DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING, STORING AND PROTECTING SYRINGES

Abstract

The present invention relates to packaging for storing and/or transporting and/or holding, in a suspended vertical position, articles equipped with flanges, said packaging comprising a plate, said plate comprising a plurality of rails positioned next to one another. Supporting lips are arranged along rails, a lip and a rail thus forming with a lip of an adjacent rail and this rail a groove. A pair of adjacent lips are capable of supporting and sorting said articles. The plate also comprises an upper wall parallel to the plurality of openings for preventing said articles from coming out of said plate when the latter pivots about a horizontal axis. The rails and the lips are free of bumps, thus enabling the articles to slide along the rails. The packaging of the invention may also comprise a box for holding the plate and a collar for surrounding the plate.

Description

SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for storing, transporting and protecting medical product containers. The invention relates, more particularly, to a device connected with the storage, protection and transport of syringes or any other product provided with flanges or collars which are stored suspended in a vertical position.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Currently, medical product containers, such as glass syringes, are packed by manufacturers in a nest form and delivered in sterile conditions. Delivering syringes in a nest format means delivering syringes which have been packed on a plastic plate principally comprising a support plate, called “nest plate” hereinafter, which is formed from a matrix of openings, each of these openings holding a syringe. This nest plate is typically supported in a plastic box, called “nest box” hereinafter, which protects the syringes (see for example the product HYPAK® SCF®, Becton, Dickinson and Company of Franklin Lakes, N.J., USA). This packaging is, moreover, covered with a plastic film and is then ready for sterilization.

When the syringes are delivered to a pharmaceutical company in the nest format, they must be handled in order to be filled individually. After removing the plastic film from each packaging using automated equipment, each nest plate is withdrawn from its corresponding nest box and the syringes are then filled individually. After the filling step, it is necessary on the one hand to label each syringe with the aim of defining the medical product contained, and on the other hand to inspect the syringes in order to detect any contamination of the product and any cracks or scratches in the syringes. Further operations may be required, for example the addition of needle protectors or stoppers. Inspection is conventionally carried out by means of a system of optical sensors (or a camera) which inspect the syringes individually. However, in line with usual practice and due to technical limitations (number of syringes, difficulties with labeling and/or with inspecting the syringes placed in the central part of the nest plate, etc.), the syringes are first removed from the nest plate before being labeled and/or checked. Thus, when the syringes are finally labeled and/or checked, they are then handled again and stored either directly in the nest box without being stored on the nest plate, or in a different support, called a comb plate hereinafter (see the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,595 described hereinafter), the latter having a large number of elongate fingers to keep the syringes suspended by their collars. It should be noted that after labeling and/or inspection, the syringes are no longer reinserted into the nest plate because it is more efficient and easier to store them in the comb plate which is bought separately. Packaging of the nest type, such as the product HYPAK® SCF®, is thus not suitable for automated handling since it requires complex machines. In addition, in the context of semi-automatic handling (with human assistance), it is difficult to exceed speeds of more than 6000 syringes per hour. However, while comb plates are preferred to nest plates for storing the syringes more rapidly and more easily, they are not suitable for transporting and storing syringes. This is because, when the comb plates are stored one on the other in vertical columns, some parts of the syringes risk being damaged or broken due to their direct contact with the bottom of the packaging put over them. In order to prevent this problem, the comb plates must be placed in specific additional boxes and provided with lids having an inner blocking rim.

It is clear that there is a need for a plate capable of overcoming the limitations and drawbacks of current supports and of enabling storage, transport and delivery of the medical containers to be carried out more easily and rapidly. In particular, there is a need for a plate which enables syringes suspended in a vertical position to be supported more easily and safely, which makes the handling of large numbers of syringes during the sterilization, filling, labeling and inspection processes, which are carried out by highly automated machines, more efficient and simple.

PRIOR ART

The document US 2001/0052476 A1 discloses a device for transporting medical containers comprising a rigid plastic plate having a large number of openings for taking and supporting containers such as syringes or ampoules. However, this device has the following drawbacks. This plate is not compatible with an automated machine because the introduction of the containers into or the withdrawal thereof from such a support requires time. In addition, when a container, such as a syringe, is stored in one of the openings in this plate, the friction between this opening and the needle-protecting stopper of the syringe may cause damage to the needle of the syringe or compromise the sterility of the containers or of the medical products they contain.

A system for storing syringes is also known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,595. This storage system comprises a box and a plate made of an assembly of elongate fingers connected to a common spine. These fingers frame a number of parallel channels which support the syringes by their collars. However, this storage system is not capable of supporting the syringes when the plate is withdrawn from the box and turned vertically upside down. Moreover, this plate requires a specific box having a lid provided with an inner blocking rim in order to fasten said plate, since the channels are not rigid enough and can easily be deformed, this possibly leading to the syringes falling and being damaged. Moreover, the plate mentioned in the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,595 is manufactured by a molding process, which is a long and expensive process. Also, this storage system is not suitable for high-speed automatic handling because it requires the use of a complex automatic machine capable of handling this specific box and this particular plate. Finally, this storage system needs a particular type of plate for a given type of syringe (i.e. a syringe having a given diameter or a syringe having a given type of collar), with the aim of protecting the syringes from falling and being damaged. The consequence of this is that, in order to be compatible with the four types of syringe most commonly used, it is necessary to manufacture four different types of storage system.

A device for handling identical articles (syringes, inter alia) in a suspended position is also known from the document EP 1088566 B1. This device is an improvement of the device described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,595. The improvement consists in the addition of a lid hinged to the body of the box, which can easily be closed or opened and which is provided with openings for enabling the medical containers to be moved around easily. However, owing to the complexity of the hinged lid, automatic handling of such a device with the aim of removing the syringes from their packaging takes time and is difficult to carry out. It should finally be noted that this device is manufactured by means of long and complex manufacturing process.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a device for storing, protecting and transporting sterilized articles or articles to be sterilized, which does not have any of the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the aim of the invention is to provide a device for storing, protecting and transporting a large number of medical containers securely, and enabling them to be arranged one above the other. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a device for supporting the containers in a vertical suspended and inverted position. Yet another aim of the present invention is to provide a device which can be easily handled by automated means with the aim of removing the containers from said devices rapidly and securely. Finally, another aim of the present invention is to provide a device which is compatible with syringes independently of their length, type of collar and diameter, for example accepting both syringes having a diameter of 6.85 mm and those having a diameter of 8.15 mm or syringes having flanges of different forms.

Nowadays, packagings for liquid medical product containers are typically provided in the form of a block of 1200×1000 mm, forming a pallet (EuroPallet format), in accordance with the standard UIC 435-2. This means that several container packagings are arranged next to one another and one above the other. Thus, another aim of the present invention is to provide a device for storing, protecting and transporting medical containers, which enables them to be arranged next to one another and one above the other, protecting said containers from harm or contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, a packaging for storing and/or transporting and/or treating and/or supporting, in a suspended vertical position, articles having flanges is provided. This packaging comprises a plate, on one face of which a plurality of rails is arranged in parallel with one another. Support lips are arranged along the rails, one lip and one rail thereby forming a groove with a lip of an adjacent rail and this rail. A pair of adjacent lips is able to support and store the articles by their flanges. According to the invention, the plate comprises an upper wall parallel to the plurality of grooves. This prevents the articles escaping from the plate when the latter is in a position in which the suspended articles are on top. Also according to the invention, said rails and said lips are substantially free of irregularities. The articles can thus be inserted and slid without effort through either end of the groove. The treatments of the articles may relate to bottles or syringes and comprise the checking, filling, stoppering, or sterilization thereof.

Preferably, this plurality of rails is fastened rigidly to said upper wall such that the plurality of grooves does not deform. The articles are thereby prevented from falling, in particular while being handled by machines.

Advantageously, this upper wall of the plate has a plurality of passages made opposite said grooves in order to enable access to an upper face of said articles. These passages are preferably equidistant, with a distance between each other equal to that separating the articles inserted into the groove. These passages also have the advantage of aiding sterilization of said packaging by means of a vapor, ethylene oxide or ionization sterilization process.

