RFID ENABLED CABINET HAVING TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED DRAWER
First Claim
1. A cabinet for storing items, the cabinet having a depth and comprising:
- a plurality of drawer cavities, each cavity configured to receive a drawer, each cavity having a front opening through which the drawer is moved to a closed position within the cavity and through which each drawer is moved to an open position in which the drawer is at least partially outside of the cavity;
an electrically conductive cage formed about a first cavity, the cage having a cage front located at the front opening of the cavity;
a plurality of drawers, each of which is received by a respective cavity and which is movable to an open position and to a closed position, with a first drawer being received by the first cavity having the electrically conductive cage;
a temperature control device configured to provide temperature control for a single drawer, the temperature control device mounted to at least one of;
the first drawer so as to move with the drawer; and
at a fixed position in relation to the first cavity;
a second cavity adjacent the first cavity, the second cavity having no temperature control device and being at ambient temperature;
thermal insulation disposed between the first and second cavities, the thermal insulation located and configured to inhibit cooling provided by the temperature control device of the first cavity from reaching a drawer that is located in the second cavity; and
an RFID reader disposed within the first cavity and configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag located within the first drawer.
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Abstract
An automated system and associated method for storing items comprises a cabinet having at least one refrigerated drawer using a temperature control device and a non-temperature controlled drawer. The drawer design is such that temperature gradients throughout the drawer are minimized. Faraday cages are provided about each drawer to support separate RFID readers to monitor the items in each drawer. The temperature-controlled drawer is insulated so that adjacent non-temperature controlled drawers are not significantly affected by the temperature of the temperature-controlled drawer and they may exist at room temperature. An automatic RFID data detection system determines the temperature requirements of medical items in the temperature-controlled drawer and controls the temperature control device to maintain the required temperature. A temperature logging system for the temperature controlled drawer is provided. A separate RFID reader determines if a temperature-controlled item has been placed in a non-temperature controlled drawer and if so, an alert is provided.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cabinet for storing items, the cabinet having a depth and comprising:
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a plurality of drawer cavities, each cavity configured to receive a drawer, each cavity having a front opening through which the drawer is moved to a closed position within the cavity and through which each drawer is moved to an open position in which the drawer is at least partially outside of the cavity; an electrically conductive cage formed about a first cavity, the cage having a cage front located at the front opening of the cavity; a plurality of drawers, each of which is received by a respective cavity and which is movable to an open position and to a closed position, with a first drawer being received by the first cavity having the electrically conductive cage; a temperature control device configured to provide temperature control for a single drawer, the temperature control device mounted to at least one of;
the first drawer so as to move with the drawer; and
at a fixed position in relation to the first cavity;a second cavity adjacent the first cavity, the second cavity having no temperature control device and being at ambient temperature; thermal insulation disposed between the first and second cavities, the thermal insulation located and configured to inhibit cooling provided by the temperature control device of the first cavity from reaching a drawer that is located in the second cavity; and an RFID reader disposed within the first cavity and configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag located within the first drawer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A cabinet for storing items, comprising:
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a plurality of drawer cavities, each cavity configured to receive a drawer, each cavity having a front opening through which the drawer is moved to a closed position within the cavity and through which each drawer is moved to an open position in which the drawer is at least partially outside of the cavity; a plurality of drawers, each of which is received by a respective cavity and which is movable to an open position and to a closed position; a temperature control device configured to provide cooling for a single drawer, the temperature control device mounted at a fixed position in relation to the first cavity; wherein a second cavity located adjacent the first cavity has no temperature control device and is at ambient temperature; thermal insulation disposed between the first and second cavities, the thermal insulation located and configured to inhibit cooling provided by the temperature control device of the first cavity from reaching a drawer that is located in the second cavity; a first RFID reader disposed within the first cavity and configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag located within the first drawer; a second RFID reader disposed within the second cavity and configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag located within the second drawer; a temperature sensor located to measure the temperature in the first drawer and to provide temperature data representative of the sensed first drawer temperature; a control unit programmed to receive RFID tag data from the first RFID reader regarding an item located in the first drawer and receive sensed temperature data from the first drawer temperature sensor regarding the temperature of the first drawer; wherein the control unit is further programmed to; determine from the received RFID tag data whether an item residing in the first drawer requires a particular temperature; if the control unit determines that an item residing in the first drawer does require a particular temperature, then compare that temperature to the sensed temperature data; control the temperature control device to maintain the particular temperature in the first drawer; and record the received temperature data from the first drawer sensor in a memory; and wherein the control unit is further programmed to receive RFID tag data from the second RFID reader regarding an item located in a non-temperature controlled second drawer, determine from the received RFID tag data whether an item residing in the second drawer requires a particular temperature, and if the control unit determines that an item residing in the second drawer does require a particular temperature, then provide an alert that a temperature-controlled item has been placed in the second drawer. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of storing items, comprising:
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storing items in a plurality of drawers in a cabinet, each of which is configured to move into and out of a respective cavity to a closed position within the cavity and to an open position in which the drawer is at least partially outside of the cavity; mounting a temperature control device to provide temperature control only to a first drawer located in a first cavity; insulating the first cavity from a second cavity located adjacent the first cavity to inhibit temperature control provided to the first drawer in the first cavity from reaching the second cavity and second drawer and tending to keep the second cavity and drawer at ambient temperature; sensing temperature in the first drawer and logging temperature readings over time; reading RFID tag data from an RFID tag disposed on an item located in the first drawer to determine if a temperature requirement exists for the item to which the tag is attached; if a temperature requirement is determined to exist for the item in the first drawer, controlling the temperature in the first drawer with the temperature control device to satisfy the temperature requirement; reading RFID tag data from an RFID tag disposed on an item located in the second drawer to determine if a temperature requirement exits for the item to which the tag is attached; if it is determined that the item in the second drawer has a temperature requirement, proofing an alert that a temperature-controlled item has been placed in the second drawer. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification