RFID enabled drawer refrigeration system

• US 8,749,356 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Inventors: Hussain, Shariq, Elizondo, Paul M., Golde, Timothy, Caputo, Jimmy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US13/310,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120137706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.42, 340/10.1, 340/572.11, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 700/231, 700/235
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/00 Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An automated system and associated method for storing medical items comprises a medication cabinet having at least one refrigerated drawer having a thermo-electric cooling (TEC) device and a non-refrigerated drawer. The refrigerated drawer design is such that cooling gradients throughout the drawer are minimized. Faraday cages are provided about each drawer to support separate RFID readers to monitor the medical items in each drawer. An automatic RFID data detection system determines the temperature requirements of medical items in the refrigerated drawer and controls the TEC device to maintain the required temperature. A temperature logging system for the refrigerated drawer is provided. A separate RFID reader determines if a temperature-controlled item has been placed in a non-refrigerated drawer and if so, an alert is provided.

Claims

1. A cabinet for storing medical 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 thermo-electric cooling (“

TEC”

) device configured to provide cooling for a single drawer, the TEC 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 TEC 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 TEC 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.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the TEC device is mounted in a fixed position in relation to the first cavity such that the first drawer moves toward the TEC device when the drawer is moved to the closed position and moves away from the TEC device when the drawer is moved to the open position.

3. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein the first drawer includes a TEC device enclosure formed at a rear portion of the first drawer, the TEC device enclosure being configured to receive the TEC device into the TEC device enclosure when the drawer is in the closed position, whereby the depth of the cabinet is reduced.

4. The cabinet of claim 3 wherein the TEC cooling device enclosure comprises a diffuser located and configured to assist in diffusing and circulating cooling from the TEC device more equally throughout the first drawer.

5. The cabinet of claim 4 wherein the first drawer having the TEC device enclosure further includes partitions disposed in the first drawer to separate items from one another when stored in the first drawer, the partitions having openings configured such that cooling from the TEC device is allowed to circulate throughout the first drawer through the openings of the partitions.

6. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the first drawer is slidable into and out of the first cavity, the drawer having a front panel that is electrically conductive and that contacts the front of the electrically conductive cage when the drawer is slid to the closed position thereby completely closing the electrically conductive cage about the first drawer.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensor located so as to measure temperature in the first drawer and to provide temperature data representative of the sensed temperature,

a control unit programmed to receive the sensed temperature data, compare it to a selected temperature, and control the TEC device to maintain temperature in the first drawer at a selected level.

8. The cabinet of claim 7 wherein the control unit is further programmed to record the received temperature data from the first drawer sensor in a memory.

9. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensor located to measure temperature in the first drawer and to provide temperature data representative of the sensed temperature;

a control unit programmed to receive RFID tag data from the RFID reader regarding an item located in the first drawer and receive sensed temperature data from the 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; and

control the TEC device to maintain the particular temperature in the first drawer.

10. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein the control unit is further programmed to receive RFID tag data having temperature requirements included said RFID tag data and control the TEC device in accordance therewith.

11. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein the control unit is further programmed to:

receive from the RFID reader RFID tag data that comprises an identification of the RFID tag that was read by the reader;

access a data base that correlates RFID tag identification data to a particular item and from a correlation of the received RFID identification data, identify an item, and from a data base, determine whether the identified item has a temperature requirement and if so, control the TEC device in accordance therewith.

12. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein the control unit is further programmed to:

receive RFID tag data that comprises an identification of the tag;

determine from the received RFID tag data whether any item residing in the first drawer requires a particular temperature;

if the control unit determines that no item residing in the first drawer requires a particular temperature, then control the TEC device to stop operating.

13. The cabinet of claim 9 further comprising an ambient temperature sensor located to sense ambient temperature around the cabinet and provide ambient temperature data representative thereof;

wherein if the control unit determines from RFID tag data that an item residing in the first drawer requires a particular temperature, the control unite is further programmed to compare the sensed ambient temperature data to that required temperature and if the ambient temperature satisfies the required temperature, allow the TEC device to remain off.

14. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein the control unit is further programmed to determine if a plurality of items residing in the first drawer require particular temperatures, and if so, then compare those required temperatures to one another, and if the compared required temperatures differ, provide an alert that non-compatible temperature-control items reside in the same drawer.

15. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising:

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 control unit programmed to receive RFID tag data from the second RFID reader regarding an item located in a non-temperature controlled second drawer;

the control unit further programmed to 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.

16. The cabinet of claim 15 further comprising an ambient temperature sensor located to sense ambient temperature around the cabinet and provide ambient temperature data representative thereof;

wherein the control unit is further programmed to determine from RFID tag data that an item residing in the second drawer requires a particular temperature, comparing the sensed ambient temperature data to that required temperature, and if the ambient temperature satisfies the required temperature of the item in the second drawer, provide an alert that a temperature-controlled item has been placed in the second drawer but that ambient temperature presently satisfies the temperature requirement of said item.

17. A cabinet for storing medical items, 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;

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 thermo-electric cooling (“

TEC”

) device configured to provide cooling for a single drawer, the TEC device mounted at a fixed position in relation to the first cavity;

wherein a second cavity located adjacent the first cavity has no TEC 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 TEC 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 TEC 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.

18. The cabinet for storing medical items of claim 17 wherein the control unit is further programmed to receive RFID tag data that comprises an identification of the tag and access a data base that correlates RFID tag identification data to a particular item and from a data base, determine whether the identified item has a temperature requirement and if so, control the TEC device in accordance therewith.

19. A method of storing medical items, comprising:

storing medical items in a plurality of drawers in a medical 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 thermo-electric cooling (“

TEC”

) device to provide cooling 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 cooling 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 TEC 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.

20. The method of storing medical items of claim 19 wherein:

the step of reading RFID tag data from an RFID tag disposed on an item located in the first drawer comprises reading with a first RFID reader; and

the step of reading RFID tag data from an RFID tag disposed on an item located in the second drawer comprises reading with a second RFID reader that is separate from the first RFID reader.