlap 393 shown in FIG. 3cc.Overlap 393 is used to seal frame 309 to the top surface of membrane 303. Similarly, outside periphery 309bof frame 309 preferably matches outside periphery 308cof landing 308aforming overlap 398 shown in FIG. 3ccthat is used to seal frame 309 to landing 308a.Thus, by sealing frame 309 to both membrane 303 and tray 308, membrane 303 is incorporated as the roof of tray 308 eliminating the stagnation area seen when membrane 303 overlaps landing 308 as discussed in reference to FIG. 3c.To maximize the functional area of membrane 303 over product 4, it is preferable that outside periphery 303aof membrane 303 extends to inside periphery 308bof landing 308aand that the overlap between membrane 303 and frame 309 is minimized. An overlap between {fraction (1/16)}″ and ⅛″ should assure a reliable seal between membrane 303 and frame 309 without reducing the functional area by a meaningful amount (e.g. a 5″ by 7″ membrane area reduced by a {fraction (1/16)}″ or ⅛″ on each side would result in an area reduction of 2% and 4% respectively).

[0073] FIGS. 3ba and 3bbillustrate another innovative feature of membrane 303. Prior to lyophilization it can be shaped concavely relative to floor 302 of bag 22, see FIG. 3ba, distancing the membrane from product 4. Post lyophilization, during controlled rehydration, membrane 303 can be pushed in to form a convex shape profile, a shape that allows water 31 to be layered on its top to be contained, see FIG. 3bb.The water “puddle” has a vapor pressure controlled by its temperature. Thus, when gradual rehydration is desired, water placed on the membrane provides the water vapor to rehydrate product 4. Alternatively, bag 22 could be placed in a temperature controlled water bath to provide the water vapor to rehydrate the dried product in a simple and controlled manner. Once partially rehydrated, additional water may be added to complete the rehydration. In the field, bag 22 can be placed, membrane downward, in a water puddle thereby allowing the initial rehydration of the product while maintaining its sterility.

[0074] FIGS. 3aand 3bshow ports 314aand 314bin fluid communication with product chamber 305, said ports used for introduction of product 4 into chamber 305 as well as reconstituting and administering lyophilized product 4. Such ports preferably incorporate standard adapters, as well known in the art, at their open ends such as a diaphragm (keeps sterility yet allow puncture with standard IV spike), latex or latex-like bulb for introduction of a liquid via a standard needle. To assure that product 4 easily and completely empties out of bag 22 at least the administration port is positioned at the bottom of chamber 305 when bag 22 is hung/suspended by eyelet 316. It is also important to limit, and preferably eliminate, any volume of product 4 in ports 314aand 314bprior to freezing. If necessary, additional ports can be added in a manner similar to that shown for ports 314aand 314bor other methods as described below. There are a few preferred means to incorporate ports 314aand 314binto bag 22, some preferred methods, without suggesting limitations to the scope of the invention, are given below.

[0075] FIGS. 3a,3b,3d,3e,3fand 4ato 4dillustrate typical methods to provide ports (e.g. ports 314aand 314bshown in FIG. 3eand ports 414aand 414bshown in FIG. 4a) with fluid communication with their respective product chambers. FIG. 3billustrates ports 314aand 314bintegrated into wall 307, said ports formed when tray tray is vacuum formed. Alternatively, holes can be punched in wall 307 of tray 308 that correspond to the location of said ports and molded face plate 17 as shown in FIG. 3d,(and FIG. 3eviewed along line 1-1′ of FIG. 3dand FIG. 3fviewed along line 2-2′ of FIG. 3e), incorporating ports 314aand 314bto wall 307 such that the opening of ports 314aand 314bline up with corresponding holes 314a′ (seen in FIG. 3d) and 314b′ (not seen) in wall 307 as indicated by the arrow, assuring fluid communication with chamber 305.

[0076] Since any product left in ports 314aand 314bprior to freezing may not freeze or lyophilize as fast as the product in contact with the floor and in view of the membrane, it is best to avoid liquids accumulating in said ports. A variety of attachment methods as well known in the art (e.g. impulse heating, adhesives) can be used. Preferably, ports 314aand 314bare directed upward relative to floor 302 as measured by angle a in FIG. 3b,said upward direction assuring that any liquid of product 4 entering said ports would drip by gravity back down into chamber 305 when said floor is set horizontal against shelf 1. Angle α preferably is between 10° and 45°. Furthermore, to assure emptying of trapped liquid in said ports, the point of entry of said port into chamber 305 preferably should be placed above the expected liquid level of product 4.

[0077] In yet another design that limits product 4 residing in ports 314aand 314b,circular sections 314a′ and 314b′ of wall 307 aligned with ports 314aand 314bare thinned out but not punched through. Thinner circular sections 314a′ and 314b′ block product 4 from entering said ports as well as serve as a sterile diaphragm, much like those known in the art of IV bags. The user would place an IV spike into ports 314aand/or 314b,said spike being sharp enough and said circular section thin enough to have said spike piercing thin section 314a′ and/or 314b′ to form the desired fluid communications between product chamber 305 and said IV spike.