The packaging according to the invention may also comprise a holding tongue, said holding tongue being able to take a plurality of articles by snap-fastening and to position said articles opposite said passages. The articles are thus positioned precisely opposite the passages and access to the articles (such as bottles or syringes) is enabled in order to fill or stopper them.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a packaging comprising a plate according to the first aspect of the invention and a box is provided. This box has an upper opening, a base, side walls and a step formed between said upper opening and said side walls in order to support said plate, thereby spacing the ends of the articles from the base. This packaging is characterized in that said box comprises concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside such that when said packaging is arranged side by side with another packaging of the same type and their respective concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside are pressed together, said concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside prevent said packagings from overlapping.

Preferably, said plate comprises, in the upper part of said upper wall, secondary ribs for keeping stable the base of the box of a packaging which is placed on the upper wall of the plate of a second packaging of the same type, when these packagings are arranged one above the other.

Advantageously, said box comprises at least one recess in its side walls for easily taking hold of and withdrawing said plate from said box.

More advantageously, said recess is located in a corner of said box.

More advantageously, said box has a parallelepipedal form.

Preferably, said box has perforations in said peripheral walls in order to aid the sterilization of said packaging by means of a vapor, ethylene oxide or irradiation sterilization process.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a packaging comprising a plate according to the first aspect of the invention and a collar is provided. This collar is suitable for enclosing said plate and said articles that it contains.

Preferably, said collar has supports in order for several plates containing articles to be stacked in an inverted position.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for storing and/or transporting and/or supporting, in a suspended vertical position, articles having flanges is also provided. This method comprises the steps of:

• • supplying a plate, a plurality of rails being arranged in parallel with one another on one face of said plate, support lips being arranged along said rails, one lip and one rail thereby forming a groove with a lip of an adjacent rail and this rail, a pair of adjacent lips being able to support and store said articles by their flanges, said plate being suitable for inserting or withdrawing said articles through each end of said grooves and having an upper wall; and
  • handling said plate with automated means.
    By using this method, it is possible to use one and the same packaging from the start to the finish of the container production process.

The method may advantageously comprise the filling and/or stoppering of said articles through passages made in the plate.

More advantageously, said handling step also comprises the steps of:

• • taking hold of said plate;
  • turning said plate upside down; and
  • keeping said articles in a fixed position during a sterilization process.

Further aspects and advantages of embodiments of the invention will be discussed with reference to the figures and to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 and FIG. 1′ are, respectively, a perspective top view and a perspective bottom view of a support plate according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view in cross section of the plate in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2′ is a side view in cross section of the plate in FIG. 1 supporting syringes.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a tongue supporting syringes.

FIG. 3′ is a partial perspective view of a plate into which tongues supporting syringes have been inserted.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of a box according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective top view of the plate in FIG. 1 in use with the box in FIG. 4, forming a packaging according to a second aspect of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view in cross section of the packaging in FIG. 5 in use with syringes inside.

FIG. 6′ is a side view in cross section of the same packaging as in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view in cross section of the packaging in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view in cross section of the packaging in FIG. 5 supporting syringes.

FIG. 9 is a view in cross section of the packaging in FIG. 6 in use with syringes inside.

FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are respectively a side view, a top view and a perspective view of several packagings of the same type as the packaging in FIG. 6, which are arranged side by side according to the second aspect of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of several packagings of the same type as the packaging in FIG. 6, which are arranged side by side and one above the other in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are respectively a perspective view and a side view of several packagings of the same type as that in FIG. 6, arranged one above the other in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of several packagings of the same type as the packaging in FIG. 6, which are arranged on a pallet (EuroPallet format) side by side and one above the other.

FIG. 17 is a perspective top view of a support plate supported by a particular type of box, according to a third aspect of the invention. FIG. 18 is a perspective top view of the same plate turned upside down.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of several packagings in use in an inverted position and in which each support plate is supported by a particular type of collar, according to another variant of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 and FIG. 1′ are, respectively, a perspective top view and a perspective bottom view of a support plate 30 according to a first aspect of the invention. This plate 30 makes it possible to transport and keep, in a suspended vertical position, articles provided with flanges, wings, collars or other protuberances, etc. (hereinafter generally described as flanges). These articles may be, for example, glass or plastic medical syringes 20, or bottles.

