The first Rapid Transfer Port (RTP) system was developed in France in the 1960s under licence from the CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) as part of a range of transfer and manipulation tools designed for working in the contained environments of the nuclear industry. It was named Double Porte pour Transfert Étanche or DPTE, i.e. Double Door for Leaktight Transfer.
The DPTE system that links two volumes is based on the interaction of two distinct parts (see Figure 1). The Alpha part, which is fixed to the surface of a chamber (e.g. the wall of an isolator or RABS), consists of a door (the Alpha door), a flange and a lip seal. The Beta part, which is attached to a container, isolator, or other suitable chamber, is the mobile part, consisting of a door (the Beta door), a lip seal and a unit made up of a flange and container.