DK201671014A1

DK201671014A1 - A queuing system with automatic dispensing of sample containers

Info

Publication number: DK201671014A1
Application number: DKPA201671014A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Nygaard Torben; Arberg Nielsen Martin; Sørensen Nicolai; Thorn Svendsen Bue
Original assignee: Haemomedtec Aps
Priority date: 2016-12-21
Filing date: 2016-12-21
Publication date: 2018-07-13
Also published as: RU2019122825A; DK179450B1; EP3559676A1; RU2019122825A3; WO2018113886A1

Abstract

A queuing system (8) for hospital laboratories and similar places is disclosed, which queuing system is arranged to automatically dispense relevant sample containers to a person and comprises one or more operator terminals (l), a sample container collecting and labelling system (9), a mechanical conveyor (l0-l2) for transporting sample containers to the one or more operator terminals and an electronic controller arranged to be able to receive identification data from persons through the one or more operator terminals, communicate with a booking system holding data regarding previously requested biologic samples, such as blood samples or urine samples, to be collected from the different persons, allocate queue numbers, communicate with the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system, and control the motion of the mechanical conveyor, wherein each of the operator terminals comprises data entering means (3, 4) and a dispensing opening (6).

Description

DANMARK (¹°) DK 2016 71014 A1

PATENTANSØGNING

Patent- og

Varemærkestyrelsen

Int.CI.: G06Q 50/22 (2012.01) G01N 35/02 (2006.01)

Ansøgningsnummer: PA 2016 71014

Indleveringsdato: 2016-12-21

Løbedag: 2016-12-21

Aim. tilgængelig: 2018-06-22

Publiceringsdato: 2018-07-13

Ansøger:

HAEMOMEDTEC ApS, Granlyvej 4, Fjelstervang, 6920 Videbæk, Danmark

Opfinder:

Torben Nygaard, Kingosvej 13,7400 Herning, Danmark

Martin Arberg Nielsen, Contortavej 16,7860 Spottrup, Danmark

Nicolai Sørensen, Gammel Strandvej 209 E, 1., 3060 Espergærde, Danmark Bue Thorn Svendsen, Tarpvej 8,7330 Brande, Danmark

Fuldmægtig:

PATENDER ApS, Birk Centerpark 40,7400 Herning, Danmark

Titel: A queuing system with automatic dispensing of sample containers

Fremdragne publikationer:

EP2716214A1

JP4966798B B2

Efficiency of an Automated Reception and Turnaround Time Management System for the Phlebotomy Room

Sammendrag:

A queuing system (8) for hospital laboratories and similar places is disclosed, which queuing system is arranged to automatically dispense relevant sample containers to a person and comprises one or more operator terminals (I), a sample container collecting and labelling system (9), a mechanical conveyor (I0-I2) for transporting sample containers to the one or more operator terminals and an electronic controller arranged to be able to receive identification data from persons through the one or more operator terminals, communicate with a booking system holding data regarding previously requested biologic samples, such as blood samples or urine samples, to be collected from the different persons, allocate queue numbers, communicate with the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system, and control the motion of the mechanical conveyor, wherein each of the operator terminals comprises data entering means (3,4) and a dispensing opening (6).

Fortsættes...

DK 2016 71014 A1

A QUEUING SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC DISPENSING OF SAMPLE CONTAINERS

The present invention relates to a queuing system for hospital laboratories and other places, in which blood samples, urine samples and the like are collected.

Background of the invention

Many hospitals and health clinics have central laboratories, where patients and other persons can come for the collection of previously requested blood samples, urine samples and the like.

Typically, the person from whom the samples are to be collected, will draw a number for a queuing system and then wait for his/her turn to go to a counter to be registered by a member of the staff.

The staff member will then enter personal identification data for the person into a computer system, in which the samples to be collected from this person are registered in order to check, which samples are to be collected. A sampling form (a so-called PTB) is printed containing patient information and the patient is either called out through an internal queue system using this PTB or the PTB is given to the patient and he/she is called out by a queue number.

When a medical laboratory assistant is ready to collect the samples, this medical laboratory assistant calls out the patient, either by name or by queue number, and confirms the patients ID against the PTB. The same medical laboratory assistant prepares the relevant sample containers with appropriate marking and collect the samples.

This procedure is both cumbersome and time consuming, and it can be frustrating for the persons waiting that they have no idea about the length of time they will have to wait before their names will be called out.

DK 2016 71014 A1

Brief description of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a queuing system, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the solutions known in the art.