[0078] FIGS. 4a,a three dimensional view, and 4b,a cross sectional representation, illustrate another preferred design of tray 408 having wall 407, incorporating ports 414aand 414binto bag 22, by sealing them between landing 408aand frame 409 in a manner similar to that used for standard IV bags, to form a fluid communication with product chamber 405. To overcome the possible difficulty in sealing membrane 403 directly to landing 408aalong the contours of ports 414aand 414b,a partial frame 409 is interposed between membrane 403 and said ports as shown in FIGS. 4aand 4b.Partial frame 409 is preferably sized to encompass ports 414aand 414balong landing 408aplus an additional width 409athat overlaps a small section of membrane 403 and is used to seal membrane 403 to partial frame 409, as indicated by arrows 409ain FIG. 4b.FIG. 4ais a three dimensional rendering of an empty bag 22 with partial frame 409 and its membrane 403 partially “peeled” away from landing 408aand ports 414aand 414bsealed between partial frame 409 and landing 408a.As shown, membrane 403 incorporates a sealant at least. on its product side along its outside periphery 403a.Also, as described in reference to port 314ashown in FIG. 3b,ports 414aand 414bare directed upward relative to floor 402 as measured by angle α, said upward direction assuring that any liquid of product 4 entering said ports would drip by gravity back down into chamber 405 when said floor is horizontal against shelf 1.

[0079] A modification of the design shown in FIG. 4aincorporating ports 414aand 414bin fluid communication with product chamber 405 is shown in FIG. 4c.Here ports 414aand 414bare incorporated into frame 409 much like they were to wall 307 as described in reference to FIGS. 3d-3f,except that said ports face upwards or preferably 60°±30° away from roof 403 as indicated by φ as a cross sectional representation in FIG. 4c.Tray 408 may be like 308 shown in FIG. 3b,or to minimize the area of the ports over the floor (i.e. maximize the unobstructed membrane area), tray 408 may have overhang section 408cthat extends beyond floor 402 by β seen in FIG. 4c.The value for β equals the length required to incorporate ports 414aand 414b,typically between ⅜″ and ⅝″. Section 408cis preferably slanted up from the horizontal by α, typically 10° to 45°, to assure that solution product entering that section would flow by gravity back to chamber 405 for the reasons described in reference to α in FIG. 4b.This design may simplify manufacturing and allow loading product 4 from the top of the container without reducing the membrane area available for lyophilization. Eliminating blocks in the membrane, e.g. as described in reference to the aforementioned prior art device, allows the membrane to be closer to the product without affecting sublimation rate. This feature reduces the required height of the container, increasing the ratio of product volume to product chamber volume, and thereby decreasing storage and processing costs.

[0080] FIG. 4dillustrates a view of a partial cross section, and FIG. 4eis a partial cross section top view along line 3-3′, of landing 408aincorporating large port 414c,having a first open area, in fluid communication with chamber 405 and topped with removable cap 414dused to close said port, said cap incorporating membrane 414eat its top. Membrane 414ereduces the blockage to vapor flow across roof 403 (inherent in the cap of aforementioned prior art containers) by the area said membrane corresponds to said first open area of said port 414c.It should be clear that cap 414dcan be adapted to close port 414cin a variety of ways as well known in the art of caps used for bottles, such as with a screw-able or snap on mechanism. Preferably port 414chas an opening with an inside diameter between ⅜″ and 1.0″.

[0081] The desired flexibility of container 22 results in it deforming while being handled much like the shape of a filled IV bag changes due to gravity when taken off the table and hung up. To overcome this possible problem, a supporting tray that allows a flexible bag-like container to be handled and easily loaded onto the lyophilizer's shelf without introducing significant resistance to heat flow between the lyophilizer and the floor of the container 22 was designed. FIGS. 5ais a cross sectional view and 5bis a three dimensional view of supporting tray 528 and a flexible lyophilization container 22. Supporting tray 528 is made of a plate defined by outside perimeter 528eand a thickness “t” said plate having at least one cavity 525 defined by its depth “d” and its outside perimeter 525a.Perimeter 525adefines the size of lyophilization container 22 that supporting tray 528 can accommodate. Therefore, allowing for tolerance of manufacturing and ease of insertion perimeter 525apreferably should allow a clearance of ⅛″ on each side of floor 302. Cavity 525 has floor 522 with an internal and an external side and vertical wall 527 surrounding floor 522. Surrounding cavity 525 is landing 528athat is defined by the difference between outside perimeter 528eof tray 528 and outside perimeter 525aof cavity 525. Tray 528 is used to support and facilitate handling of bag 22 as defined for example in reference to FIGS. 3aand 4a.Cavity 525 has depth of “d” which equals “H-y”, where H equals the natural height between landing 308aand floor 302 (i.e. natural height of wall 307 of lyophilization container 22) and “y” equals the vertical distance that wall 307 is allowed to decrease to assure its floor 302 makes complete contact with the cavity side of floor 522. Preferably “y” should be less than 20% of H and more preferably less than 10% of H; a greater value for y/H may result in floor 302 expanding beyond their natural shape such that the product in that bottom portion of chamber 305, 4ain FIG. 5a,would see a folded wall 307 rather than the membranous roof 303. Supporting roof 303 above product 4 by tray 528 allows walls 307 of the Lyo-Bag 22 to be softer and more pliable, more like a standard IV bag made of PVC. Softer wall 307 makes it easier to collapse product chamber 305 for storage. It also expands the material that can be used to form tray 308 to films having Shore hardness of 80A or less. The size of bag 22 to be used defines the depth of cavity 525. Floor 522 is typically between {fraction (1/16)}″ and ⅝″; thicker floors are usually used. for floors with larger footprint and/or more uniform temperature.

