REAL TIME TEMPERATURE AND LOCATION TRACKER

• US 20100289669A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Clinical Services Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Clinical Services Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lebedev, Vladimir N., Saltzman, Greg D., Troutman, Nancy H., Sheetz, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.17
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A shipper having an outer housing with a temperature sensitive payload and a temperature/location tracker disposed therein. The outer housing has a body having an interior surface bounding a compartment that is accessed through an opening. A first panel is coupled with the body and configured to extend over at least a portion of the opening, with a first access port extending through the first panel. The payload and temperature/location tracker are disposed within the compartment of the body. The temperature/location tracker includes a first temperature probe, a GPS receiver, a cellular modem, and a GPS antenna. The GPS antenna is disposed so as to be aligned with the first access port when the shipper is in a fully assembled state such that the GPS antenna is directly accessible through the first access port. The temperature/location tracker monitors and periodically transmits temperature and location values of the shipper over a cellular communication network.

Claims

1. A shipper comprising:

an outer housing comprising;

a body having an interior surface bounding a compartment that is accessed through an opening; and

a first panel coupled with the body and configured to extend over at least a portion of the opening, a first access port extending through the first panel;

a temperature sensitive payload disposed within the compartment of the body; and

a temperature/location tracker also disposed within the compartment of the body, the temperature/location tracker comprising a first temperature probe, a GPS receiver, a cellular modem, and a GPS antenna, the GPS antenna being disposed so as to be aligned with the first access port when the shipper is in a fully assembled state such that the GPS antenna is directly accessible through the first access port, wherein the temperature/location tracker is configured to monitor and periodically transmit temperature and location values of the shipper over a cellular communication network.

2. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer housing further comprises a second panel coupled with the body and configured to extend over the first panel, a second access port extending through the second panel so as to be aligned with the first access port when the shipper is in a fully assembled state such that the temperature/location tracker is directly accessible through the second access port.

3. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna is freely exposed when the shipper is in a fully assembled state.

4. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna is viewable through the first access port when the shipper is in a fully assembled state.

5. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna is disposed within the first access port when the shipper is in a fully assembled state.

6. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the first access port has a cross sectional area between about 700 mm² and about 5000 mm².

7. The shipper as recited in claim 1, further comprising a covering positioned over or within the first access port.

8. The shipper as recited in claim 7, wherein the covering is less than 0.01 mm thick.

9. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature/location tracker further comprises a data logger configured to store the temperature and location values.

10. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature/location tracker is self contained so as to be reusable.

11. The shipper as recited in claim 1, further comprising an insulated container disposed within the compartment of the body, the payload being disposed within the insulated container.

12. The shipper as recited in claim 11, wherein the temperature/location tracker further comprises a second temperature probe, the first temperature probe being disposed within the insulated container and the second temperature probe being disposed outside of the insulated container.

13. The shipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the payload comprises a biological material.

14. A shipping system comprising:

a shipper as recited in claim 1;

a remote monitor configured to receive the temperature and location values that are periodically transmitted by the shipper over the cellular communication network.

15. A method of monitoring a shipper in transit, the method comprising:

measuring a temperature of a payload of a shipper using a temperature/location tracker disposed within a compartment of the shipper;

determining a location of the shipper using the temperature/location tracker;

transmitting values representing the measured temperature and determined location to a remote monitor over a cellular communication network using the temperature/location tracker.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the acts of measuring a temperature, determining a location, and transmitting values are repeated on a periodic basis using the temperature/location tracker.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

determining when cellular communication has been lost by using the temperature/location tracker, and when it is determined that cellular communication has been lost;

continuing to periodically measure the temperature of the payload and -determine the location of the shipper;

storing the temperature and location values in a data logger; and

transmitting the stored temperature and location values over the cellular communication network when the temperature/location tracker determines that cellular communication has been reestablished.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the payload is disposed within an insulated container within the compartment.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

measuring a second temperature representing the temperature of a portion of the shipper disposed outside of the insulated container, and

transmitting a value representing the measured second temperature to the remote monitor over the cellular communication network using the temperature/location tracker.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the shipper periodically determining a location comprises receiving an external GPS signal and determining the location therefrom.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the shipper or the remote monitor alerting a remote user when the measured temperature is outside of a pre-defined limit.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the predefined limit is a maximum temperature value.

23. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the shipper transmitting a time stamp with each temperature and location value, the time stamp corresponding to a relative time when each measured value was obtained.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the time stamp is derived from a GPS signal.

25. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising receiving programming instructions over the cellular communication network using the temperature/location tracker.