KR20200122570A - Medical refrigerator and Temperature control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical refrigerator and a temperature control method. More specifically, a plurality of temperature sensors are installed in appropriate places in a storage chamber, and one of the temperature sensors detects the temperature of a specific sample sensitive to temperature change, thereby controlling the temperature inside the storage chamber based on the temperature of the specific sample and improving the storage reliability of a stored material. In addition, the storage efficiency of the stored material can be improved by allowing a user to check and take action if there is a large temperature deviation in one area as the temperature of each area inside the storage chamber detected by the plurality of temperature sensors is displayed on a display. The medical refrigerator comprises: a main body having the storage chamber; the plurality of temperature sensors installed in the storage chamber; and a control unit that controls the temperature of the storage chamber based on any one temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors; and a display unit displaying the tempearture of each space or the stored mateial inside the storage chamber sensed by the multiple temperature sensors.

Description

Medical refrigerator and temperature control method thereof

The present invention relates to a medical refrigerator and a temperature control method used in a hospital or a laboratory, and more particularly, to a temperature control system capable of actively responding to the characteristics of various storage items stored together in a storage room.

In general, in hospitals or laboratories, samples, living tissues, blood, plasma, or vaccines and drugs are stored in a medical refrigerator, which is a special refrigerator, and stored within a predetermined temperature range.

If the storage material stored in the medical refrigerator is not stored at a predetermined temperature, for example, in the range of 2°C to 8°C, there is a concern that the sample or living tissue may be damaged, or the drug efficacy or storage period may be reduced. In particular, certain items such as plasma or blood may be damaged and difficult to use if not stored at a temperature of around 4°C.

As such, medical refrigerators require different storage temperatures depending on the items stored in the storage room, and certain items that are sensitive to temperature often fail to play their role unless they are stored at an appropriate storage temperature. There is an inadequate aspect to controlling the temperature as before.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0034296 (published on March 28, 2017)

An object of the present invention conceived to solve the above-described problem is to provide a new temperature control system that can increase storage efficiency and reliability of storage by actively controlling the temperature of the storage chamber according to the characteristics of various storage items stored in a medical refrigerator. Is to do.

A medical refrigerator according to the present invention for achieving the above object controls the temperature of the storage compartment based on a main body having a storage compartment, a plurality of temperature sensors installed in the storage compartment, and one temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors. And a display unit that displays the temperature of each space or storage object inside the storage compartment sensed by the plurality of temperature sensors.

Here, the reference temperature sensor for controlling the temperature of the storage compartment detects the temperature of a specific storage material (a specific sample), and the controller controls the temperature of the storage compartment according to the temperature of the specific storage material. In this case, the reference temperature sensor may directly detect the temperature of the specific storage. Furthermore, since the reference temperature sensor can change the installation position, the temperature of the specific storage object may be sensed regardless of the installation location of the specific storage object.

Meanwhile, a reference temperature sensor serving as a reference for controlling the temperature of the storage compartment may sense the temperature of a specific space of the storage compartment, and the controller controls the temperature of the storage compartment according to the temperature of the specific space.

In addition, one side of the main body is provided with an operation mode selection unit that controls the temperature of the storage compartment differently according to the user's selection, and the operation mode selection unit controls the temperature of the storage compartment with one of the plurality of temperature sensors. A specific sample setting unit, a maximum temperature setting unit that controls the temperature of the storage chamber with a temperature sensor that detects the highest temperature among the plurality of temperature sensors, and an average that controls the temperature of the storage chamber with the average temperature detected by the plurality of temperature sensors. Includes a temperature setting unit.

On the other hand, the method of controlling the temperature of the medical refrigerator according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes the steps of determining the operation mode selected by the operation mode selection unit, and detecting the temperature from a plurality of temperature sensors installed in the storage room, respectively. If the operation mode is a specific sample operation mode that controls the temperature of the storage room based on the temperature of a specific storage material accommodated in the storage room, the detection temperature of a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the specific storage material exceeds a set temperature. And controlling the driving of the cooling device.

In addition, the operation mode controls the temperature of the storage compartment based on the maximum temperature of the storage compartment. In the case of the maximum temperature operation mode, the step of controlling the driving of the cooling device when the maximum temperature detected among the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds a set temperature.

In addition, when the operation mode is an average temperature operation mode that controls the temperature of the storage compartment based on the overall average temperature of the storage compartment, the cooling device is driven when the average temperature detected from the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds a set temperature. It characterized in that it further comprises the step of controlling.