[0082] For applications where rapid cooling and uniform water content dictate a very thin thickness of product 4 (<1 mm), then pressure that the product exerts on the floor may be too low to achieve intimate contact between the floor and the shelf; a problem that must be resolved. FIGS. 5aand 5billustrate means to enhance the thermal contact between floor 302 of bag 22 and floor 522 of supporting tray 528 in the form of channels 522aand 522bformed in floor 522. Channel 522ais in fluid communication with the lyophilizer and channels 522bform fluid communication between channel 522aand the bottom of floor 522. Thus, vacuum applied to the lyophilizer chamber is transmitted to the underside of floor 302 pulling it against floor 522. To achieve the best results with this system, it is best to apply some vacuum, preferably between −50 and −100 mmHg, prior to freezing product 4 when floor 302 is still pliable.

[0083] FIG. 5aaillustrates another mean to enhance the thermal contact between floor 302 of bag 22 and floor 522 of supporting tray 528 in the form of a thermal (e.g. aluminum) plate 32 adhered to the underside of floor 302 of bag 22. This plate can serve two purposes: it assures intimate thermal contact between floor 302 and itself, and it provides additional weight to enhance the thermal contact between its underside and shelf 1. Once lyophilization is completed this plate can be removed, and discarded if disposable, or reused.

[0084] FIG. 5bis a three-dimensional rendering of the proposed lyophilization system. It shows a multicavity tray 528 incorporating rigid mating flange 529, shown as a three-dimensional rendering in FIG. 5c,having outside perimeter 529eand opening 529fsaid opening having perimeter 529gthat is preferably identical to outside perimeter 525aof cavity 525 of supporting tray 528. Mating flange 529 may also incorporate mating hole/slot 529cthat accepts mating pins 528cof multicavity tray 528. Further, mating flange 529 may also incorporate rounded slots 529bthat form a space for ports 314aand 314bof bag 22 when said bag is placed in multicavity tray 528 and then topped by mating flange 529. FIG. 5dis a three dimensional view illustrating how the end user would place lyophilization containers in supporting tray 528 shown in FIG. 5b.FIG. 5eis a three dimensional view illustrating supporting tray 528 shown in FIG. 5bfilled with four lyophilization containers. FIG. 5fis a three dimensional view illustrating the alignment and placement of matching flange 529 to the top of filled supporting tray 528 shown in FIG. 5e.Landing 308aof bag 22 as shown in FIG. 5awould be sandwiched between landing 528aof supporting tray 528 and landing 529aof rigid mating flange 529 as shown in FIG. 5f.FIG. 5gis a three dimensional view illustrating filled supporting tray 528 shown in FIG. 5etopped with matching flange 529 shown in FIG. 5cready to be placed in a lyophilizer. Placing bag 22 into cavity 525 so its landing 308ais supported by landing 528a,and then topping landing 308awith mating flange 529 so landing 308ais sandwiched in between, provides support for bag 22 and eliminates the need for second frame 311 used to stiffen landing 308aas described in reference to FIG. 3c.Typically mating flange 529 would be thinner than tray 528, its thickness dependent on the force required to hold landing 308a.Since tray 528 is preferably metal, and more preferably aluminum (light and with good thermal conductivity); it does not warp and does form an excellent thermal contact with shelf 1 of a lyophilizer. Further, thermal conductance along floor 522 assures that a more uniform temperature is applied to floor 302 of bag 22 even if there are some contact discontinuities between the shelf side of floor 522 and shelf 1. Tray 528 and mating flange 529 preferably are made of anodized aluminum to enhance heat transfer between floor 522 of tray 528 and product 4. Further, walls 527 of cavity 525 provide additional heat transfer at least via radiation, and if contact is made between supporting tray's wall 527 and Lyo-Bag's wall 307, then by conduction as well. Any additional heat transfer should increase the lyophilization rate and may allow use of thicker layer of product 4 to be processed without sacrificing process time. For space saving sake, it is preferable that containers 22 have ports 314aand 314bfacing inline with roof 303, and that landing 528aincorporates two circular indentions 528bto accommodate the circular shape of said ports. It is also preferred to add two pins 528cto tray 528 that line up with holes (or slots) 529cin mating flange 529, the combination of said pins and holes preventing flange 529 from sliding or falling off landing 528aand assuring opening 529fof flange 529 lines up over membrane 303 of container 22. Similarly, pins 528dcan be added to accommodate hole 316 used to hang bag 22, said pins inserted into said holes to limit bag 22 from moving once placed in cavity 525. In addition, mating flange 529 may have corresponding holes 529d,which would accommodate for pins 528d.

