Methods, Devices and Systems for Secure Transport of Materials

• US 20140317005A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Theranos IP Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Theranos Incorporated
• Inventors: Balwani, Sunny
• Application Number:
  US14/259,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/317
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/38 with thermal insulation vacuum bottles or the like A47J41/00 ; thermal insulation of domestic water storage heaters F24H1/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for the secure transport of material are provided. A transported material may be a biological material, such as a biological sample. Material is only transferred to a courier having a unique, single-use authorization code. Authorization codes are provided to a courier only upon arrival at a proper location and at a designated time. Courier identification or code confirmation or authorization may also be required. Identification or other confirmation regarding a custodian, material to be transferred, or both, may be required. Courier images, custodian images, or both, may be required. An authorization code may include a bar code, a number, a letter, or other symbol or code. An authorization code, an image, route information, and other information may be communicated by cell-phone, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other link. Transport containers with temperature sensors and communication links, and storage containers with light sensors, memory, and communication links are provided.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for transporting a material from a transfer location to a destination, comprising:

Providing a courier with a route to a transfer location and a destination;

Providing a courier with an authorization code at said transfer location;

Verifying the authorization code;

Verifying the identity of the courier;

Transferring a material to said courier upon presentation of said authorization code to a custodian at said transfer location; and

Transporting said material to said destination.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising confirming the identity of the custodian, confirming the authorization of the custodian to transfer the material, identifying the material, confirming the authenticity of the material, confirming the suitability of the material, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said authorization code is provided from a remote location different than said transfer location.

46. The method of claim 12, wherein said authorization code provided to a courier comprises an encrypted authorization code.

50. The method of claim 12, wherein said material comprises material selected from biological material, perishable material, valuable material, rare material, and dangerous material.

53. The method claim 12, wherein said material comprises a biological material selected from an organ, a portion of an organ, blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, tears, gastric fluid, spinal fluid, stool, mucus, sweat, earwax, oil, glandular secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, tissue, semen, vaginal fluid, breath, hair, finger nails, skin, biopsy tissue, placental fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, lymphatic fluids, fluid from a body cavity, sputum, mucus, pus, microbiota collected from a subject, meconium, breast milk, material from a nasal swab, material from a nasopharyngeal wash, material from a throat swab, material from a cheek swab, and/or other bodily secretion or excretion.

58. The method of any of claim 12, wherein the location of a courier is determined by use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other automatic or remote means.

13-15. -15. (canceled)

18. A method for transporting a plurality of materials from a plurality of transfer location to a destination, comprising:

Providing a courier with a route to a first transfer location, to one or more subsequent transfer locations, and to a destination;

Providing a courier with a first authorization code at said first transfer location;

Verifying the authorization code at said first transfer location;

Verifying the identity of the courier at said first transfer location;

Transferring a first material to said courier upon verification of said first authorization code and verification of the identity of said courier by a custodian at said first transfer location;

Providing a courier with a subsequent authorization code at each of said one or more subsequent transfer locations;

Verifying the authorization code at each of said subsequent transfer locations;

Verifying the identity of the courier at each of said subsequent transfer locations;

Transferring a subsequent material to said courier upon verification of each of said one or more subsequent authorization codes and verification of the identity of said courier by a custodian at each of said one or more subsequent transfer locations; and

Transporting said first material and said subsequent materials to said destination.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising confirming the identity of the custodian, confirming the authorization of the custodian to transfer the material, identifying the material, confirming the authenticity of the material, confirming the suitability of the material, custodian, or a combination thereof, at each transfer location.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said authorization codes are provided from one or more remote locations different than said transfer locations.

59. The method of claim 18, wherein the location of a courier is determined by means comprising use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other automatic or remote means.

105. The method of claim 18, wherein said material comprises material selected from biological material, perishable material, valuable material, rare material, and dangerous material.

108. The method claim 18, wherein said material comprises a biological material selected from an organ, a portion of an organ, blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, tears, gastric fluid, spinal fluid, stool, mucus, sweat, earwax, oil, glandular secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, tissue, semen, vaginal fluid, breath, hair, finger nails, skin, biopsy tissue, placental fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, lymphatic fluids, fluid from a body cavity, sputum, mucus, pus, microbiota collected from a subject, meconium, breast milk, material from a nasal swab, material from a nasopharyngeal wash, material from a throat swab, material from a cheek swab, and/or other bodily secretion or excretion.