As shown in FIG. 2, said plate 30 is composed of a series of rails 31 arranged one beside another with the aim of forming a plurality of grooves 32 in order to support and store a series of syringes 20. In use, as shown clearly in FIG. 2′, the syringes 20 slide in the rails 31 and are supported by their flanges 21 in a suspended vertical position. Said plate 30 also comprises secondary rails 33 at the end of the rails 31 which have a intransverse cross section in the form of a V in order to prevent the syringes 20 moving laterally with respect to these grooves 32. This particular form of the secondary rails 33 provides a stable point of reference for automatic or manual handling operations which require precise positioning of the plate 30. The width of the openings in the grooves 32 may be chosen so as to accommodate several types of syringe. For example, the applicant found that by giving the opening a width of 8.8 mm, with a tolerance of +0.1 mm, −0.3 mm, both syringes having a diameter of 6.85 mm and those having a diameter of 8.15 mm can be supported with good stability during transporting, storing and transferring operations.

As shown in FIG. 2′, the syringes may be inserted individually into a groove 32. Alternatively, the packaging according to the invention may also have holding tongues 38, one example of which is shown in FIG. 3. The tongue 38 has a plurality of snap-fastening positions 39 in which the syringes 20 can be kept. Numerous mechanisms for snap-fastening an article having a collar are known in the prior art, for example by the backstop 10 shown in FIG. 1 of the document EP 0738517 or in FIG. 2 of the document EP 0764450. The tongue 38 has a slightly smaller cross section than that of the groove 32, making it possible to insert it easily into this groove. The width of the tongue is also approximately the same as the outside diameter of the flanges 21, such that the same plate 30 can be used both with and without tongues 38.

FIG. 3′ is a partial perspective view of a plate 30 in which tongues 38 assembled with syringes 20 have been inserted in the grooves 32. The tongues 38 are supported by the same lips 29 as those used when the syringes 20 are supported individually. Alternatively, the tongues may snap-fasten the syringes in a cylindrical part located under the flange 21. The syringes are then supported on the lips 29 by their flanges 21 and the tongue 38 is inserted into a space between the rails 31, under the lips 29. Fastening bottles 20 by means of tongues 38 has numerous advantages. Thanks to the tongues 38, two syringes 20 inserted successively into a groove 32 are prevented from knocking together and risking being scratched. Adjacent syringes also have predetermined distances between each other. Passages 37 are thus formed in the plate 30 at positions opposite each of the syringes 20. The syringes or bottles loaded on a plate may then be filled and stoppered by an automatic device which accesses the bottles through the passages 37. The passages 37 are advantageously distributed in a network in the two directions, thereby aiding the work of a filling machine. The diameter of the passages is chosen to be sufficiently small for there to be no risk of the syringes provided with their flange passing into them, but sufficiently large to enable easy access to the filling and stoppering devices. Finally, the tongue 38 further improves the holding of the syringes when a needle protector is plugged onto the needle of a syringe.

According to an important aspect of the invention, the plate 30 is manufactured by an extrusion process, as a result of which said plate 30 is open at its two ends and has an upper wall 34 which prevents the syringes 20 from escaping from said plate 30 when the latter is in a position in which the syringes are located at the top as shown in FIG. 18. The plates may be turned by means of grippers, which close the ends of the grooves 32, or may be surrounded by collars 60 as shown in FIG. 18. In addition, the upper wall 34 holds the syringes when a needle protector is plugged onto the needle of a syringe.

In its lower part inside the grooves 32, this upper wall 34 comprises ribs 35 in the form of a V, in order to optimize the processes of sterilizing syringes 20 in the following manner. As the plate 30 can be turned without dropping the syringes 20, it is possible to perform a sterilization process, such as vapor sterilization, while keeping the syringes 20 in an inverted vertical position. The advantage of sterilizing syringes in an inverted vertical position is that water is prevented from accumulating in the syringes. Said ribs 35 separate the flanges 21 of the inverted syringes 20 from the upper wall 34 of said plate 30, as a result of which the sterilization is more effective since the vapor can easily reach the internal parts of the syringe 20. In addition, at the end of the vapor sterilization, residual water can easily be removed. Furthermore, in its upper part, this upper wall 34 comprises secondary ribs 36 in the form of a V in order to keep the packagings arranged one above the other stable, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15.