The present invention allows the user to variously control the temperature of the storage chamber by selecting any one of the temperature of a specific sample, the maximum temperature inside the storage chamber, or the average temperature according to the characteristics of various storage items stored together in the storage chamber. There is an effect of greatly improving the storage efficiency of the stored material.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of greatly improving the storage reliability of the storage material by sensing the temperature of the storage material and controlling the overall temperature of the storage room based on the temperature of the storage material in the case of a specific storage material having a limited storage temperature range.

In addition, the present invention installs a plurality of temperature sensors in appropriate places in the storage room, and the user can easily check the temperature of each region sensed by the plurality of temperature sensors with the naked eye, so that when a large temperature deviation occurs in one region, the user In that it can be checked and taken action, the storage reliability of the stored material is further improved.

The following drawings appended in the present specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the present invention, so the present invention is limited to the matters described in such drawings. And should not be interpreted.
1 is an overall perspective view showing the interior of a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view showing the interior of a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of components for temperature control of a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram illustrating a display unit in a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a reference diagram showing that a position of a reference temperature sensor can be changed in a medical refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a reference diagram showing a situation in which a refrigeration load may be applied because a large amount of storage is stored in one space of a storage room in a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control method in a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view showing an installation state of a temperature sensor in a medical refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a method for controlling the temperature of a medical refrigerator and storage compartment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are perspective and cross-sectional views showing the interior of a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are a block diagram of components for temperature control of a medical refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a view showing the display unit.

1 to 4, the medical refrigerator according to the present invention is for actively controlling the temperature of the storage chamber according to the types of various storages such as samples, biological tissues, blood, plasma, or vaccines and drugs stored therein. , It comprises a main body 10, a plurality of temperature sensors 100 and 200, a control unit 300, and a display unit 320 having a storage chamber 11 formed therein, and will be described in detail as follows.

First, at least one storage chamber 11 is formed in the refrigerator main body 10 to have an entrance opening that is opened in front of the refrigerator body 10 and is provided to accommodate various types of storage.

The storage chamber 11 is divided into a plurality of spaces by a plurality of trays 12 for supporting storage. Specifically, the storage chamber 11 is divided into six spaces with three trays 12 installed on both sides of the left and right sides at regular intervals up and down based on the partition wall 13 installed in the center. The partition wall 13 and the tray 12 are formed with a number of holes through which cold air can pass, so that the storage chamber 11 is controlled in temperature as one space. In an embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the storage compartment 11 is divided into six spaces, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the space may be divided in various ways according to the size of the refrigerator or the type of storage. Even in this case, as mentioned above, the storage chamber 11 is one space and the entire internal temperature is controlled.

Meanwhile, a machine room 14 for accommodating a compressor and a condenser constituting a cooling device (not shown) is provided above the refrigerator main body 10. The cooling device includes a compressor for compressing a gaseous refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure, a condenser for condensing the gaseous refrigerant compressed from the compressor into a liquid state, a capillary tube or expansion valve for converting the liquefied refrigerant to a low temperature and low pressure state, An evaporator mounted on an outer surface of the storage chamber 11 to cool the storage chamber 11 by absorbing and evaporating surrounding heat, and a refrigerant pipe connected to pass the refrigerant between devices such as a compressor and the evaporator.

In the present invention, a plurality of temperature sensors (100, 200) to actively control the temperature inside the storage chamber according to various types of storage such as samples, biological tissues, blood, plasma, or vaccines and drugs stored in the storage chamber (11). Is installed.

A total of six temperature sensors 100 and 200 are installed so as to be assigned one for each space partitioned by the partition wall 13 and the tray 12. Each of the temperature sensors 100 and 200 is mounted on the wall of the storage compartment 11 and senses the ambient temperature of each space to which they are allocated in the storage compartment 11. Each of the temperature sensors 100 and 200 may be mounted anywhere on the wall of the storage chamber 11, but it is preferable to be mounted on the central area of the wall of the storage chamber 11.

In the present invention, an operation mode for controlling the total temperature inside the storage chamber by a temperature sensor (100, hereinafter referred to as'reference temperature sensor') that measures the temperature of a specific storage object among a plurality of temperature sensors 100 and 200 (specific sample Operation mode).