The present invention relates to a queuing system for hospital laboratories and similar places, which queuing system is arranged to automatically dispense relevant sample containers to a person and comprises one or more operator terminals, a sample container collecting and labelling system, a mechanical conveyor for transporting sample containers from the sample container collecting and labelling system to the one or more operator terminals and an electronic controller arranged to be able to receive identification data from persons through the one or more operator terminals, communicate with a booking system holding data regarding previously requested biologic samples, such as blood samples or urine samples, to be collected from the different persons, allocate queue numbers, communicate with the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system, and control the motion of the mechanical conveyor, wherein each of the operator terminals comprises data entering means for registration of identification data of a person and a dispensing opening for dispensing sample containers to the person.

The use of a queuing system according to the present invention is advantageous in a number of ways. For instance, it saves the staff members for a substantially amount of work, it improves the ergonomic aspect for the staff, who avoids the repetitive movements related to labelling the sample containers, it reduces the number of (human) execution errors, it reduces the waiting time for the persons, from whom the samples are to be collected, because the automatic system is able to dispense the relevant sample containers faster than if manual intervention of a staff member were to be involved, and it delivers a queue number giving an indication of the remaining waiting time to the persons waiting.

DK 2016 71014 A1

The expression “sample container” refers to containers, such as for instance blood sample tubes or urine sample tubes, for storing and handling biological samples from a person.

In an embodiment of the invention, the data entering means comprises one or more of the following: a touchscreen, an optical reader, an electronic card reader or a keypad.

In many societies, each person carries an electronic ID card, from which data identifying the person can be read automatically by the operator terminal using magnetic or optical means. If such an ID card or another physical medium carrying data, which can be automatically read, is not available, identification data, for instance in the form of a civil registration number or a personal identification number, can be entered via a touchscreen or a keypad.

In an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical conveyor comprises a transportation crib and a horizontal linear guide.

If a transportation crib is combined with a horizontal linear guide, the mechanical conveyor is able to deliver the sample containers to a number of different operator terminals arranged next to each other.

In an embodiment of the invention, the queuing system further comprises a vertical linear guide.

If the mechanical conveyor further comprises a vertical linear guide, the outlet from the sample container collecting and labelling system can be arranged beneath the inlet to the dispensing chutes of the operator terminals, and the queuing system may be equipped with operator terminals arranged in different heights, the lowermost of which could, for instance, be adapted to be used by wheelchair users.

DK 2016 71014 A1

In an embodiment of the invention, the transportation crib is tiltable.

Tilting the transportation crib is a simple and reliable way of causing sample containers conveyed therein to slide into a dispensing chute of an operator terminal.

In an embodiment of the invention, each of the relevant sample containers is labelled with identification data for the person, from whom the given sample is to be collected, as well as the type/purpose of the sample to be stored in the given sample container.

This reduces the risk or errors and confusions when handling the sample containers, before as well as after the actual collection of the samples.

In an embodiment of the invention, the relevant sample containers are dispensed in one or more closed packings, such as for instance plastic bags.

The use of closed packings for the dispensed sample containers reduces the risk of errors and/or loss of one or more containers, which is especially relevant because the persons receiving the sample containers will typically not be a medical staff member but rather an “ordinary” non-medical person. If the number and or the size requires it, the sample containers may be distributed in two or more packings.

In an embodiment of the invention, the one or more closed packings are labelled with the name of the person, from whom the samples are to be collected, and/or a queue number.

Labelling the one or more closed packings with the name of the person also reduces the risk of errors and loss of sample containers. Furthermore, the closed packing(s), which the person is going to take care of anyway until the samples are actually collected, is a well-suited place to put the queue number, which will then not be forgotten.

DK 2016 71014 A1

In an embodiment of the invention, the queuing system comprises a number of substantially equal system modules, each comprising an operator terminal.

A modular construction of the queueing system reduces the production costs, because a variety of different sized queuing system can be constructed from different numbers of otherwise equal basic modules.

The drawings

In the following, a few exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in further detail with reference to the drawings, of which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an operator terminal of a queuing system according to an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the operator terminal shown in Fig. 1, is a rear side view of the operator terminal shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is a front view of a module of a queuing system with an operator terminal according to an embodiment of the invention, is an oblique rear view of a modular queuing system according to an embodiment of the invention, is a rear view of the modular queuing system shown in Fig. 5, and is a side view of the modular queuing system shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

DK 2016 71014 A1

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. lisa perspective view of an operator terminal 1 of a queuing system 8 according to an embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator terminal 1 comprises a housing 2, in which a touchscreen 3 and an electronic card reader 4 are mounted. In other embodiments, the operator terminal 1 can comprise other types of data entering means, such as for instance an optical reader for reading data from a variety of different physical data carriers and/or a keypad (not shown).

