Vessel closures and methods for using and manufacturing same
Vessel closures having a variety of inserts for aseptically sealing vessels. The vessel closures have a body with one or more apertures, one or more inserts extending axially through the one or more apertures, and a cast seal surrounding the inserts. The cast seal is preferably east silicone. The vessel closures may have one or more anchors securing the inserts to the body of the vessel closure. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing vessel closures and a method of using the vessel closures disclosed herein for circulating fluids into and out of a vessel while also having the ability to regulate the temperature of the pumped fluid.
1. A vessel closure comprising:
a body,
one or more apertures extending axially through the body,
one or more inserts extending axially through the one or more apertures, and
a cast seal disposed within the body and surrounding each insert,
wherein at least one of the one or more inserts comprises silicone tubing, at least a portion of the silicone tubing being treated with a primer where the silicone tubing contacts the cast seal,
the cast seal comprising a casting agent cured after the one or more inserts are inserted through the one or more apertures,
wherein an anchor is adhesively attached to at least one of the one or more inserts, the cast seal is bonded to the anchor, and the anchor secures the one or more inserts and the cast seal to the body.
2. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the anchor mechanically attaches to the body through a friction fit connection.
3. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the cast seal is attached to the body by way of priming at least a portion of the body and adhesively attaching the cast seal to the body.
4. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the cast seal is aseptically secured to the insert.
5. The vessel closure of claim 1 further comprising at least one aperture in the body without an insert and sealed by the cast seal to form a pierceable closure over the at least one aperture.
6. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the one or more inserts are selected from the group consisting of tubing, a temperature probe, a pH sensor, a pierceable insert, a strain relief boot, a dip tube, a barbed fitting, a luer, and a quick connect fitting.
7. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein at least one of the inserts is a barbed fitting with a barbed extension extending axially into the interior of the body and a barbed extension extending axially out of the body.
8. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein one or more check valves are placed on the silicone tubing extending into the interior of a vessel when the vessel closure is placed on the vessel.
9. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the casting agent is liquid silicone.
10. The vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the casting agent is perfluoropolyether.
11. The vessel closure of claim 1 , wherein the ends of the silicone tubing are both directed into an interior of a vessel thereby forming a loop on an exterior of the vessel; and
a pump attached to the loop of the silicone tubing on the exterior of the vessel.
12. A method of circulating a fluid into and out of a vessel comprising:
sealing the vessel with the vessel closure of claim 1 , wherein the ends of the silicone tubing are both directed into the interior of the vessel thereby forming a loop on the exterior of the vessel;
attaching a pump to the loop on the exterior of the vessel and using the pump to circulate fluid out of and into the vessel through the silicone tubing.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump connected to the loop of tubing on the exterior of the vessel and used to circulate the fluid.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein a heat exchanger is connected to the loop of silicone tubing on the exterior of the vessel and used to regulate the temperature of the fluid.
15. A vessel closure comprising:
a body,
one or more apertures extending axially through the body,
one or more inserts extending axially through the one or more apertures, and
a cast seal disposed within the body and surrounding each insert,
wherein at least one of the one or more inserts comprises silicone tubing, at least a portion of the silicone tubing being treated with a primer where the silicone tubing contacts the cast seal,
the cast seal comprising a casting agent cured after the one or more inserts are inserted through the one or more apertures,
wherein the cast seal is sealingly compressed between the body and the opening of a vessel upon tightening the closure on the vessel.
16. A tubing assembly in a vessel closure comprising:
one or more thermoplastic tubes extending axially through one or more apertures extending through the vessel closure;
an anchor adhesively attached to a portion of each thermoplastic tube, the anchor capable of bonding with a casting agent, wherein at least a portion of the anchor is treated with a primer where the anchor contacts the casting agent; and
a cast seal comprising the casting agent cured after the one or more thermoplastic tubes are inserted through the one or more apertures, the cast seal securing each anchor and thermoplastic tube through each aperture.
17. The tubing assembly of claim 16 wherein the casting agent is aseptically sealed to the anchor.
18. The tubing assembly of claim 16 wherein the anchor is constructed from material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, glass-filled plastic, ceramics, and composites.
19. The tubing assembly of claim 16 wherein the closure further comprises one or more silicone tubes extending through the one or more apertures.
20. The tubing assembly of claim 19 wherein the one or more silicone tubes are adhesively attached to one or more anchors; the anchors securing the one or more silicone tubes to the body.
21. The tubing assembly of claim 16 wherein the casting agent is a liquid silicone.
22. The tubing, assembly of claim 16 wherein the casting agent is a liquid perfluoropolyether.
23. A tubing assembly in a vessel closure comprising:
flexible tubing extending through an aperture in the closure;
a deformable sleeve adhesively attached to and surrounding at least a portion of the flexible tubing;
the sleeve being formed of a material having plasticity such that pressure applied to the sleeve causes the sleeve to deform about and seal the flexible tubing and upon continued application of pressure to the sleeve, the sleeve and flexible tubing are cut and the sleeve retains a deformed shape substantially sealing the tubing; and
a cast seal surrounding the sleeve.
24. The tubing assembly of claim 23 wherein the tubing is thermoplastic tubing, elastomeric tubing, or a combination of thermoplastic and elastomeric tubing.
25. The tubing assembly of claim 23 wherein the cast seal is aseptically sealed to the deformable sleeve.
26. The tubing assembly of claim 23 wherein a casting agent of the cast seal is liquid silicone.
27. A method of manufacturing a vessel closure, the vessel closure comprising one or more apertures through a body with tubing extending through the one or more apertures; the method comprising:
creating one or more apertures in the body;
inserting silicone tubing through at least one aperture;
inserting thermoplastic tubing through at least one other aperture wherein at least a portion of the thermoplastic tubing is surrounded by a sleeve adhesively attached to the thermoplastic tubing, wherein the outer surface of the sleeve is capable of bonding with a casting agent;
casting the casting agent into the body after inserting the silicone tubing through the at least one aperture and after inserting the thermoplastic tubing through the at least one other aperture; and
curing the casting agent to form a seal around and bond to the silicone tubing and to the at least one sleeve surrounding the thermoplastic tubing.
28. The method of manufacturing the vessel closure of claim 27 wherein the casting agent is a liquid silicone.
29. The method of manufacturing the vessel closure of claim 27 wherein the casting agent is a liquid perfluoropolyether.