19-26. -26. (canceled)

29. A method of transporting a plurality of materials from a transport location to a plurality of destinations, comprising:

Providing a courier with a route to a transfer location and to a plurality of destinations, wherein said plurality of destinations comprises a first destination and one or more subsequent destinations;

Providing a courier with an authorization code at said transfer location;

Verifying the authorization code at said transfer location;

Verifying the identity of the courier at said transfer location;

Transferring said plurality of materials to said courier upon verification of said authorization code and verification of the identity of said courier by a custodian at said transfer location, wherein said plurality of materials comprises a first material to be delivered to a first destination, and one or more subsequent materials to be delivered to one or more subsequent destinations;

Transporting said first material to said first destination; and

Transporting each of said subsequent materials to each of said subsequent destinations.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising confirming the identity of the custodian, confirming the authorization of the custodian to transfer the material, identifying the material, confirming the authenticity of the material, confirming the suitability of the material, or a combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said authorization code is provided from a remote location different than said transfer location.

103. The method of claim 29, wherein said authorization code provided to a courier comprises an encrypted authorization code.

106. The method of claim 29, wherein said material comprises material selected from biological material, perishable material, valuable material, rare material, and dangerous material.

109. The method claim 29, wherein said material comprises a biological material selected from an organ, a portion of an organ, blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, tears, gastric fluid, spinal fluid, stool, mucus, sweat, earwax, oil, glandular secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, tissue, semen, vaginal fluid, breath, hair, finger nails, skin, biopsy tissue, placental fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, lymphatic fluids, fluid from a body cavity, sputum, mucus, pus, microbiota collected from a subject, meconium, breast milk, material from a nasal swab, material from a nasopharyngeal wash, material from a throat swab, material from a cheek swab, and/or other bodily secretion or excretion.

111. The method of claim 29, wherein the location of a courier is determined by use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other automatic or remote means.

30-32. -32. (canceled)

35. A method for transporting a plurality of materials from a plurality of transfer location to a plurality of destinations, comprising:

Providing a courier with a route to a first transfer location, to one or more subsequent transfer locations, to a first destination, and to one or more subsequent destinations;

Providing a courier with a first authorization code at said first transfer location;

Verifying said first authorization code at said first transfer location;

Verifying the identity of the courier at said first transfer location;

Transferring said first material to said courier upon verification of said first authorization code and verification of the identity of said courier by a custodian at said first transfer location, wherein said first material comprises a material or plurality of materials to be transported to a first destination, or to a first destination and one or more subsequent destinations;

Providing a courier with a subsequent authorization code corresponding to said subsequent transfer location at each of said one or more subsequent transfer locations;

Verifying the authorization code at each of said subsequent transfer locations;

Verifying the identity of the courier at each of said subsequent transfer locations;

Transferring a subsequent material or plurality of materials to said courier upon verification of said subsequent authorization code corresponding to said subsequent transfer location and verification of the identity of said courier by a custodian at each of said one or more subsequent transfer locations, wherein said subsequent material comprises a material or plurality of materials to be transported to a first destination, or to a first destination and one or more subsequent destinations; and

Transporting said materials to said first destination or to said first destination and said subsequent destination or destinations.

44. The method of claim 35, further comprising confirming the identity of the custodian, confirming the authorization of the custodian to transfer the material, identifying the material, confirming the authenticity of the material, confirming the suitability of the material, or a combination thereof, at each transfer location.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein said authorization codes are provided from one or more remote locations different than said transfer locations.

104. The method of claim 35, wherein said authorization code provided to a courier comprises an encrypted authorization code.

107. The method of claim 35, wherein said material comprises material selected from biological material, perishable material, valuable material, rare material, and dangerous material.

110. The method claim 35, wherein said material comprises a biological material selected from an organ, a portion of an organ, blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, tears, gastric fluid, spinal fluid, stool, mucus, sweat, earwax, oil, glandular secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, tissue, semen, vaginal fluid, breath, hair, finger nails, skin, biopsy tissue, placental fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, lymphatic fluids, fluid from a body cavity, sputum, mucus, pus, microbiota collected from a subject, meconium, breast milk, material from a nasal swab, material from a nasopharyngeal wash, material from a throat swab, material from a cheek swab, and/or other bodily secretion or excretion.

112. The method of claim 35, wherein the location of a courier is determined by use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other automatic or remote means.

36-43. -43. (canceled)

47-49. -49. (canceled)

51-52. -52. (canceled)

54-57. -57. (canceled)

60-102. -102. (canceled)