[0085] For conditions where the heat transfer along wall 527 is irrelevant to the lyophilization process, then supporting tray 528 can be made by combining a thermoplastic structure shaped like matching flange 529 described above and a flat aluminum plate as floor 522. Thus, the thermoplastic structure provides wall 527, cavity 525 and landing 528aof tray 528 while the aluminum plate provides the heat transfer properties of floor 522. For bag 22 that incorporates aluminum plate 32 shown in FIG. 5aa, floor 522 would not be required. If floor 522 is made of a thin compliant tough plastic film such as polyurethane having a Shore hardness of 70A and a thickness of 0.010″ then it is possible to make the entire supporting tray from lightweight plastic. For this design to be functional, good contact must be made between the cavity side of floor 522 and the external side of floor 302, a requirement that dictates low coefficient of friction between said two floors, as for example having the surface of the polyurethane film matted.

[0086] Supporting tray 528 can also be made floorless. Though not shown, it can be described by visualizing an upside down mating flange 529. The floorless tray has an open bottom, allowing floor 302 of bag 22 to make direct contact with shelf 1. The height of wall 527 of supporting tray without floor 522 preferably is no higher than the height of wall 307. A higher supporting tray would limit the area that floor 302 makes contact with shelf 1.

[0087] Another major advantage for placing bag 22 within rigid tray 528 and topping it with matching flange 529 is that the stagnation area that may occur by membrane 303 lifting away from landing 308a,as described in reference to FIG. 3a,is eliminated. Thus, the weight of flange 529 pressing against landing 308aprevents membrane 303 from lifting away from landing 308a,a feature that allows greater freedom in the design of bag 22. It should be obvious that when using this system to eliminate product 4 from being trapped in said stagnation area, the best results are obtained by placing bag 22 in supporting tray 528 and topping it off with mating flange 529 prior to adding product 4 to product chamber 305. Limiting contact between membrane 303 and product 4 would assure cleaner unobstructed membrane and therefore a faster and more uniform lyophilization rate. Limiting contact between the membrane and the product increases in importance as the hydrophobicity of membrane 303 decreases (e.g. where sealant is on the product side of the membrane). By placing bag 22 in supporting tray 528 and fixing it with mating flange 529 prior to filling chamber 305 with product 4 renders flexible bag 22 with properties associated with a rigid tray. Further, by transporting bag 22 in a horizontal alignment, as maintained by supporting tray 528, limits the chance of product 4 contacting membrane 303. It should be clear that tray 528 need not have walls 527, but instead can have legs, as described in reference to FIGS. 8aand 8b,supporting its landing 528aabove its floor 522, a design that would reduce the weight of tray 528. In addition, during the lyophilization process, having flange 529 pressing against landing 308aof bag 22 provides an additional force that maintains an intimate contact between floor 302 of bag 22 to shelf 1 of the lyophilizer throughout the lyophilization process.

[0088] The advantages of a system combining a rigid aluminum tray/mating flange system with lyophilization containers can be extended to handle containers used to lyophilize blood products or other products that are to be infused to a patient as well as products used in the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, lyophilization containers having a roof using membranes with pore's size greater than that required as a bacterial barrier can and should be used. Such containers can replace current open-faced containers widely used for lyophilization but with the added feature of conformable floor that enhances the lyophilization process and collapsible product chamber that significantly reduces storage space. To have a sterile product for the end user when membranes with pore size greater than 0.22μ are used, either the lyophilizer is located in a clean room and/or the product is sterilized post lyophilization (e.g. gamma radiation).

