×

Temperature regulated specimen transporter

  • US 5,483,799 A
  • Filed: 04/29/1994
  • Issued: 01/16/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A temperature regulated specimen transporter for controlling the temperature and environment of a clinical specimen during transportation thereof comprising, in combination:

  • an essentially rectangular rigid impact-resistant storage compartment having an insulated bottom wall, insulated side walls extending upwardly therefrom to define a hollow interior and an opening for allowing access to the interior, and an insulated top wall hingeably coupled to a side wall adjacent to the opening and positionable over the opening for precluding access to the interior and with the walls each having thermally conductive portions formed therein;

    a heat sink coupled to the thermally conductive portions of the walls for heating and cooling the storage compartment;

    fan means coupled to the heat sink for drawing heat to and from the storage compartment and thereby increasing its heating and cooling efficiency;

    temperature control means coupled to the storage compartment for manually setting and displaying desired minimum, maximum and operational temperature set points for the interior of the storage compartment, recording actual minimum and maximum temperatures within the interior of the storage compartment, displaying operational status exterior to the storage compartment, and outputting status signals exterior to the storage compartment based on the operational temperature set points;

    a thermocouple coupled to the heat sink, the thermocouple having a first operational state for allowing the heat sink to heat the interior of the storage compartment and a second operational state for allowing the heat sink to cool the interior of the storage compartment;

    a temperature control circuit coupled between the temperature control means and the thermocouple and operable in one mode for placing the thermocouple in the first operational state and another mode for placing the thermocouple in the second operational state based on the temperature set points, each mode being activated based on status signals received from the temperature control means to allow the storage compartment to be alternately heated and cooled to maintain a temperature within the interior of the storage compartment that varies no more than plus or minus 5 degrees Celsius from each of the operational set points, the temperature control circuit including relay means formed of a double pole double throw relay that is switchable through a pair of relay contacts for controlling the operational state of the thermocouple, and relay switching means formed of a transistor for controlling the relay means;

    power source means for providing electrical power for energizing and de-energizing the heat sink, fan means, temperature control means, thermocouple, and temperature control circuit;

    power protection means for preventing overloaded power from damaging the specimen transporter formed of a current-controlled first diode coupled between the relay means and the power source, a second diode coupled between the relay switching means and the relay means, a first capacitor coupled to the power source means for smoothing pulsating electrical power transmitted therefrom, and overvoltage protection means coupled between the first capacitor and the relay means and the relay switching means for regulating power applied to the relay means and the relay switching means;

    a third diode coupled between the fan means and the thermocouple and the relay means and with the third diode allowing the fan means to operate while the thermocouple is cooling;

    a second capacitor coupled to the relay switching means and a third capacitor coupled to the thermocouple and with the second and third capacitors smoothing electrical spikes generated by switching the relay switching means; and

    a pair of light-emitting diodes interconnected to the thermocouple and relay means for indicating the operational state of the thermocouple.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×