A dispensing chute 5 extends through the operator terminal 1 ending in a dispensing opening 6 on the front thereof, from which a person can collect one or more packings (not shown) with relevant sample containers. In the illustrated embodiment, a part of the housing 2 covers the lowermost part of the dispensing opening 6, which prevents packings passing down the dispensing chute 5 from continuing out through the dispensing opening 6 and falling onto the floor. In other embodiments, the dispensing opening 6 can be covered by some form of lid (not shown), which must be opened before the closed packing(s) can be removed from the operator terminal 1.

Thus, an operator terminal 1 according to the invention combines a queuing system 8 with the possibility to automatically dispense the relevant sample containers for different kinds of biological samples to be collected directly to the person, from whom the samples are to be collected. This means that resources of staff members are released to be used for other purposes, that the risk of errors is minimized and that the dispensing time and, thereby, the waiting time are reduced. Calculations have shown that up to 75 % of the work load of the staff members working in blood sample collecting laboratories relates to tasks, which can be handled by a queuing system 8 according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the operator terminal 1 shown in Fig. 1, illustrating how the dispensing chute 5 extends through the operator terminal 1 from the rear

DK 2016 71014 A1 side to the front side thereof, so that the closed packages with sample containers can be entered into the dispensing chute 5 from the rear side of the operator terminal 1 and collected from the dispensing chute 5 through the dispensing opening 6 on the front side thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear side view of the operator terminal 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a front view of a module 7 of a queuing system 8 with an operator terminal according to an embodiment of the invention. This figures shows schematically how a user will experience a queuing system 8 comprising only a single operator terminal 1. Depending on the average number of persons to be served at the specific sample collection site, the queuing system 8 can comprise one or more such modules 7, each having an operator terminal 1 mounted in the front side thereof.

Fig. 5 is an oblique rear view of a modular queuing system 8 according to an embodiment of the invention. The illustrated queuing system comprises three substantially equal modules 7, behind which a mechanical conveyor 10-12 and an automatic blood sample tube collecting and labelling system 9 is arranged.

Furthermore, the figure shows a control cabinet 13 comprising an electronic controller.

In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical conveyor comprises a transportation crib 10, a horizontal linear guide 11, a vertical linear guide 12 and a motor and is arranged to move the transportation crib 10 along the horizontal linear guide 11 and the vertical linear guide 12, respectively.

In a first position of the transportation crib 10, it is placed under or aligned with an outlet (not shown) from the automatic blood sample tube collecting and labelling system 9, so that one or more packings (not shown) with blood sample tubes from this system 9 can be placed within the transportation crib 10.

DK 2016 71014 A1

When such packings are to be dispensed to a person using one of the three operator terminals 1, the transportation crib 10 is moved to a second position, through a sidewards motion along the horizontal linear guide 11 until it is aligned with the dispensing chute 5 of that operator terminal 1 and an upwards motion along the vertical linear guide until it is above the inlet of that dispensing chute 5.

When the second position has been reached, the transportation crib 10 is tilted, causing the one or more packings conveyed therein to fall down through the dispensing chute 5 to be collected by the person waiting for the one or more packings. In other embodiments, other solutions, such as for instance a mechanical pushing mechanism, may be used for moving the one or more packings from the transportation crib 10 into the dispensing chute 5.

When the one or more packings have left the transportation crib 10, it is transported back to its first position, and the cycle can be repeated.

It should be noted that the motion of the transportation crib 10 in the sideward and upward directions, respectively, can be performed in any order or simultaneously.

The mechanical conveyor is driven by a motor, preferably a servomotor, which can be equipped with a gearing.

The automatic blood sample tube collecting and labelling system 9 is arranged to be able to collect the right types and number of blood sample tubes and label them individually according to instructions from the electronic controller (not shown) of the queuing system 8. In other embodiments, a similar system handling urine sample tubes or other containers for biological samples can replace or supplement the blood sample tube collecting and labelling system 9.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the modular queuing system 8 shown in Fig. 5, in which the dispensing chutes 5 have been omitted.