To this end, the reference temperature sensor 100 is damaged and difficult to use if not stored at a temperature of around 4°C, such as plasma or blood, which is an important storage material sensitive to temperature change among the storage materials stored in the storage chamber 11. It is to measure the temperature of the storage material (S, hereinafter referred to as'specific sample'), and the remaining temperature sensor 200 measures the temperature of the space in which the relatively less important storage material is stored. Each of the temperature sensors 100 and 200 transmits the detected signal to the control unit 300. Accordingly, the controller 300 controls the temperature of the internal space of the storage chamber 11 based on signals from the temperature sensors 100 and 200.

Previously, in an embodiment of the present invention, a specific sample S is installed in a predetermined space inside the storage chamber 11, and the reference temperature sensor 100 is non-contact with the specific sample S on the wall of the storage chamber 11 Although it has been described as being fixedly installed, the reference temperature sensor 100 may be installed in a contact type so that the temperature of the specific sample S can be directly sensed in order to more accurately measure the temperature of the specific sample S.

Furthermore, the reference temperature sensor 100 may be installed so that the temperature of the specific sample S can be directly detected even if the specific sample S is not installed in a predetermined space inside the storage room. have. In this case, the reference temperature sensor 100 may not be fixedly installed on the wall surface of the storage chamber 11 but may be installed so that the installation position can be changed. That is, the reference temperature sensor 100 is installed to be extended by a cable so that it can be positioned in any space inside the storage chamber.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when a user installs a specific sample S in the left center space of the storage room, the reference temperature sensor 100 not fixed to the wall surface is It can be installed to be in direct contact with a specific sample (S) by extending it to a stored location.

When it is determined that the temperature sensed by the reference temperature sensor 100 is greater than or equal to the set temperature according to the user's setting, the control unit 300 cools the storage chamber 11 by driving a cooling device, and the reference temperature sensor 100 Controls to stop the cooling device when it is determined that the temperature detected in) is less than or equal to the set temperature.

In addition, in the medical refrigerator according to the present invention, a user can easily check the temperature of each space in which a storage object is installed in the storage room with the naked eye.

To this end, each of the temperature sensors 100 and 200 is electrically connected to the control unit 300 and transmits a detected signal to the control unit 300. The control unit 300 displays temperature data received from each of the temperature sensors 100 and 200 on the display unit 320, respectively.

The display unit 320 is installed on the refrigerator body 10 as an LCD panel. As shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 320 displays the temperature measured by a plurality of temperature sensors installed in each space in which storage is installed in the storage room. In this case, the area in which the temperature is displayed on the display unit 320 is displayed in the same form as the space area in which the storage compartment is partitioned in the corresponding refrigerator. In other words, when a total of 6 lines are installed inside the storage room, the display unit can be divided into 6 areas and displayed, whereas when a total of 9 sensors are installed, the display unit can be divided into 9 areas and displayed. have.

Accordingly, the user can easily check the temperature of each region in the storage room with the naked eye, so that when a large temperature deviation occurs in one region, the user can check it and take action. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a user accidentally stores a relatively large amount of storage in one space of the storage room, thereby generating a refrigeration load in that space, causing the space to have abnormal temperature compared to other spaces. In the case of rising, by taking measures to distribute and store the stored material in another space, it is possible to more easily manage the temperature of the stored material compared to the prior art.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the display unit 320 may further include an alarm unit 313 to notify the user when the temperature inside the storage room is abnormally deviated. Furthermore, the area displaying the temperature of the specific sample on the display unit 320 may be displayed in a color that is distinguished from other areas so that the user can more carefully check the temperature of the specific sample.

Meanwhile, in the medical refrigerator according to the present invention, a user may select an operation mode according to a situation in order to actively control the temperature of the storage compartment according to the types of various storage objects stored therein.

To this end, a driving mode selection unit 330 is provided next to one side of the display unit 320 to control the temperature of the storage chamber in different operation modes according to a user's selection. The operation mode selection unit 330 includes a specific sample setting unit 330a, a maximum temperature setting unit 330b, and an average temperature setting unit 330c. The operation mode selection unit 330 may be formed by laminating a touch screen on the surface of the display unit 320.

The specific sample setting unit 330a is an operation mode for controlling the overall temperature inside the storage chamber based on the temperature of the specific sample S (specific sample operation mode). The maximum temperature setting unit 330b is a temperature sensor that senses the maximum temperature among the plurality of temperature sensors 100 and 200 and is an operation mode that controls the overall temperature of the storage chamber (maximum temperature operation mode). In addition, the average temperature setting unit 330c is an operation mode (average temperature operation mode) that controls the overall temperature of the storage chamber with the average temperature detected by the plurality of temperature sensors 100 and 200.

