JPH04332557A - Platelet transporting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the platelet transporting system which can transport platelet prepns. without impairing the functions of the platelet prepns. CONSTITUTION:This platelet transporting system 11 is provided with a thermostatic container 12 and platelet preserving bags 13, 14. A heat exchanger 16 and air circulation fan 22 for executing a heat exchange in and out of a heat insulating case 15 are provided in this thermostatic container 12, by which the temp. in the heat insulating case 15 is maintained at the temp. optimum for preserving the platelet prepns. The degradation in the functions of the platelets is prevented by using the plantelet preserving bags 13, 14 consisting of a gas permeable material which does not hinder the respiration of the platelets.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a platelet transport system for transporting platelet preparations without impairing the function of collected platelets, and in particular to a thermostatic container and platelet storage having a heat exchange means utilizing the Peltier effect. The present invention relates to a platelet transport system in which a bag is combined with a bag.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, in blood transfusion therapy, in addition to whole blood transfusions, transfusions of only specific components such as red blood cells and platelets have been introduced to respond to symptoms or to make effective use of blood. is also widely practiced. By the way, among these blood component transfusions, therapy in which only platelets are transfused is
Although it is often performed at large-scale medical facilities in large cities, the actual situation is that the amount of platelet preparations supplied near large cities is insufficient and there is a chronic shortage. On the other hand, blood donors are scattered throughout the country, and demand for platelet products is not very high in rural areas. Therefore, conventionally, the shortage of platelet preparations in medical facilities in large cities has been covered by transporting platelet preparations from rural areas to large cities. However, if platelets collected from humans are left at room temperature for about 72 hours, the platelet cells will begin to die and their function as a platelet preparation will be impaired. Therefore, in order to keep the platelet function intact, it has been considered necessary to shake the collected platelets without allowing them to stand still, or to maintain the temperature at 22°C. However, when transporting platelet preparations by vehicle or the like, a large and complicated device is required to shake the platelet preparations, which is difficult in practice. Therefore, aside from shaking, a platelet transport container shown in FIG. 2 has been conventionally used as a transport container for maintaining a constant temperature of platelet preparations. The platelet transport container 1 shown in FIG. 2 has a structure in which a case 3 made of a heat insulating material is housed within a cardboard box 2. The case 3 consists of a case main body 3a having an opening at the top, and a lid member 3b arranged to close the opening. In case 3,
Flat heat storage members 4a and 4b are arranged, and platelet storage bags 5a to 5c containing platelet preparations are sandwiched between the heat storage members 4a and 4b. Note that the heat storage member 4a
A spacer 6 is laminated above. The spacer 6 is made of a heat insulating member such as a sponge, and is provided to enhance the heat insulating effect and to fill unnecessary space within the case 3. In the platelet transport container 1 of FIG. 2, the heat storage members 4a and 4b are set at a temperature of 22°C, and the heat insulation effect of the case 3 maintains the platelet storage bags 5a to 5c at around 22°C. This is what is being planned.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, even when platelet preparations are transported using the platelet transport container 1 shown in FIG. 2, the functions of the transported platelet preparations may be impaired. Particularly, when transporting platelet preparations from a remote location, which takes a relatively long time, the function of the platelet preparations tends to be impaired to a large extent. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a platelet transport system that enables transport of platelet preparations without impairing the functions of the platelet preparations.

0004

Means for Solving the Problems The platelet transport system of the present invention includes a thermostatic container and a platelet storage bag housed within the thermostatic container. The constant temperature container is constructed using a heat insulating case. A heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the inside and outside of the heat insulation case is provided inside the heat insulation case, and a heat conductive plate is thermally coupled to the heat exchange means. Also,
Air circulation means is provided within the heat insulating case to circulate the air within the heat insulating case. On the other hand, the platelet storage bag stores platelets therein and is made of a gas permeable material. Although various structures can be used as the heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the inside and outside of the case, a Peltier element utilizing the Peltier effect is preferably used.

[0005]