[0089] FIG. 8aillustrates another preferred embodiment consisting of disposable lyophilization container that utilizes the system previously described in reference to FIGS. 5aand 5b,said container consisting of tray 808 having floor 802, vertical walls 807, and roof 803 sealed to landing 808athat form product chamber 805. The underside of landing 808ais attached to and supported by disposable supporting frame 819, also shown in a three dimensional rendering in FIG. 8b.Supporting frame 819 consists of a top flange 819cand incorporates at least three legs 819a.Legs 819ahave a length of H-y where H equals the height between landing 808aand floor 802 of product chamber 805 (i.e. natural height of wall 807 shown as a dashed line and labeled 807′) and “y” equals the vertical distance that wall 807 is allowed to decrease to assure floor 802 makes complete contact with shelf 1. Preferably “y” should be less than 20% of H and more preferably less than 10% of H, a greater value for y/H may result in floor 802 expanding beyond their natural shape such that a portion of the product would see a folded wall rather than the membranous roof. Use of legs 819ato support roof 803 above product 4 allows walls 807 to be softer and more flexible much like a standard IV bag made of PVC. Legs 819amay also incorporate recess 819bthat allows the user to break off said legs post-lyophilization and prior to over-pouching as described in reference to FIG. 7a.Though not shown, container product chamber 805 incorporates ports 814aand 814bin a manner similar to that described in reference to FIGS. 3athrough 4d.Disposable frame 819 can be molded from rigid thermoplastics such as ABS, or PVC, or polypropylene.

[0090] The design describing the floorless supporting frame shown in FIGS. 8aand 8bcan be adopted to form a nondisposable supporting frame. Such a frame would not have the recesses used to break off its legs and it would rely on the weight of product 4 to keep floor 802 of product chamber 805 in intimate contact with the lyophilizer shelf as described in reference to floor 302 shown in FIGS. 3aand 3b.This floorless design of a supporting tray has the advantage that floor 802 is in direct contact with the lyophilizer shelf, a design that simplifies inserting the lyophilizer container into its support system by such means as allowing the user access to floor 802. It also assures that floor 802 does not “hang”, as possible with walls 527 of supporting tray 528 described in reference to FIGS. 5ato 5g.Alternatively, the underside of floor 802 may incorporate thermal plate 32 as described in reference to FIG. 5aa.

[0091] As the pore size of hydrophobic membranes increases, its resistance to fluid flow decreases. Tests conducted by the inventor show that under the same lyophilization conditions (−30° C. and a vacuum of 20 mTorr), transport rates of water vapor across Pall Emflon PTFE membranes with the pore size of 0.2μ, 0.45μ, and 1.0μ were 0.035, 0.048, and 0.068 gr/hr/cm²respectively. Use of membranes with larger pore size would therefore result in faster, less costly, lyophilization rate but it may be prohibited because the smaller size pores are required to maintain the barrier against bacteria. However, if the lyophilization process can be conducted in a clean environment, then, by keeping the membrane covered up to, and removing the cover just prior to, the lyophilization process allows the use of a larger pore membrane. To this end, Lyo-Bag 22 shown in FIG. 8afeatures peelable, preferably flexible, impermeable cover 810 designed to seal and protect membrane 803 during processing and handling prior to lyophilization. Just prior to lyophilization, cover 810 is removed. In general, cover 810 can be sealed along its periphery 810ato secondary landing 808b,said secondary preferably surrounding landing 808a.Cover 810 may also include tab 810bthat extends beyond landing 808bto allow the user a handle to peel cover 810 off of landing 808band expose membrane 803. As well known in the art of peelable adhesives, the adhesive used to seal cover 810 to landing 808bshould withstand the processing yet allow the end user to peel cover 810 away from landing 808bwithout damaging membrane 803. Alternatively, a weakened section wall (e.g. thinner or perforated) between primary landing 808aand secondary landing 808bwould allow the cover to be removed by tearing away secondary landing 808bfrom primary landing 808aand discarding said cover. If necessary, the same or a similar cover can be used to protect membrane 803 post-lyophilization.

[0092] FIGS. 6aand 6bare a cross sectional representation of lyophilization container 23, another preferable embodiment of the present invention, composed of: an upside down semi rigid tray 608 similar in shape to tray 308 described in reference to FIGS. 3aand 3bwhose bottom (now top) has been cut out to form top landing 608aextending inward, vertical wall 607, and bottom landing 608bextending outward. Conformable floor 602, possessing properties similar to floor 302 described in reference to FIG. 3b,is sealed along its outer periphery (e.g. impulse heating) to bottom landing 608b.Hydrophobic membrane, identical in character to previously described roof 303 in reference to FIG. 3a,is sealed along its outer periphery to top landing 608ato form roof 603 using manufacturing considerations described, for example, in reference to FIGS. 3aand 3b.As shown, the external side of membrane 603 is laminated with a sealant, breathable, and protective layer (e.g. aforementioned Typar®) and is sealed to the underside of landing 608a.The formed container is similar in shape and function to bag 22 having product chamber 605, conformable floor 602 and a hydrophobic membrane as roof 603 but its walls 607 being more rigid than flexible wall 307 as described in reference to FIG. 3a.The more rigid wall can be used in applications where product chamber 605 need not collapse as the reconstituted product is used. Tray 608 can be made from thermoformed biocompatible flexible material such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyester, or polyethylene, preferably having a thickness between 0.003″ and 0.030″. Also the dimensions of bottom landing 608band of top landing 608apreferably are only as wide as necessary to retain a reliable seal between floor 602 and roof 603 respectively, that being typically between ⅛″ and ⅜″.

