Refrigerated cabinet for storing biological articles equipped with means for controlling the cabinet contents

• US 6,677,857 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dominique Lambert, Jean-Claude Diot, Nicolas Bara
• Original Assignee: Dominique Lambert, Jean-Claude Diot, Nicolas Bara
• Inventors: Diot, Jean-Claude, Bara, Nicolas, Lambert, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/865,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/545.6, 340/5.92, 340/10.1, 235/385, 705/22, 705/28, 621/25
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

A thermostated cabinet for storing articles fitted with radio-frequency identifier including a cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing articles, an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of the articles, and means for providing data to the radio frequency identifier.

Claims

1. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of said articles;

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier; and

a computer for recording information relative to

     1) identity of said articles, the presence of which is detected in correlation with temporal information provided by a clock,

     2) position of said articles in said cabinet,

     3) storage status of said articles, and

     4) preservation conditions of said articles.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for activating said radio frequency identifier.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising signalization means activated by removal of at least one of said articles for a duration of time greater than a predetermined value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said radio-frequency identifier comprises an RF identification label and a memory for recording storage data.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a temperature sensor controlling identifier status signal transmitted by said RF identification label.

6. The article according to claim 4, wherein said memory records information relative to storage conditions.

7. The according to claim 1, wherein said radio-frequency identifier comprises a container equipped with an RF identification label.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said thermostated cabinet is refrigerated.

9. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of said articles;

means for activating said radio-frequency identifier; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier, wherein the means for activating said radio frequency identifier is controlled by a cabinet door opening detector.

10. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of said articles; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier, further comprising a computer for recording information relative to identity of said articles, the presence of which is detected in correlation with temporal information provided by a clock and signalization means activated by removal of at least one of said articles for a duration of time greater than a predetermined value, wherein said signalization means is activated by an article counter controlled by detection of said radio frequency identifier associated with said article.

11. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of said articles; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier, wherein said radio-frequency identifier label comprises an antenna and an integrated circuit comprising an RF stage, an RF signal modulation stage and a memory having a specific identification sequence for personalization of the modulation signal.

12. A system for preserving biological products comprising:

a multiplicity of said biological products fitted with RF identification labels;

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said biological products;

means for monitoring contents of said thermostated cabinet comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detection of movements of said biological products which are fitted with a radio-frequency identification means;

means to supply data to said radio-frequency identification means; and

a memory for recording storage data.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said thermostated cabinet is refrigerated.

14. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna;

a cabinet opening detector connected to said article monitor for activating said radio-frequency identifier; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier.

15. A system for storing and monitoring articles fitted with a radio-frequency identifier comprising:

a thermostated cabinet in the form of a transportable chest or cell having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movements of said articles;

a computer for recording information relative to the identity of said articles, the presence of which is detected by said article monitor in connection with temporal information provided by a clock;

a signalization means activated by removal of at least one of said articles for a duration of time greater than a predetermined value; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier, wherein said signalization means is activated by an article counter controlled by detection of said radio-frequency identifier associated with said article.

16. A system for storing articles comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor having at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movement of said articles;

a radio frequency identifier attachable to said articles, said radio-frequency identifier comprising an RF identification label and a memory for recording storage data;

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier; and

a computer for recording information relative to

     1) identity of said articles, the presence of which is detected in correlation with temporal information provided by a clock,

     2) position of said articles in said cabinet,

     3) storage status of said articles, and

     4) preservation conditions of said articles.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a temperature sensor controlling identifier status signal transmitted by said RF identification label.

18. A system for storing and monitoring articles comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movement of said articles;

a radio-frequency identifier attachable to said articles, said radio-frequency identifier comprising an antenna and an integrated circuit having an RF stage, RF signal modulation stage and a memory having a specific identification sequence for personalization of the modulation signal; and

means for providing data to said radio-frequency identifier.

19. A system for storing and monitoring articles comprising:

a thermostated cabinet having an opening for introducing and removing said articles;

an article monitor comprising at least one radio-frequency receiver connected to at least one antenna for detecting movement of said articles;

a radio-frequency identifier attachable to said article, said radio-frequency identifier comprising a container equipped with an RF identification label; and

a computer for recording information relative to

     1) identity of said articles, the presence of which is detected in correlation with temporal information provided by a clock,

     2) position of said articles in said cabinet,

     3) storage status of said articles, and

     4) preservation conditions of said articles.