摘要 |
An apparatus is provided for needle filling and thermally resealing containers having stoppers that are needle penetrable for filling the containers with a substance, and are thermally resealable for thermally sealing a needle hole in the stopper upon withdrawal of a needle therefrom. A container support of the apparatus supports at least one container having a resealable stopper in a substantially fixed position during needle filling and thermally resealing a needle hole in the stopper upon withdrawal of a needle therefrom. A robotic arm of the apparatus is drivingly mounted adjacent to the container support and movable relative thereto. A manifold is drivingly mounted on the robotic arm and includes (1) a needle for penetrating the resealable stopper and introducing a substance through the needle and into the container; (2) a laser optic assembly for heating a needle penetrated region of the stopper and, in turn, sealing a needle hole in the stopper; and (3) a temperature sensor for sensing the temperate of a needle penetrated region of the stopper to determine whether a needle hole therein is sealed. The manifold is movable laterally relative to the container on the container support to position the manifold relative to a needle penetrable region of the stopper of the container. |