[0093] Product chamber 605 having stiff wall 607 may still be minimized (e.g. for storage post-lyophilization) by incorporating 3 bendable hinges: bottom hinge 607alocated between wall 607 and bottom landing 608b; top hinge 607clocated between wall 607 and top landing 608a;and central hinge 607blocated midway between said top and bottom hinges. All three hinges extend along the entire circumference of wall 607, thereby allowing hinged wall 607 to extend outward along hinge 607band reduce the volume of product chamber 605 as well illustrated by FIG. 6a,showing the extended, and FIG.6bshowing the collapsed state of chamber 605. The hinges should render sufficient stiffness to assure that when container 23, filled with product 4, is topped with another product filled container 23 that the distance between floor 602 and roof 603 would decrease by no more than 10%. Thus, wall 607 must essentially remain stiff and support a weight equivalent to 2.0 gr/cm²(assuming a thickness of 2 cm of product 4, not shown in product chamber 605) plus the weight of tray 23 (nominally 0.1 gr/cm²of footprint). The minimum force required to bend all three hinges can be designed as a function of the maximum force they must withstand. Thus, for a container having floor 602 with an area A_f, and solution 4 to be processed having a maximum thickness of 2.0 cm, (yielding a force of 2.0 A_fgr or a pressure of 1.5 mmHg), and requiring a safety factor of 10, suggests that the hinges should start bending with a force (gr) of 20 A_f. This force may be applied with a plate (not shown) pressing top landing 608atowards bottom landing 608b,or by applying a pressure difference across roof 603 (or floor 602) that is at least 15 mmHg higher outside chamber 605 than inside. The degree of collapse of chamber 605 is dependent on the reduction in distance between roof 603 and floor 602, a distance dependent on the location of central hinge 607brelative to the midpoint. It should be obvious that similar calculations can be made for other desirable products and/or product thickness used to load chamber 605. For example to be able to stack 5 lyophilization containers atop of each other, would require wall 607 of the bottom container to support a weight (with 10× safety factor) of 100 A_fand a pressure difference of 75 mmHg. If it is desired to control the distance between roof 603 and floor 602 when chamber 605 is in the collapsed state, then central hinge 607bcan be moved up away from midpoint and closer to top hinge 607c.This may be desirable when it is necessary to prevent “crushing” lyophilized product 4 during storage. It should be emphasized that this design allows floor 602 to be thinner and more conformable than wall 607. It also allows for a tray that is essentially rigid while processing and lyophilizing yet allow it to collapse to save on storage space that is so important post-lyophilization for the expensive refrigerated storage. It should be noted that the hinges can be designed such that wall 607 would preferably extend outward, as shown, or inward (not shown). The former would allow lower profile collapsed chamber 605 but with a larger footprint. The latter would allow a higher profile but with the footprint unchanged. Note that though not shown, container 23 incorporates ports much like, and in a manner similar to, that described for ports 314aand 314bin reference to FIGS. 3athrough 4d.It should also be clear that a collapsed chamber 605 could be expanded again by either the user pushing central hinge 607binward or by the introduction of the rehydrating solution.

[0094] Immediately post-lyophilization, lyophilization container 23 (or bag 22) preferably is placed within aluminized (e.g. Mylar film) over-pouch 15, much like those used in the blood collection industry (e.g. foil® pouch used for storing blood collection units model # 4R3610, Baxter Travenol, Deerfield Ill.), said pouch acting as a barrier to transfer of O₂, CO₂, water and other gaseous molecules as well as light transmission and preserving now lyophilized product 4 as well as protecting container 23. Further pouch 15 is preferably evacuated (i.e. vacuum-sealed), a process that further limits the exposure of product 4 to trapped fluids in chamber 605 or within sealed space formed by sealed pouch 15 during storage, as well as reduce the volume of chamber 605 for more efficient storage. In one preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 7a,lyophilization container 23 described in FIG. 6ais placed in and sealed within pouch 15. FIG. 7bshows a side view along line 4-4′ of FIG. 7a.To facilitate the evacuation process, pouch 15 may incorporate port 15aalong one of its walls such that once container 23 is sealed within pouch 15, vacuum can be applied to port 15ato evacuate the space within pouch 15 as well as the fluid contained in product chamber 605. As described below, the applied vacuum can also be used to collapse chamber 605. Port 15amay further incorporate one-way valve 15b,said valve allowing fluid flow out of, and not into, pouch 15. Alternatively or in addition to, port 15amay incorporate sealing means such that folding flexible port 15aand crimping said fold much like that done during blood processing. It should be obvious that pouch 15 preferably incorporates one of many means, known in the art of wrappers and pouches, that facilitate opening said sealed pouch to remove container 23 prior to use.