[Function] In the platelet transport system of the present invention, the heat exchange means performs heat exchange inside and outside the case, thereby maintaining the heat conductive plate thermally coupled to the heat exchange means at a desired temperature. Since the air inside the case is circulated by the air circulation means, the temperature inside the case is maintained at the same temperature as the heat conductive plate. Therefore, the platelet storage bag housed in the case is maintained at the desired temperature set by the heat exchange means, so the platelet preparation is kept at the desired temperature.
For example, it can be maintained precisely at 22°C.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be clarified by describing embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The platelet transport system 11 of this embodiment includes a thermostatic container 12 and platelet storage bags 13 and 14 housed within the thermostatic container 12. The thermostatic container 12 is constructed using a heat insulating case 15 as a main structural member. The heat insulating case 15 includes a case body 15a having an opening at the top and a lid member 15b provided to close the opening.
Both the cover member 15b and the cover member 15b are made of a heat insulating material. As the heat insulating material, a foamed resin such as urethane is used, but a case material made of synthetic resin and a heat insulating material pasted on the inner surface may also be used. An opening 15c is formed in the center of the lid member 15b, and the opening 1
A heat exchanger 16 as a heat exchange means is attached to 5c. The heat exchanger 16 includes a Peltier element 16a fixed to close the opening 15c, and the Peltier element 16.
radiating fins 16b connected to a. The Peltier element 16a is provided to enable heat exchange between the inside and outside of the case 15, and the radiation fins 16b improve heat dissipation when dissipating internal heat to the outside of the case. It is provided for. Furthermore, a radiation fan 16c is arranged outside the radiation fins 16b. The heat dissipation fan 16c is provided to improve heat dissipation efficiency in the heat dissipation fins 16c. In addition, 17
indicates a cover, which is provided to prevent the radiation fins 16b and fan 16c from being exposed outside the case. Further, a control device 18 is housed within the cover 17 . The control device 18 includes a Peltier device 16a.
The Peltier element 16a is provided to heat or cool the inside of the case when there is a discrepancy between the temperature detected by the sensor described later and the set temperature. There is.

A heat conductive plate 19 is fixed to the lower surface of the lid member 15b. The heat conductive plate 19 is made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity,
For example, it is made of metal such as aluminum, and although it is not clear in FIG. 1, it is thermally coupled to the Peltier element 16a. Note that the term "thermal coupling" means that the Peltier element 16a and the heat conductive plate 19 are coupled so that heat is quickly transferred between them by heat transfer. A partition plate 20 is provided below the heat conduction plate 19. The partition plate 20 is fixed to the side wall of the case body 15a and has an opening in the center. A temperature sensor 21 is attached to this central opening, facing downward. Further, an air circulation fan 22 as an air circulation means is attached to the central opening. The air circulation fan 22 circulates the air in the storage space below the partition plate 20 from above the partition plate 20, through the side of the partition plate 20, and again into the partition plate 20, as shown by arrows A and B in the figure.
It is provided for circulation to the space below. The air circulation means is not limited to the illustrated air circulation fan 22;
Any structure that can move air between the spaces above and below the partition plate 20 can be used.

[0008] A storage space is provided below the partition plate 20, and a sorting stand 24 is disposed in order to efficiently store platelet storage bags within the storage space. The sorting table 24 is made of a grid-like or mesh-like member so as not to obstruct air circulation. A relatively large platelet storage bag 14 is stored between the legs 24a and 24b of the sorting table 24. Further, since the space above the sorting table 24 is divided by the protruding wall 24c, relatively small platelet storage bags 13 are stored separately on both sides of the protruding wall 24c. The shape and structure of the sorting table 24 can be changed as appropriate depending on the size, shape, and quantity of platelet storage bags to be stored, and depending on the case, the sorting table 24 does not need to be arranged in the storage space. Further, the platelet storage bags 13 and 14 are made of a gas-permeable material in order to enhance the preservation effect of the platelet preparation. The gas permeable material refers to a material that has oxygen permeability to an extent that does not impede the respiration of platelets, and includes, for example, synthetic resin materials such as soft polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin, and plasticizer-free soft polyvinyl chloride.

The usage and operation of the platelet transport system of this embodiment will be explained. In use, first, the temperature inside the case 15 is set by the control device 18 to an optimal temperature for platelet retention, for example, 22°C. Therefore, when the temperature inside the case 15 detected by the temperature sensor 21 is lower than 22° C., the control device 18 drives the Peltier element 16a to perform heating control. Through this heating control, heat is absorbed from outside the case and transferred to the heat conduction plate 19. Since the air inside the case 15 is circulated by the air circulation fan 22, the temperature inside the case 15 is increased. When the temperature inside the case 15 reaches 22° C., the heating control is stopped. On the other hand, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22 is 22
If the temperature is higher than 0.degree. C., the control device 18 performs cooling control on the heat exchanger 16. Through cooling control, the heat exchanger 16 operates to absorb heat from inside the case 15 and radiate heat to the outside. Therefore, the heat conduction plate 19 is gradually cooled, and the temperature of the air circulating inside the case 15 is also cooled accordingly. Then, when the temperature inside the case 15 reaches 22° C., the cooling control is stopped. As described above, the temperature inside the case 15 is maintained at the set temperature, that is, 22°C.

