Refrigerated cabinet for storing biological articles equipped with means for controlling the cabinet contents

• US 20020023441A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dominique Lambert, Jean-Claude Diot, Nicolas Bara
• Original Assignee: Dominique Lambert, Jean-Claude Diot, Nicolas Bara
• Inventors: Diot, Jean-Claude, Bara, Nicolas, Lambert, Dominique
• Granted Patent: US 6,677,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/125
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

A thermostated cabinet for storing articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier including a cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing articles, an article monitor comprising at lest one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of the articles, and means for providing data to the ratio-frequency identifier.

Claims

1. A thermostated cabinet for storing articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of the articles; and

means for providing data to the radio-frequency identifier.

2. The thermostated cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising means for activating the RF identifier.

3. The thermostated cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the means for activating the RF product identifier is controlled by a cabinet door opening detector.

4. The thermostated cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a computer for recording information relative to identity of the articles, the presence of which is detected in correlation with temporal information provided by a clock.

5. The thermostated cabinet according to claim 4, further comprising signalization means activated by removal of an article for a duration of time greater than a predetermined value.

6. The thermostated cabinet according to claim 5, wherein the signalization means is activated by a product counter controlled by detection of the RF identifier means associated with each article.

7. A temperature-sensitive article for storage in the thermostated cabinet according to claim 1, comprising an RF identification label and a memory for recording storage data.

8. The article according to claim 7, comprising a temperature sensor controlling identifier status transmitted by the RF identification label.

9. The article according to claim 7, wherein the RF identification label comprises an antenna and an integrated circuit comprising an RF stage, an RF signal modulation stage and a memory comprising a specific identification sequence for personalization of the modulation signal.

10. The article according to claim 7, formed in a container equipped with an RF identification label.

11. The article according to claim 7, wherein the memory records information relative to storage conditions.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet is refrigerated.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cabinet is refrigerated.

12. A system for preserving biological products in a thermostated cabinet comprising:

a cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing products;

means for monitoring contents of the cabinet comprising at least one ratio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detection of movements of the products which are fitted with a radio-frequency identification means;

means to supply data to radio-frequency identification means;

a multiplicity of biological products fitted with RF identification labels; and

a memory for recording storage data.