[0095] The expense of refrigerated storage space dictates that if lyophilized product 4 is to be refrigerated, it should be minimized in size. For example, a rectangular shaped package with a uniform thickness stores more efficiently than a circular package with a nonuniform thickness. Therefore, container 23 in evacuated pouch 15 preferably has a geometry with a rectangular footprint and a uniform thickness. Various methods can be incorporated to facilitate that geometry. For example, container 23 is placed in pouch 15 with its roof facing down; pouch 15 is sealed and mechanically compressed, as for example between 2 rigid plates (not shown), and then evacuated via port 15a.Preferably the combination compressing pouch 15, the stiffness of landing wall 607, and the degree of vacuum applied (greater vacuum would more likely buckle landing 308a) would suffice to assure that the external geometry of pouch 15 approaches the aforementioned ideal geometry. To prevent obstructing membrane 603 during the evacuation process and thereby facilitating the removal of gaseous molecules from product chamber 605, container 23 may incorporate means to provide an unhindered fluid path between said pouch and said membrane. For example, flat plate 15cdescribed below and shown in FIGS. 7a-7ccan incorporate protrusions 15dthat prevent membrane 603 from being blocked during the evacuation process. It also prevents port 15afrom being blocked by the collapsing walls of pouch 15. Once evacuated into the desired shape, it remains in that shape. For container 23 (or Lyo-Bag 22) that may buckle when pouch 15 is evacuated, flat rigid plate 15c,having a footprint larger than said container 23's or bag 22's footprint, is added to pouch 15. Now when bag 22 is placed in pouch 15, and pouch 15 is evacuated, flat rigid plate 15cassures that the evacuated package is flat and conforming to the shape of plate 15cas shown in FIG. 7c.

[0096] FIGS. 9aand 9billustrate a system for lyophilization consisting of lyophilization container 24 and supporting tray 928. Preferably container 24 consists of pliable tray 908 having naturally flat rectangular shaped floor 902, said floor extending, along its outside periphery, to form vertical wall 907, said wall ending with landing 908atopped with a hydrophobic membrane serving as roof 903 to form product chamber 905. Preferably, the hydrophobic membrane is attached to the top of wall 907 along landing 908a.Ports 914aand 914bare incorporated into container 24 to form fluid communication with chamber 905. The preferred manufacturing means and choice of material used to form lyophilization containers 22 and 23 described for example in reference to FIGS. 3a-3f,4a-4e,and 6a-6bcan be used in forming container 24. Floor 902 of product chamber 905 should be sufficiently thin and pliable to assure it conforms to the surface it is placed on (i.e. floor 922 of supporting tray 928) when chamber 905 is filled with product 4, a requirement to assure the intimate contact between the two surfaces necessary for the most efficient thermal transfer between said two surfaces. Benefits of the rectangular shaped floor, intimate thermal contact, and the requirements to achieve said intimate contact previously described in reference to FIGS. 3aand 3bare just as applicable here for container 24 as they were there for container 22. It should be clear, as will be described below, that the circumferential support provided by wall 927 of cavity 925 to wall 907 of lyophilization container 24 maintains the shape of product chamber 905 even if a very pliable and thin film is used; (e.g. a 0.005″ thick polyurethane film having a Shore hardness of 65A) to form tray 908. With such thin pliable film, tray 908 serves as a liner that takes the shape of cavity 925 that it is placed in. Hook 916 is placed opposite to ports 914aand 914b,and said ports can be used to line up and position container 24 in cavity 925 as well as extract the container. In addition, supporting tray has circular indentations 928bhaving an inside diameter equal to at least that of the outside diameter of ports 914aand 914b.The desired intimate contact that enhances lyophilization, can be further improved by incorporating channels in floor 922, much like channels 522aand 522bdescribed in reference to FIGS. 5aand 5b.

