Apparatus and Method for Receiving, Storing and Distributing Blood Bags

• US 20080104993A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angelantoni Life Science SRL (Angelantoni Family)
• Original Assignee: Angelantoni Industrie SpA
• Inventors: Zenobi, Mauro, Ventura, Simone, Neri, Cristiana
• Granted Patent: US 8,113,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/440
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/369 Temperature treatment

Abstract

Method and apparatus (1) for receiving, storing and distributing blood bags comprising a cabinet (1) for containing all the components of the apparatus (1); a refrigerated space (21) for containing the bags; a magazine (3) housed inside the refrigerated space (21) comprising a plurality of cells (31), each capable of containing a single bag, each of the cells being identified by a cell code. The apparatus (1) further comprises at least one door (4) for allowing access by an operator to the cells; a movement system (5) housed inside the cabinet (2) and capable of moving, preferably rotating, the cells (31); a cooling system (6) housed inside the cabinet (1) and capable of cooling the refrigerated space (21). The apparatus (1) further comprises a data processing system (7) housed inside the cabinet (2), capable of controlling the movement system (5) and the cooling system (6), and capable of controlling the receiving, the preservation and the releasing of the bags, and capable of exchanging data from and to an external data-management system (17) with which the apparatus (1) can interact. Onto the apparatus (1) there are provided a keyboard (8) and a screen (9), both connected to the processing system (7), and both placed at the walls (23) of the cabinet (2).

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A method for receiving, preserving and releasing blood bags in a temperature and closure controlled apparatus provided with at least an interface for interacting with an user, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the blood bags with coded-identification means which also comprise data concerning the blood contained in the same bag;

(b) before receiving in said apparatus or drawing therefrom a bag, obtaining from said coded-identification means the data concerning the blood contained in the bag and storing them in a memory, characterised in that it further comprises the step of

(c) exchanging the data concerning the blood contained in the bag with a data-management system external to said apparatus.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the operations on said apparatus, in particular the drawing or the storing of bags, are subordinate to a procedure for acknowledgment of the operator through said interface.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said procedure for acknowledgment involves the inserting of a key-word.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the data concerning the blood contained in the bag are cross-checked with corresponding data present in the external data-management system.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising for the drawing of the bag the steps of:

(a) providing an operator with a coded request for the bag to be drawn emitted on the basis of data contained in the external data-management system;

(b) performing a reading of the code of the request and cross-checking the validity of the request itself by asking an acknowledgment to the external data-management system; and

(c) only after receiving an affirmative acknowledgment, calling for the reading of the coded-identification means and cross-checking with a code previously acquired from the request enabling the operator to conclude the drawing on the basis of the result of the cross-check.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the data concerning the blood contained in the bag are used to check the compatibility of the blood with a patient to whom the bag is going to be delivered by checking said data in the external data-management system.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the data concerning the blood contained in the bag are used to check the blood'"'"'s expiry date.

41. The method according to claim 34, wherein the data concerning the blood contained in the bag are used to arrange the bags inside said apparatus in accordance with blood type, expiry date, destination and intended use of the blood.

42. The method according to claim 34, wherein the data concerning both particular blood type and the bags containing it are used to generate a signal of lack of bags and/or to identify a minimum supply of bags containing blood of said blood type.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the drawing of a bag whose blood type belongs to said minimum supply is denied.

44. The method according to claim 34, wherein two or more apparatuses are linkable together in order to exchange data concerning the blood contained in the apparatuses.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein from a remote apparatus another apparatus is remotely monitored and/or controlled and/or an operator thereof is guided.

63. The apparatus according to claim 46, including a computer program capable of performing all the steps of data management and control of the apparatus in the claims 34 to 44.

64. The apparatus according to claim 63, wherein the computer program is incorporated in a computer readable medium.

46. An apparatus for receiving, preserving and releasing blood bags comprising:

(a) a cabinet for containing all the components of the apparatus;

(b) a refrigerated space for containing the bags;

(c) a magazine comprising a plurality of cells, each capable of containing a single bag, the magazine being housed inside the refrigerated space, each of the cells being identified by a cell code;

(d) at least one door for allowing access by an operator to the cells;

(e) a movement system housed inside the cabinet and capable of moving, preferably rotating, the cells;

(f) a cooling system housed inside the cabinet and capable of cooling the refrigerated space,

(g) a data-processing system housed inside the cabinet, capable of controlling the movement system and the cooling system, and capable of controlling the receiving, the preservation and the releasing of the bags,

(h) a keyboard and a screen, both connected to the processing system, and both placed at a wall of the cabinet, characterised in that it further comprises

(i) an external data-management system, with which the apparatus can interact, and capable to exchange data from and to data-processing system for checking the receiving, preservation and releasing of the bags.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46, capable of receiving, preserving and releasing blood bags equipped with bag identification means, comprising a reading device for reading bag identification means, said device being connected to the processing system, housed inside the cabinet and placed at a wall of the cabinet.

48. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the cells are structured in superposed levels, and wherein the cell code is univocal.

49. The apparatus according to claim 48, wherein the cell code is independent of the level in which the cell is located and of the position of the cell in the level.

50. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein cell identification means capable of retrieving and/or containing cell codes, preferably bar codes, are placed at the cells.

51. The apparatus according to claim 50, comprising at least one reading device for reading cell identification means and connected to the processing system, and at least one corresponding movement member for said reading device controlled by the processing system, said device and said member being housed inside the refrigerated space.

52. The apparatus according claim 46, wherein a service machinery space separate from the refrigerated space is provided and contains the movement system, the processing system and the cooling system of the refrigerated space except for the evaporator.

53. The apparatus according to claim 46, comprising a metal container capable of completely containing the processing system.

54. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the data-processing system comprises a sub-system for thermal control of the refrigerated space, said sub-system being independent of, but in communication with, the processing system.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the sub-system is provided with an emergency power source.

56. The apparatus according to claim 46, comprising a door which extends from the first to the last level of the magazine, wherein one cell of each level is notional, and wherein the movement system is capable of rotating a single level at a time.

57. The apparatus according to claim 46, comprising a number of doors equal to the number of levels of the magazine, wherein the movement system is capable of rotating the whole magazine, wherein the processing system is capable of releasing the opening of a single door at a time during normal operation.

58. The apparatus according to claim 46, comprising a modem of the wired or wire-free type for connecting the processing system to a telephone network or another apparatus.

59. The apparatus according to claim 46, comprising a network port of the wired or wire-free type for connecting the processing system to a computer network or another apparatus.

60. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the data-processing system comprises a control program equipped with a communication module capable of communicating with an external management program, typically by way of a network port or a modem.

61. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the communication module is a software element independent of the control program and is capable of being actuated by the control program during the execution of the control program.

62. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the control program is equipped with a software interface that is fixed and predetermined for interacting with the communication module.