Here, the specific sample setting unit 330a is applied to both a type in which the reference temperature sensor 100 measuring the temperature of the specific sample S is fixed in a specific space or the installation location can be changed.

In addition, the display unit 320 includes a reference temperature setting unit 311 through which the user can set the temperature inside the storage room to a desired temperature, and a temperature deviation setting unit through which a temperature deviation allowed from the reference temperature can be set. (312) is further provided.

For example, the reference temperature inside the storage compartment may be set to 4°C through the reference temperature setting unit 311, and the allowable temperature deviation inside the storage compartment may be set to ±3°C through the temperature deviation setting unit 312. At this time, if the allowable temperature deviation range of the specific sample S is very small, the allowable temperature deviation may be set to ±1°C.

Hereinafter, a method for controlling a temperature inside a storage compartment according to the medical refrigerator of the present invention will be described. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control method in a storage compartment according to the medical refrigerator of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, the user may set the operation mode, the reference temperature inside the storage room, and the allowable temperature deviation according to the initial setting (S100 and S110). For example, if an important sample sensitive to temperature change is stored, and you want to control the temperature inside the storage room centering on the sample, select the specific sample operation mode, set the reference temperature to 4℃, and allow the temperature. The deviation can also be set to ±1℃.

Next, the control unit determines whether the operation mode is a specific sample operation mode (S120). In the case of the specific sample operation mode, it is determined whether the temperature measured by the reference temperature sensor (specific sample) exceeds the allowable temperature (S150). When it is determined that the temperature measured by the reference temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the allowable temperature, the cooling device is driven to cool the storage chamber, and when the temperature detected by the reference temperature sensor is determined to be less than or equal to the allowable temperature, the cooling system is stopped. Control so as to be done (S160).

If the operation mode is not the specific sample operation mode, it is determined whether the operation mode is the highest temperature operation mode (S130). In the case of the maximum temperature operation mode, it is determined whether the maximum temperature detected among the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds the allowable temperature (S150). When it is judged that the maximum temperature measured among a number of temperature sensors is greater than or equal to the allowable temperature, the cooling unit is driven to cool the storage chamber, and the cooling unit is controlled to stop when the maximum temperature is determined to be less than or equal to the allowable temperature. Do (S160).

Next, when the operation mode is not the maximum temperature operation mode, it is determined whether the average temperature operation mode is (S140). In the case of the average temperature operation mode, it is determined whether the average temperature detected by the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds the allowable temperature (S150). When it is determined that the average temperature measured by multiple temperature sensors is greater than or equal to the allowable temperature, the cooling unit is driven to cool the storage room, and the cooling unit is stopped when the average temperature is determined to be less than or equal to the allowable temperature. Do (S160).

The maximum temperature operation mode and the average temperature operation mode can be selected when samples stored in the storage chamber are relatively less sensitive to temperature changes. In this case, unlike the specific sample operation mode, the reference temperature of the storage room can be set to 4℃ and the allowable temperature deviation can be set to ±3℃.

It goes without saying that the above-described deviation between the reference temperature and the allowable temperature is only an example and may vary depending on the purpose of use of the refrigerator or the type of storage. Furthermore, the deviation between the reference temperature and the allowable temperature may be stored in advance in the memory of the controller rather than the user selection.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, it has been described that the temperature sensors 100 and 200 are fixedly installed on the wall of the storage chamber 11, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be installed on the tray 12. When the tray 12 is installed, it is preferable to install it at the rear of the tray 12 so as not to complicate electrical wiring.

Preferably, when the tray 12 is pulled out and stored, the cable of the temperature sensor is connected so that the cable of the temperature sensor can be clearly arranged without affecting other samples, so that the temperature sensor body and the cable can be separated and disconnected. Has. More specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the main body (110a) (120a) of the temperature sensor (100, 200) is fixedly installed on the rear of the tray 12, the cables (110b) (120b) is the storage compartment (11) ) Is fixedly installed on the wall, and when the tray 12 is withdrawn, the temperature sensor body 110a, 120a is naturally separated from the cables 110b and 120b, and when the tray 12 is stored, the temperature sensor body ( 110a) (120a) has a structure that is naturally connected to the cables (110b) (120b).