[0097] Supporting tray 928 is designed to support and facilitate handling of lyophilization container 24. It is made of a plate defined by outside perimeter 928eand a thickness “t” said plate having at least one cavity 925 defined by its outside perimeter 925aand depth “d”. Cavity 925 is further defined by its floor 922, having an internal and an external side, said floor surrounded by vertical wall 927. Surrounding the top of the cavity is landing 928aof flange 928 defined by the difference between outside perimeter 928e of tray 928 and perimeter 925aof cavity 925. The shape of cavity 925 preferably is identical to the bottom of container 24 but its size is slightly larger to accommodate manufacturing tolerances of the container as well as to facilitate inserting said container into said cavity. Thus, depth “d” of cavity 925, the height between landing 928aand floor 922, preferably is made to accommodate bag 24 such that its roof 903 is just below landing 928a.Depth “d” should preferably at least equal the expected maximum height of product 4 in chamber 905. Supporting bag 24 by tray 928 allows wall 907 to be softer and more pliable, more like a standard IV bag made of PVC. Softer wall 907 makes it easier to collapse product chamber 905 for storage. It also expands the material that can be used to form tray 908 to films having Shore hardness of 80 A or less. The size of bag 24 to be used defines the depth of cavity 925. Floor 922 is typically between {fraction (1/16)}″ and ⅝″; thicker floors are usually used for floors with larger footprint and/or more uniform temperature. For example, to lyophilize 100 ml of a platelet solution with a preferred thickness of 5 mm, floor 902 of bag 24 would have an area of 200 cm²(e.g. 16.0 cm long×12.5 cm wide), and the height of wall 907 would be greater than 5 mm, preferably above 10 mm and less than 15 mm. The higher value can be used when there is greater chance of membrane 903 contacting product 4 due to membrane 903 sagging, wall 907 not being sufficiently stiff, or due to splashing when tray 928 is handled after containers 24 have been filled. Less vigorous handling and better membrane support allow use of wall 907 with a lower height. Thus, the opening of cavity 925 defined by perimeter 925ashould be at least 16.0 cm×12.5 cm but preferably 16.5 cm×13.0 cm. The latter larger opening allows easier insertion and lining up of bag 24 into cavity 925. To limit air being trapped in cavity 925 by wall 907 of bag 24 seating against wall 927, and to further facilitate insertion of bag 24 into cavity 925, holes 927gand 928gare drilled into wall 927 to form fluid communication with cavity 925. The lower profile containers can be used by providing additional support to membrane 903 such as described in reference to membrane 303 in FIGS. 3a,3b,3c,5aand 5b.

[0098] Another simple feature appropriate to the system shown in FIGS. 9ato 9dis illustrated in FIGS. 9cand 9dby supporting rod 930. Supporting rod preferably extends across the midsection along the length of membrane 903, said rod further affixed along its bottom length corresponding to the top of membrane 903 by such methods as adhesives or heat sealing. The latter is especially useful if said rod is polypropylene and the top of membrane 903 is laminated with a polypropylene layer as described previously in reference to FIG. 3a.It should be obvious that each bag 24 can incorporate a rod 930, and for a very long bag multiple rods can be used. Rod 930 should not interfere with the collapse product chamber 905 and needs to extend beyond the width of bag 24 just sufficiently to support weight of membrane 903. As a relative size, for the aforementioned 16.0 cm long×12.5 cm wide bag, rod 930 is preferably a 14 cm long polypropylene rod with an effective diameter of ⅛″.

[0099] FIG. 9cillustrates the steps taken to load containers 24 into supporting tray 928 and FIG. 9dillustrates a fully loaded supporting tray. It should be clear that supporting trays can be made with a greater number of cavities to handle greater number of units of container 24, said number of cavities can be simply calculated from the size of the lyophilizer's shelf divided by the area of floor 902 of container 24 and the minimum additional area required for landing 928a.It should be obvious to the reader that the design considerations described for supporting tray 528 and bag 22 in reference to FIGS. 5aand 5bapply here as well. In fact, it should be further clear that designs, material, structure, and processes described for one embodiment should be taken as applicable to other embodiments where appropriate.

[0100] An example combining some of the concepts of the invention follows. Four Lyo-Bags 22 are each placed in a cavity of supporting tray 528 and the supporting holes over the corresponding pins shown in FIG. 5f.The supporting holes of rigid frame 529 are lined up with supporting pins of supporting tray and then pushed down against landing 308aof each bag. If necessary it is possible to tighten flange 529 against landing 308aand to landing 528ato prevent landing 308aof bag 22 from moving. Once flange 529 is in place, product 4 is introduced to chamber 305 of each bag and the 4-cavity tray is placed in the lyophilizer and the process is commenced. The aluminum tray is removed from the lyophilizer, the bags removed from tray and placed in a storage over-pouch, the over-pouch is sealed and evacuated via port 15ashown in FIGS. 7a,7band 7cand the package placed in storage. When the product is to be used, the over-pouch is removed, bag 22 placed membrane up, and the product rehydrated in a control manner, reconstituted completely and then administered.

[0101] While the usefulness of the innovative container has been described in terms of freezedrying, it is applicable for other methods of drying biological products. For example drying by desiccation would also benefit from features of the container such as its tray-like shape, roof that allows vapor to cross but not bacteria, efficient heat transfer, collapsibility for storage, and simple means for controlled rehydration.

[0102] It should be understood that a comprehensive description of each of the applications of the invention is beyond the scope of a patent application and therefore the aforementioned descriptions are given as illustrations and should not be used to limit the intent, spirit, or scope of the invention. With that in mind,