[0010] In the constant temperature container 12 of this embodiment, since the case 15 is made of a heat insulating material, the case 1
When the temperature in 5 is equal to the set temperature, that is, when the above heating control and cooling control are not performed, case 1
The temperature inside the case is maintained constant due to the heat insulating action of 5. Therefore, the platelet transport system 1 of this example
In No. 1, the temperature inside the thermostatic container 12 can be maintained at the optimum temperature for preserving platelets, that is, 22° C., regardless of the external temperature. In addition, the heat exchanger 16 described above,
Various devices such as the heat radiation fan 16C, the control device 18, the heat conduction plate 19, and the air circulation fan 22 are all attached to the lid 15b side. Therefore, the shape, material, etc. of the case body 15a are not restricted in any way by providing the devices shown in the drawings. Therefore, case body 1
The shape of 5a can be any shape as long as the upper opening can be closed by the lid 15b, so it is an optimal shape for storing platelet storage bags of various shapes and sizes. The case body 15a can be configured as follows. Furthermore, in the constant temperature container 12 of this embodiment, the heat conductive plate 19 is attached to the lower surface of the lid member 15b,
A partition plate 20 and a space for air circulation are provided between the heat conductive plate 19 and the platelet storage bag 13. Therefore, since the heat conductive plate is not directly adjacent to or in contact with the platelet storage bag 13, the platelet preparation in the platelet storage bag is not overheated and can be heated and cooled uniformly. In addition, the constant temperature container of this embodiment has a case body 15.
It also has the advantage of being easy to clean and therefore easy to maintain hygiene.

Next, specific experimental results of the above embodiment will be explained. Constant temperature test First, constant temperature container 12 of platelet transport system 11 of the example
The set temperature was 22°C. Then, instead of platelet storage bags 13 and 14, 3
They were prepared and stacked and placed in a constant temperature container 12. Next, the platelet transport system 11 of the embodiment including the blood bag is placed in a large thermostatic chamber, and the temperature inside the thermostatic chamber is set to 40°C ± 2°C.
and 4° C., and left for 20 hours, and temperature changes inside the thermostatic container 12 were recorded. For comparison, 100 ml of water was also placed in the conventional platelet transport container shown in Figure 2.
Three blood bags filled with blood were stacked and mounted, placed in a thermostatic chamber in the same manner as the thermostatic container of Example, and temperature changes were recorded. The results are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, regardless of whether the ambient temperature is 40°C or 4°C, in the platelet transport system 11 of the embodiment, the temperature inside the thermostatic container is maintained at approximately 22°C. I know that there is. In contrast, in conventional platelet transport containers, when the ambient temperature is 40°C, the temperature inside the container gradually increases until it reaches 38°C, which is almost the same as the outside temperature, after 20 hours. It can be seen that even when the ambient temperature is 4°C, the temperature drops significantly from the set temperature of 22°C, and drops to about 10°C after 10 hours. In addition, in the test where the temperature of the constant temperature room was 4℃, 20
After a period of time had elapsed, the conventional thermostatic container was removed and the blood bag was opened, and it was found that plasma coagulation had occurred in the portion that was in contact with the heat storage member.

Platelet Deterioration Test Immediately after producing the platelet preparation, 40 ml of it was taken and equally dispensed into two 150 ml blood bags made of soft polyvinyl chloride. Next, after shaking these platelet storage bags at 22°C for one day, one of the blood bags was set at a temperature of 22°C in the thermostatic container 12 of the example, and left undisturbed in the thermostatic container for 17 hours. did. For the other blood bag, 22°C for 17 hours.
The cells were continuously shaken for 17 hours using a shaker (horizontal shaker NR-3, manufactured by Taiyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.) in an incubator. Next, for each platelet preparation in the blood bag taken out from the thermostatic container of Example and in the blood bag continuously shaken for 17 hours, we examined the pH value (37°C), oxygen partial pressure, platelet count, %HSR, collagen aggregation. ability, form and MPV
was measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0013]

[Table 1]

As is clear from Table 1, there is almost no difference in the function of platelets when the platelet transport system of the example is left standing for 17 hours and when it is continuously shaken for 17 hours. Therefore, from the results in Table 1, it can be seen that by using the platelet storage and transportation system 11 of FIG. 1, platelet preparations can be transported without impairing platelet function.

[0015]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since the heat exchange means and the air circulation fan are provided inside the case, the temperature inside the case can be kept constant regardless of the outside temperature. Can be done. Therefore, the platelet preparation can be maintained at an optimal temperature and transported. Moreover, since the platelet storage bag is made of gas-permeable material,
Respiration of platelet cells is not hindered. Therefore, even if transported for a long time, the function of the platelet preparation is unlikely to be impaired. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to stably supply platelet preparations from various places to medical facilities in large cities.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view for explaining a platelet transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view for explaining a conventional platelet transport container.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing temperature changes over time in the containers of the embodiment and the conventional example when the ambient temperature is 40°C.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing temperature changes over time in the containers of the embodiment and the conventional example when the ambient temperature is 4°C.

[Brief explanation of symbols]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heat insulating case, a heat exchange means disposed within the heat insulating case for exchanging heat inside and outside the heat insulating case, and a heat conductive plate thermally coupled to the heat exchange means; a thermostatic container disposed within the heat insulating case and having an air circulation means for circulating air therein; and a gas permeable container housed within the thermostatic container and for storing the platelet preparation therein. A platelet transport system comprising: a platelet storage bag made of a synthetic material.