NZ736011B - A device for storing elements - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (22) for storing elements (12), each element (12) comprising a first wireless communication unit, the device (22) comprising at least one drawer block (30) comprising: - a drawer comprising a bottom defining at least one slot for receiving an element (12), - for each slot, a second wireless communication unit able to transmit radiofrequency waves and adapted for communicating with the hole of the first communication units, the bottom of the drawer being formed with a material able to be crossed by radiofrequency waves ransmitted by each second communication unit, each second communication unit being positioned below the bottom of the drawer facing the corresponding slot so as to allow communication between said second communication unit and the first communication unit of an element (12) received in said slot. each slot, a second wireless communication unit able to transmit radiofrequency waves and adapted for communicating with the hole of the first communication units, the bottom of the drawer being formed with a material able to be crossed by radiofrequency waves ransmitted by each second communication unit, each second communication unit being positioned below the bottom of the drawer facing the corresponding slot so as to allow communication between said second communication unit and the first communication unit of an element (12) received in said slot.

Description

A device for storing elements FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for storing elements.

The present invention also relates to an installation comprising such a device for storing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There already exists devices for storing elements in various fields. The elements are for example bags containing biological products, such as blood products (bags of primary blood, of plasma, of platelets, of red blood cells…) or cell engineering products (cells, stem cells…), or further drug bags such as chemotherapy bags.

It is known to store such bags in refrigerating structures formed of drawers in which the bags are inserted. The bags inserted into such structures generally comprise an identification tag, such as an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, in which are stored in memory pieces of information relative to the corresponding bag. Furthermore, a reader, such as an RFID reader, is positioned facing the intended location of the bags of each drawer in order to read and update the information contained in the tags of said bags.

However, when the tags of the bags are not directly positioned facing the reader in the drawer, the reading of the information contained in the tag of said bags may not be carried out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There a need for a device for storing elements giving the possibility of controlling the condition of said elements in a reliable way without congesting the storage space.

Alternatively or additionally, there is a need to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

The invention relates to a device for storing elements, each element comprising a first wireless communication unit, the device comprising a plurality of drawer blocks, each drawer block comprising: - a support comprising a housing, - a drawer positioned in the housing of the support and able to slide relatively to the support, the drawer comprising a bottom defining at least one slot for receiving an element, - for each slot, at least one second wireless communication unit able to transmit radiofrequency waves, the second communication unit being adapted for communicating with the first communication units, the bottom of the drawer being formed with a material able to be crossed by radiofrequency waves transmitted by said or each second communication unit, said or each second communication unit being positioned below the bottom of the drawer, facing the corresponding slot of the drawer so as to allow communication between said second communication unit and the first communication unit of an element received in said slot, and an upper end and/or a lower end of the support of each drawer block comprising an assembling member with a complementary assembling member, respectively of a lower end or of an upper end of the support of another one of said drawer blocks, so that the drawer blocks are assembled onto each other in order to form a vertical stack.

According to specific embodiments, the device comprises one or several of the following features, taken individually or according to all the technically possible combinations: - the bottom of the drawer is in plastic; - the elements are containers of biological products, of drugs or of therapeutic preparations; - each first communication unit is a radio-identification tag and each second communication unit is a radio-identification reader; - each second communication unit is secured to the support of the corresponding drawer block; - each second communication unit is secured to the drawer of the corresponding drawer block; - each first communication unit comprises information relative to the corresponding element comprising said first communication unit, each second communication unit being, if necessary, able to communicate with the first communication unit of the element received in the slot facing said second communication unit for obtaining information relative to the element, the device further comprising a processing unit connected to each second communication unit, the processing unit being able to determine, from said communicated information, the occupation of each slot and, if necessary, a state of the element received in said slot, the processing unit being able to trigger an alarm depending on the occupation of each slot and, if necessary, of the state of the element.

The invention also relates to an installation comprising: - an enclosure comprising an inner compartment, and - a device according to the first aspect of the invention, the device being positioned in the inner compartment of the enclosure.

According to specific embodiments, the installation comprises one or several of the following features, taken individually or according to all the technically possible combinations: - the enclosure is a refrigerating enclosure; - the elements are containers of platelets, the enclosure being a platelet stirrer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the description which follows of embodiments of the invention, given only as an example and with reference to the drawings which are: - figure 1, a schematic perspective illustration of an installation comprising a device for storing, - figure 2, a schematic perspective illustration of the device for storing of figure 1, - figure 3, a schematic illustration of several drawer blocks of the device for storing of figure 1, and - figure 4, a schematic illustration of an element intended to be stored in the device of figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An installation 10 for storing elements 12 is illustrated in figure 1.

The elements 12 are for example containers (visible in figure 2). Generally, a container refers to any type of bag intended to contain products whose use is conditioned by strict storage constraints.

More particularly, the elements 12 are for example bags containing biological products such as blood products (primary blood cells bags, plasma bags, platelet bags, red blood cells bags…) or cell engineering products (human or animal cells, notably human or animal stem cells, products deriving from human or animal cells).

