Transportation device and method of living tissues

• US 7,298,257 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US11/208,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/572.1, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/02 Preservation of living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0273 Transport containers A01N1/0268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis

Abstract

A living tissue transportation method includes the steps of: putting the living tissues in a carrying container for transportation (1) having a first memory storing an identifier and an IC tag (10) having a temperature sensor; putting the carrying container (1) in an individual carrying container (2) having a second memory for storing the identifier and a second IC tag (20) having a temperature sensor; storing a copy of the identifier of the IC tag (10) in the memory of the IC tag (20) and putting the individual carrying container (2) in a transportation container for constant temperature (3). A controller (30) provided in the transportation container (3) communicates with the IC tags (10, 20), and writes information indicating a temperature abnormality to the first and second memories when the temperatures of the carrying container (1) and the individual carrying container (2) are out of a predetermined temperature range.

Claims

1. A transportation device for transporting living tissues contained in a container retaining temperature, comprising:

a first container for accommodating the living tissues;

a second container for accommodating the first container;

a third container provided with the temperature retaining function, for accommodating the second container;

a first IC tag attached to the first container, the first IC tag comprising a first storage for storing a predetermined first identifier, a first temperature sensor for measuring temperature, and a radio communication module;

a second IC tag attached to the second container, the second IC tag comprising a second storage for storing an identifier same as the identifier held in the first IC tag, a second temperature sensor for measuring temperature, and a radio communication module; and

a first controller provided in the third container, which communicates with the first IC tag and the second IC tag, writes and reads of information to and from the first storage and the second storage, and for obtaining the temperatures from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor,

wherein the first controller compares between one of the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and a predetermined temperature range, and when the obtained temperature is out of the temperature range, the first controller writes of abnormal information indicating an occurrence of a temperature abnormality to the first storage of the first IC tag and the second storage of the second IC tag.

2. The transportation device according to claim 1, wherein the third container comprises a first indicator for indicating the abnormal information controlled by the first controller when the temperature abnormality occurs, and indicates at least one of the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor when no abnormality occurs.

3. The transportation device according to claim 1, wherein the first container and the second container are disposable together with the first IC tag and the second IC tag.

4. The transportation device according to claim 1, further comprising a reader/writer for reading the first identifier from the first storage of the first IC tag, and for writing the read first identifier to the second storage of the second IC tag, wherein the second storage holds a copy of the first identifier.

5. The transportation device according to claim 4, wherein

the reader/writer reads the first identifier held in the first storage of the first IC tag and the copy of the first identifier held in the second storage of the second IC tag, and

the transportation device further comprising a computer connected to the reader/writer judges whether or not the first identifier read from the first storage coincides with the copy of the first identifier read from the second storage.

6. The transportation device according to claim 2, wherein

the third container comprises:

a thermal storage material for retaining the temperatures of the first container and the second container;

an inside temperature sensor for measuring a temperature inside of the third container; and

an outside temperature sensor for measuring a temperature outside of the third container, and

the first controller calculates a temperature retainable period based on the outside temperature, the inside temperature, and a thermal storage amount stored in the thermal storage material, and indicates a warning on the first indicator of when the temperature retainable period is expired.

7. The transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the third container comprises a communication module for connecting to a mobile communication network, and

the communication module sends the temperature obtained from the first temperature sensor, the temperature obtained from the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information.

8. The transportation device according to claim 7, wherein

the first controller comprises a position detecting module for detecting a present position, and

the communication module, further, sends the present position information of the container.

9. The transportation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth container for accommodating the plurality of third containers; and

a second controller provided in the fourth container, for communicating with the first controller of the third container, and for obtaining the temperature from the first temperature sensor, the temperature from the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information, wherein

the second controller comprises a second indicator for indicating at least one of the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information.

10. A method of transporting living tissues contained in a container retaining temperature, comprising the steps of:

providing;

a first container including a first IC tag comprising a first storage for storing a predetermined first identifier, a first temperature sensor for measuring temperature and a radio communication module;

a second container including a second IC tag comprising a second storage for storing an identifier same as the identifier held in the first IC tag, a second temperature sensor for measuring temperature and a radio communication module; and

a third container comprising a thermal storage material for retaining the temperatures inside the third container and a first controller;

putting the living tissues in the first container;

putting the first container in the second container;

storing a copy of the first identifier of the first IC tag in the second storage before beginning transportation of the living tissues;

putting the second container in the third container;

transporting the third container;

obtaining the temperatures from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor; and

writing information indicating an occurrence of a temperature abnormality to the first storage of the first IC tag and the second storage of the second IC tag when one of the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor is out of a predetermined temperature range.

11. The method of transporting living tissues according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

providing a first indicator in the third container;

indicating abnormality occurrence information when the abnormality occurs; and

indicating at least one of the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor when no abnormality occurs.

12. The method of transporting living tissues according to claim 10, further comprising the step of disposing of the first container without removing the first IC tag and the second container together without removing the second IC tag after the transportation.

13. The method of transporting living tissues according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining the first identifier from the first storage of the first IC tag after the transportation;

obtaining the copy of the first identifier held in the second storage of the second IC tag; and

judging whether or not the first identifier obtained from the first storage coincides with the copy of the first identifier obtained from the second storage.

14. The living tissue transportation method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing a thermal storage material in the third container;

measuring a temperature inside of the third container;

measuring a temperature outside of the third container;

calculating a temperature retainable period based on the outside temperature, the inside temperature, and a thermal storage amount of the thermal storage material; and

indicating a warning when the temperature retainable period is expired.

15. The method of transporting living tissues according to claim 10, further comprising the step of sending the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor, the temperatures obtained from the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information to a management computer through a mobile communication network.

16. The method of transporting living tissues according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing a position detecting module for detecting a present position, in the first controller;

detecting a present position of the third container; and

sending the present position, the temperatures obtained from the first temperature sensor, the temperatures obtained from the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information to a management computer through a mobile communication network.

17. The living tissue transportation method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing a fourth container for accommodating the plurality of third containers, the fourth container comprising a second controller and second indicator;

putting the third container in a fourth container;

obtaining the temperature from the first temperature sensor, the temperature from the second temperature sensor and the abnormality occurrence information, by the second controller from the first controller; and

indicating the temperature or the abnormality occurrence information on the second indicator.