Abstract: A sterile containment welding device includes a self-monitoring heater unit upstream from the space between the tube receiving channels. The wafer is positioned in the unit and mounted for movement through the unit prior to moving through the space. The self-monitoring heater unit comprises a heater which heats the wafer and a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature created by the self-monitoring heater in a rapidly alternating sequence so that the wafer is heated to a predetermined temperature before being moved into the space and contacting the plastic tube or tubes.

Abstract: When plastic tubes are melted in a connect or disconnect procedure aerosol particles are formed. The aerosol particles are confined or contained by providing an ion generator which imparts an electrical charge to the particles. The charged particles are then collected by a collector plate within the device.

Abstract: A wafer is used in a device for the selective connecting and disconnecting of plastic tubes. The wafer is in the form of a heated plate having an outwardly extending scoop on each side thereof. The wafer also includes a generally straight line horizontal slit extending through the plate from the trailing downstream edge inwardly. In order to assure single use usage of the wafer, an aperture is provided through the wafer with the aperture being covered by a sensing material. A sensor in the device will inactivate the device if the sensing material is not detected.

Abstract: A pair of plastic tubes are welded together by mounting each tube in the clamp jaws of a holder. A heated wafer is movably mounted in the gap between the tubes to cause the ends of the tubes to melt. The melted ends of the opposed tubes are pressed into contact with each other to form a welded connection. Each side of the wafer has a scoop to remove excess plastic material at the ends of the tubes to control the size of the weld connection. A pair of structural cam elements is used to create a precise spacing between each set of clamp jaws for guiding the wafer to control the plastic volume of the weld. The resulting weld is independent of rheology of plastic. The same device could also be used for disconnect purposes by cutting through a single tube and forming two tube sections. Unique double jaw construction is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for selectively connecting and disconnecting plastic tubes includes a welder. A carriage is located in the welder for conveying a heated wafer through the welder. A pair of arms is mounted in the welder with each arm having a tube holding pocket which extends across its respective arm. The arms are movably mounted to generally align the pockets with a gap therebetween. Each of the arms has a clamp for selectively clamping a tube in its pocket. A wafer removal station is in the welder downstream from the arms. The carriage is driven to the wafer removal station so that the wafer first passes through the gap to contact the tubes and then the wafer passes into the removal station so that it may be removed from the carriage and the carriage may be returned to its starting location. The welder includes a computer for controlling the operation and synchronizing the timing of the carriage and the arms to automate the welder.