Co-extrusion blow molding apparatus and method, and sealed empty devices

1. A device comprising:

a body including a first polymer and defining a chamber; and

a closure including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer at blow molding conditions for the first polymer and the second polymer and subsequent cooling of the first polymer and the second polymer to ambient temperature such that, after said cooling, the body including the first polymer and the closure including the second polymer are detachable from each other; wherein at least one of the first and second polymers exhibits a higher shrinkage rate relative to the other; and at least a portion of the closure overlaps at least a portion of the body, forming a hermetic seal therebetween, and defining a sealed, empty, sterile chamber within the body.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the body and closure are co-extruded.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 , wherein the body and closure are co-extrusion blow-molded.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the closure includes a pierceable and resealable member.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 , wherein the pierceable and resealable member includes a third polymer that is bondable to the second polymer of the closure.

6. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the body defines a first portion including the first polymer and further comprises a third portion including a third polymer that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first polymer and is substantially not bondable to the first polymer, and a chamber that is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient atmosphere and defined by at least one of (i) an interior of the third portion, and (ii) a space formed between the first and third portions.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 , wherein the device further comprises a one-way valve fixedly secured to at least one of the body and the closure and in fluid communication with an interior of the body, and the one-way valve defines a normally closed position that hermetically seals the chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere, and an open position that allows substance to flow out of the body and device through the one-way valve.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 , wherein the one-way valve substantially prevents the ingress of bacteria and other contaminants into the chamber in both the closed and open positions.

9. A device as defined in claim 8 , wherein the one-way valve includes a flexible valve member that is movable from the closed to the open position in response to substance at an inlet to the one-way valve exceeding a valve opening pressure.

10. A device as defined in claim 4 , wherein the pierceable and resealable member is thermally resealable upon the application of laser energy or radiation thereto.

11. A device comprising:

a body including a first polymer; and

a closure including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer at blow molding conditions for the first polymer and the second polymer and subsequent cooling of the first polymer and the second polymer to ambient temperature such that, after said cooling, the body including the first polymer and the closure including the second polymer are detachable from each other, and said closure defining a penetrable and resealable portion co-extrusion blow molded with the body, wherein the body and the closure cooperate to define a sealed, empty, sterile chamber.

12. A device as defined in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and second polymers exhibits a higher shrinkage rate relative to the other; and at least a portion of the closure overlaps at least a portion of the body, forming a hermetic seal therebetween.

13. A device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the penetrable and resealable portion is thermally resealable upon the application of laser energy or radiation thereto.

14. A method comprising the following steps:

extruding a body including a first polymer;

co-extruding with the body a closure that includes a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer, wherein at least one of the first and second polymers exhibits a higher shrinkage rate relative to the other; and

blow molding the co-extruded body and closure and forming therein an empty, sterile chamber that is sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere.

15. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising cooling the blow molded body and closure and inducing shrinkage of the first and second polymers and, in turn, forming a hermetic seal therebetween.

16. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising co-extruding a third portion including a third polymer that is bondable to the second polymer.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 , further comprising co-extrusion blow molding the first, second and third portions.

18. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising sequentially co-extruding the first and second polymers.

19. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising extruding a first parison of the first polymer and sequentially co-extruding a second parison of the second polymer surrounding the first parison.

20. A method as defined in claim 16 , further comprising sequentially co-extruding the first, second and third polymers and, in turn, fixedly securing the first and second portions to each other and bonding the third polymer to the second polymer.

21. A method as defined in claim 14 , further comprising aseptically filling the sealed, empty, container with a sterile fluid.

22. A method as defined in claim 21 , wherein the sterile fluid is at least one of a food and a medicine.

23. A method as defined in claim 22 , wherein the food is at least one of a milk-containing product, a soy-containing product, a non-dairy creamer, a yogurt-containing product, a fat-containing product, a nutritional supplement containing product, and a low acid product.

24. A method as defined in claim 21 , wherein the aseptic filling includes needle penetrating a penetrable portion of the device with an injection member and aseptically filling the chamber through the injection member.

25. A method as defined in claim 24 , wherein the aseptic filling further includes resealing a resulting fill hole.

26. A method as defined in claim 21 , wherein the aseptic filling includes (i) detaching the closure from the body, (ii) filling the chamber with a fluid through a cannula, and (iii) re-attaching the closure to the body, and wherein steps (i) through (iii) are performed under an overpressure of sterile gas.

27. A method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the step of resealing a resulting fill hole includes thermally resealing the resulting fill hole by applying laser energy or radiation thereto.

28. A method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the third portion is a penetrable and resealable portion.

29. A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein the third polymer is bondable to the first and second polymers.

30. A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein the penetrable and resealable portion is thermally resealable upon the application of laser energy or radiation thereto.

31. A device comprising:

a body including a first polymer and defining a chamber; and

a closure including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer;

wherein one of the first and second polymers exhibits a higher shrinkage rate relative to the other, and at least a portion of the polymer that exhibits said higher shrinkage rate overlaps on the outside of at least a portion of the other polymer to form a hermetic seal therebetween where the first polymer and the second polymer overlap, whereby the body and the closure define a sealed, empty, sterile chamber within the body.

32. A device as defined in claim 31 , wherein the polymer that overlaps on the outside compresses against the other polymer to form said hermetic seal.