DK 2016 71014 A1

Fig. 7 is a side view of the same modular queuing system 8, in which a part of the operator terminal 1 is shown in a cross-sectional view.

A typical functional cycle at a queuing system 8 according to the invention can be performed as follows:

1. A person checks in at the operator terminal 1 by entering personal identification data through scanning a physical data carrier, such as for instance a health insurance card, or by entering the required data manually using a keypad on the operator terminal 1.

2. The entered data is sent to the electronic controller of the queuing system 8 along with data identifying the operator terminal 1, from which the data is sent.

3. The electronic controller communicates with a booking system and/or an information system to establish whether one or more samples are requested to be collected from the person identified by the personal identification data received from the operator terminal 1.

If the person cannot be identified or no data regarding requested sample collections are found in the booking system, a message is sent to the relevant operator terminal 1 requesting the person waiting there to ask a staff member for further assistance.

If, on the other hand, the person and samples to be collected from that person are identified, a message is sent to the relevant operator terminal 1 requesting the person waiting there to wait for the dispensing of one or more packings with sample containers, and the functional cycle continues as described

DK 2016 71014 A1 below.

4. The electronic controller allocates a queue number to the person waiting at the operator terminal 1 and sends this queue number to the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system 9 along with information on the number and types of sample containers to be collected and the different texts, with which the individual containers must be labelled.

5. The automatic sample container collecting and labelling system 9 collects and labels the relevant sample containers, gathers them in a closed packing, such as for instance a plastic bag, together with instructions for the medical laboratory assistant, who is going to collect the samples. The closed packing is labelled with the name of the person, from whom the samples are to be collected, a list of the sample containers within the closed packing and the queue number. In cases where many sample containers are to be used, they may be arranged in two or more closed packings.

6. The automatic sample container collecting and labelling system 9 sends information to the electronic controller that the closed packing is ready, and the electronic controller sends the proper instructions to the mechanical conveyor (10-12) to make sure that the packing is transported from the outlet of the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system 9 to the dispensing chute 5 of the relevant operator terminal 1.

7. The person waiting there collects the closed packing from the dispensing opening 6 and waits in a waiting room until the queue number is called out.

8. The person, from whom the samples are to be collected, brings the closed packing to the sample collection room and hands it over to the medical laboratory assistant, who is going to collect the samples.

DK 2016 71014 A1

List of reference numbers

1. Operator terminal

2. Terminal housing

3. Touchscreen

4. Electronic card reader

5. Dispensing chute

6. Dispensing opening

7. System module

8. Queuing system

9. Automatic blood sample tube labelling system

10. Transportation crib

11. Horizontal linear guide

12. Vertical linear guide

13. Control cabinet

DK 2016 71014 A1

Claims

Claims

1. A queuing system (8) for hospital laboratories and similar places, which queuing system is arranged to automatically dispense relevant sample containers to a person and comprises one or more operator terminals (1), a sample container collecting and labelling system (9), a mechanical conveyor (10-12) for transporting sample containers from the sample container collecting and labelling system to the one or more operator terminals and an electronic controller arranged to be able to receive identification data from persons through the one or more operator terminals, communicate with a booking system holding data regarding previously requested biologic samples, such as blood samples or urine samples, to be collected from the different persons, allocate queue numbers, communicate with the automatic sample container collecting and labelling system, and control the motion of the mechanical conveyor, wherein each of the operator terminals comprises

DK 2016 71014 A1 data entering means (3, 4) for registration of identification data of a person and a dispensing opening (6) for dispensing sample containers to the person.
2. The queuing system according to claim 1, wherein the data entering means comprises one or more of the following: a touchscreen (3), an optical reader, an electronic card reader (4) or a keypad.
3. The queuing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mechanical conveyor comprises a transportation crib (10) and a horizontal linear guide (11).
4. The queuing system according to claim 3, further comprising a vertical linear guide (12).
5. The queuing system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the transportation crib is tiltable.
6. The queuing system according to any of the previous claims, wherein each of the relevant sample containers is labelled with identification data for the person, from whom the given sample is to be collected, as well as the type/purpose of the sample to be stored in the given sample container.
7. The queuing system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the relevant sample containers are dispensed in one or more closed packings, such as for instance plastic bags.
8. The queueing system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more closed packings are labelled with the name of the person, from whom the samples are to be collected, and/or a queue number.

DK 2016 71014 A1
9. The queuing system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the queuing system comprises a number of substantially equal system modules (7), each comprising an operator terminal.

DK 2016 71014 A1

DK 2016 71014 A1