Inverse Blow-Fill-Seal Packaging
A method for blow-fill-seal (BFS) packaging of a product and a BFS package. The method forms a BFS package with a twist-off top, container body and information panel in a main mold. The container is filled via a fill opening located distal to the twist-off top and the fill opening is sealed with a base portion. This provides a container having a twist-off top that is more reliably secured to the container body. A plurality of containers may be attached to a single information panel. The BFS packaging system may employ a quick change insert to reduce lost production time when changing products or lots. The package includes an information panel integrally formed with a plurality of twist-off tops, each of which is removably attached to a container body whereby each container body can be removed from the package without removing the remaining container bodies from the information panel.
1 . A method of forming and filling a blow-fill-seal package comprising the steps of:
(a) molding an information panel, a container body and a twist-off top of a blow-fill-seal package in a manner whereby the twist-off top is integrally formed with the information panel and attached to the container body;
(b) filling the container body via an opening in the container body, wherein the opening in the container body is distal to a location of the twist-off top; and
(c) sealing the opening in the container body with a base portion.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein information is molded into said information panel in said molding step using a mold insert.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in the molding step the information panel is integrally formed with a plurality of twist-off tops and a container body is attached to each said twist-off top.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the blow-fill-seal package is molded such that the twist-off top remains connected to the information panel upon removal of the container body from the blow-fill-seal package.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in the molding step at least one of a name, dosage, administration instructions and expiration date for product located in said container bodies are provided to the information panel.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein molding the information panel, container body and the twist-off top is carried out in a main mold.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of forming the base portion in a sealing mold.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises molding a plurality of container bodies and twist-off tops with a single information panel.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the information panel comprises lot and expiration data for product located in said container bodies.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the information panel further comprises dosage data for product located in said container bodies.
12 . A blow-fill-seal package formed by the method of claim 1 .
13 . A blow-fill-seal package comprising:
a plurality of container bodies each removably attached to a twist-off top,
a single information panel integrally formed with the twist-off tops; and
a base portion sealed to each of the container bodies.
14 - 20 . (canceled)