More specifically, the temperature sensor body 110a, 120a and the cables 110b, 120b may be formed of connectors that are male and female to be coupled to each other. The connector 111a provided on the temperature sensor body 110a, 120a is a male connector, and the connector 111b provided on the cable 110b, 120b side is a female connector. At this time, the temperature sensor main body 110a and 120a may be provided with hook-shaped locking protrusions 112 on both sides thereof to be firmly fixed to the rear surface of the tray 12. Therefore, when the tray 12 is withdrawn, the male and female connectors 111a and 11b are separated, and the temperature sensor body and the cable are naturally separated. The main body is connected to the cable naturally.

In the above, the present invention has been described based on a preferred embodiment, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications or changes can be implemented within the scope described in the claims. It is obvious to the user, and such modifications or changes will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

10: refrigerator body 11: storage compartment
12: tray 13: bulkhead
100: reference temperature sensor 200: temperature sensor
300: control unit 311: reference temperature setting unit
312: temperature deviation setting unit 313: alarm unit
320: display unit 330: operation mode selection unit

Claims (12)

A main body having a storage compartment;
A plurality of temperature sensors installed in the storage chamber;
A control unit for controlling a temperature of the storage chamber based on any one temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors; And
A medical refrigerator comprising a; a display unit for displaying the temperature of each space or storage object in the storage room sensed by the plurality of temperature sensors.
The method according to claim 1,
A reference temperature sensor for controlling the temperature of the storage compartment detects a temperature of a specific storage material, and the controller controls a temperature of the storage compartment according to the temperature of the specific storage material.
The method according to claim 2,
The reference temperature sensor is a medical refrigerator, characterized in that directly sensing the temperature of the specific storage.
The method of claim 3,
The reference temperature sensor is a medical refrigerator, characterized in that the temperature of the specific storage object can be sensed regardless of the installation position of the specific storage object by varying the installation position.
The method according to claim 1,
A reference temperature sensor, which is a reference for controlling the temperature of the storage compartment, senses a temperature of a specific space of the storage compartment, and the controller controls a temperature of the storage compartment according to the temperature of the specific space.
The method according to claim 1,
One side of the main body is provided with an operation mode selection unit that controls the temperature of the storage chamber differently according to the user's selection, and the operation mode selection unit controls the temperature of the storage chamber with one of the plurality of temperature sensors. And a maximum temperature setting unit configured to control a temperature of the storage chamber with a setting unit and a temperature sensor detecting a maximum temperature among the plurality of temperature sensors.
The method of claim 6,
And the operation mode selection unit further comprises an average temperature setting unit configured to control the temperature of the storage compartment based on average temperatures detected by the plurality of temperature sensors.
The method according to claim 1,
The plurality of temperature sensors have a connector structure in which the temperature sensor body and the temperature sensor cable are separated from each other and are male and female, and the connector on the temperature sensor body is fixedly installed at the rear of the tray on which the storage is placed, and the connector on the temperature sensor cable side Is fixedly installed on the wall constituting the storage room, and the temperature sensor body and the cable are connected and disconnected according to the storage and extraction of the tray.
In the method of controlling the temperature of the medical interior,
Determining a driving mode selected by the driving mode selection unit;
Detecting each temperature from a plurality of temperature sensors installed in the storage room; And
When the operation mode is a specific sample operation mode that controls the temperature of the storage chamber based on the temperature of the specific storage material accommodated in the storage chamber, the cooling device when the detection temperature of the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the specific storage material exceeds a set temperature Controlling the operation of the; temperature control method of a medical refrigerator comprising a
The method of claim 9,
When the operation mode is a maximum temperature operation mode for controlling the temperature of the storage room based on the maximum temperature of the storage room, controlling the driving of the cooling device when the maximum temperature detected among the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds a set temperature. Temperature control method of a medical refrigerator, characterized in that it further comprises.
The method of claim 9,
The temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the specific storage object is fixed to the specific space when the specific storage object is installed in a predetermined specific space, or when the specific storage object is installed in an arbitrary space, the installation location Temperature control method of a medical refrigerator, characterized in that variable.
The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The operation mode controls the temperature of the storage compartment based on the overall average temperature of the storage compartment. In the case of the average temperature operation mode, controlling the operation of the cooling device when the average temperature detected by the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds a set temperature. The method of controlling a temperature of a medical refrigerator further comprises.

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