The plate 30 is made, for example, from extruded polycarbonate. The structure of the plate 30 in fact enables it to be produced by extrusion.

Preferably, said plate 30 is made from a transparent extruded polycarbonate so as to enable visual checking of the syringes 20 stored in said plate 30. It should be noted that it is easier, cheaper and quicker to produce this plate 30 by extrusion processes than by the molding processes required by the devices of the prior art.

According to a particular form of the present invention, the dimensions of the plate 30 are 20×23 cm so as to be dimensionally compatible, for example, with the current support boxes described hereinabove.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, according to a second aspect of the invention, the plate 30 is suitable to be used with and supported by a box 40, forming a packaging 10. Said box 40 comprises concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside 41. These concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside each have at least one and preferably two vertically extending portions 47, such that a box 40 can be arranged side by side with another box of the same type such that the vertically extending portions 47 of these boxes are pressed together, leaving spaces 50 between each other, as clearly shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12 or FIG. 13. The vertical extent of these portions 47 prevents overlapping even when two neighboring boxes 40 are not at exactly the same level. The boxes known from the prior art, for example from FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,595, by contrast, present narrow edges to an adjacent box of the same type, and this may lead to overlapping if the narrow edges of two adjacent boxes do not coincide at the same height.

Said box 40 also comprises an upper opening 42, a base 43, side walls 44 and a portion 45 formed between said upper opening 42 and said side walls 44 for supporting the plate 30 and for separating the syringes 20 contained in said plate 30 from the base 43 of said box 40, as illustrated in FIG. 9. This is because it is important to protect the accessories fitted on the syringes, such as needles or needle protectors, from any contact with the box.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 6′, when the plate 30 is inserted into a box 40 so as to form a closed packaging 10, the upper part of said packaging is wider than its lower part such that when a first packaging 10 covers a second of the same type, the base 43 of the box 40 of the first packaging rests stably on the upper wall 34 of the plate 30 of the second packaging.

Referring again to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, said box 40 also comprises recesses 46, in its side walls 44, at its four corners, for taking hold of and withdrawing the plate 30 easily, if necessary, as is shown more clearly in FIG. 6, FIG. 6′, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

According to this second aspect of the invention, the vertical portions 47 have a form as shown in FIG. 10, such that, when the plate 30 is inserted into the box 40 so as to form a closed packaging 10, when such a packaging is arranged side by side with another packaging of the same type, the respective portions 47 of each box are pressed together, leaving a space 51 between the corners of said packagings.

The presence of the spaces 50 and 51 prevents the packagings 10 overlapping, as a result of which the risk of damaging or breaking the stored syringes 20 is substantially reduced, even when several packagings are arranged together side by side and/or one above the other as shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.

It should be noted that the plate 30 according to the invention is entirely compatible with the boxes of the prior art, and likewise the box 40 according to the invention is entirely compatible with the plates of the prior art (such as nest plates or comb plates). Furthermore, as the plate 30 is produced by an extrusion process, other plates having different dimensions can easily and quickly be obtained.

Several support plates 30 may easily be superposed one above the other after use, since the secondary ribs 36 in the form of a V of one plate interlock with the secondary rails 33 of the corresponding lower plate. Several support boxes may easily be interlocked with one another after use.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of several packagings 10 of the same type on a pallet (EuroPallet format) side by side and one above the other. This type of arrangement is advantageous for storing, transporting within an industrial plant, or transporting (by road, inter alia) between two distant industrial plants.

According to a third aspect of the invention and as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the plate 30 is suitable for use with a collar 60 and is supported thereby in order to enclose said plate 30 and the syringes 20 that it contains. In use, this collar 60 supports said plate 30 and makes it easier to handle the plate 30 while holding firmly onto said syringes 20, even when said plate 30 is upside down.

According to a variant of the first and second aspects of the invention and as shown in FIG. 20, said upper wall 34 of the plate 30 and the side walls 44 of the box 40 have perforations 81 and 82 in order to aid the sterilization of the packaging 10 (for example sterilization by means of water vapor, ethylene oxide or irradiation).

According to a variant of the third aspect of the invention and as shown in FIG. 19, said collar 60 has supports, such as boards 83 for superposing several inverted plates 30 containing syringes 20, in order to sterilize them.

One advantage of the present invention is that the plate can pivot about a horizontal axis parallel to the grooves 32 without dropping the syringes and without any additional element such as a lid being added.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the syringes can be transported more easily and more safely since the lateral movements of the syringes are limited.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it is particularly suitable for cooperating with entirely automated machines and thus enables the time and costs in all the steps of the transporting and storing process to be reduced. In addition, the plate, according to the invention, is suitable for high-speed and long-distance handling by anthropomorphic robots due to its low mechanical inertia. Finally, the plate according to the invention has front/rear symmetry which has numerous advantages, both for their production, which can be carried out by extrusion, and for their handling, which enables filling and discharging through one side or the other. The plates of the invention enable greater storage density than known supports. An industrial process may use the packaging according to the invention during all the successive phases of the treatment: checking, sterilization, intermediate storage, filling, stoppering, final checking, storage, and transport.

Claims

1. A packaging for storing and/or transporting and/or treating and/or supporting, in a suspended vertical position, articles having flanges, said packaging comprising a plate, a plurality of rails being arranged in parallel with one another on one face of said plate, support lips being arranged along said rails, one lip and one rail thereby forming a groove with a lip of an adjacent rail and this rail, and a pair of adjacent lips being able to support and store said articles by their flanges, wherein said plate comprises an upper wall parallel to said plurality of grooves, and said rails and said lips are substantially free of irregularities, thereby enabling the articles to slide along the rails.

2. The packaging as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of rails is fastened rigidly to said upper wall such that said plurality of grooves does not deform, thereby preventing said articles from falling.

3. The packaging was claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate comprises secondary rails in order to prevent said articles from moving laterally with respect to said grooves.

4. The packaging as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper wall of the plate has a plurality of passages made opposite said grooves in order to enable access to an upper face of said articles.

5. The packaging as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a holding tongue, said holding tongue being able to take a plurality of articles by snap-fastening and to position said articles opposite said passages.

6. The packaging as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a box having an upper opening, a base, side walls and a step formed between said upper opening and said side walls in order to support said plate, thereby separating the lower ends of said articles from said base, wherein said box comprises concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside of the side walls and having a portion extending vertically such that when said box is arranged side by side with another box of the same type and their respective concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside are pressed together, said concave peripheral walls extending toward the outside prevent said boxes from overlapping.

7. The packaging as claimed in claim 6, wherein said plate comprises, in the upper part of said upper wall, secondary ribs for keeping stable the base of the box of a packaging which is placed on the upper wall of the plate of a second packaging of the same type, when these packagings are arranged one above the other.

8. The packaging as claimed in claim 6, wherein said box comprises at least one recess in its side walls for easily taking hold of and withdrawing said plate from said box.

9. The packaging as claimed in claim 6, wherein said box has a parallelepipedal form.

10. The packaging as claimed in claim 6, wherein said box has perforations in said peripheral walls in order to aid the sterilization of said packaging.

11. The packaging as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a collar for enclosing said plate and said articles that it contains.

12. The packaging as claimed in claim 11, wherein said collar has supports in order for several plates containing articles to be stacked in an inverted position.

13. A method for storing and/or transporting and/or supporting, in a suspended vertical position, articles having flanges, the method comprising the steps of:

supplying a plate, a plurality of rails being arranged in parallel with one another on one face of said plate, support lips being arranged along said rails, one lip and one rail thereby forming a groove with a lip of an adjacent rail and this rail, a pair of adjacent lips being able to support and store said articles by their flanges, said plate being suitable for inserting or withdrawing said articles through each end of said grooves and having an upper wall; and

handling said plate with automated means.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plate has passages and said handling step also comprises the steps of:

filling and/or stoppering said articles through said passages.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said handling step also comprises the steps of:

taking hold of said plate;

turning said plate upside down; and

keeping said articles in a fixed position during a sterilization process.