Alternatively, the elements 12 are drug bags or therapeutic preparation bags containing one or several active ingredients or drugs, such as chemotherapy bags generally containing a solute and one or several active ingredients for chemotherapy.

More generally, the elements 12 are able to contain any product intended to be infused into a human or into an animal.

As visible in figure 4, each element 12 comprises a first wireless communication unit 14. Each first communication unit 14 is for example a tag, such as an adhesive tag affixed on an outer face of the element 12.

In general, each first communication unit 14 comprises at least one antenna, a memory and optionally a microprocessor.

The antenna of each first communication unit 14 is for example a radiofrequency antenna.

The memory of each first communication unit 14 comprises pieces of information relative to the corresponding element 12.

Such pieces of information are for example: a unique identifier of the element 12, the storage date of the element 12, the expiry date of the element 12, the date at which the first communication unit 14 of the element 12 has communicated pieces of information for the last time, the donation number relative to the contents of the element 12, the product code of the content of the element 12, the Rhesus group of the content of the element 12, the blood phenotype of the content of the element 12, the identity of the patient from which stems the content of the element 12, the name of the patient from which stems the content of the element 12, the volume of the content of the element 12, the donation center (including the address) where the content of the element 12 has been obtained, the current process on the element 12 and the anticoagulant type of the content of the element 12. In the case of chemotherapy, such pieces of information further comprise the manufacturing date, the product type, the carrier type, the identity of the prescribing physician, the identity of the pharmacist, the identity of the manufacturer, the release date and the status (released, delivered, etc.).

The installation 10 comprises an enclosure 20 and a device for storing 22.

The enclosure 20 comprises an inner compartment 24 for receiving the device for storing 22.

The enclosure 20 is for example a refrigerating enclosure, such as a refrigerator or a deep freeze. When the refrigerating enclosure is a refrigerator, the temperature of the enclosure is comprised between 0 degrees Celsius (°C) and 5°, preferably equal to 4°C.

When the refrigerating enclosure is a deep freeze, the temperature of the enclosure is comprised between -35°C and -196°C, preferably equal to -40°C.

Alternatively, the enclosure 20 is a platelet stirrer. The enclosure 20 is then preferably integrated into an incubator having a temperature, preferably equal to 24°C.

Hereinafter, relative positions are defined with respect to a common usage direction of the enclosure 20 for which a bottom is defined, generally resting on the ground, and a top opposite the bottom. These relative positions are in particular shown by terms such as "below" or "above".

The device 22 comprises a plurality of drawer blocks 30 and a base 32. As visible in figure 2, the device 22 further comprises a processing unit 33.

As this will be described later on, the drawer blocks 30 are stacked on each other in order to form a vertical stack 38 of drawer blocks 30. Figures 1 to 3 illustrate an example of a stack of ten drawer blocks 30.

Each drawer block 30 comprises a support 40, a drawer 42 and at least one second communication unit 44, visible in figure 2.

The support 40 comprises a housing 45, an upper end 46, a lower end 48 (visible in figure 3) and connections 49 (visible in figure 2). Optionally, each drawer block 30 also comprises a plate.

Each housing 45 is able to receive the corresponding drawer 42.

The upper end 46 of each drawer block 30, visible in figure 3, comprises at least one first assembling member 51. The first assembling members 51 are for example female assembling members.

The lower end 48 of each drawer block 30, visible in figure 3, comprises at least one second assembling member 52, complementary to the first assembling members 51.

The second assembling members 52 are for example male assembling members.

In the example illustrated in figure 3, the first assembling members 51 are grooves and the second assembling members 52 are ribs complementary to the grooves.

Thus, each drawer block 30 is assembled to at least one other drawer block 30 of the stack 38 by the first assembling member(s) 51 of said drawer block 30 and/or by the second assembling member(s) 52 of said drawer block 30.

The connections 49 are for example, electrical connections.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 to 3, the connections 49 of each drawer block 30 are connected, on the one hand to the second communication units 44 of said drawer block 30, and on the other hand, to the second communication units 44 of the other drawer blocks 30. Furthermore, the connections 49 are connected to the processing unit 33.

Each drawer 42 is positioned in the housing 45 of the support 40. Each drawer 42 is able to slide relatively to the corresponding support 40.

Each drawer 42 comprises a bottom 56 defining at least one slot 58 for receiving an element 12.

The bottom 56 of each drawer 42 is made from a material able to be traversed by radioelectrical waves transmitted by the second communication unit 44 of the drawer block 30 of said drawer 42.

The material of the bottom 56 of each drawer 42 is for example plastic.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 to 3, the bottom 56 of each drawer 42 defines twelve slots 58 for receiving elements 12.

Each slot 58 is for example delimited by edges 59 forming a locker 60.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 to 3, each drawer block 30 comprises as many second communication units 44 as there are slots 58.

Each second communication unit 44 is arranged below the bottom 56 of the drawer 42 facing the corresponding slot 58, so as to allow communication between said second communication unit 44 and the first communication unit 14 of an element 12 received in said slot 58. By the expression “facing”, it is meant the fact that each second communication unit 44 is positioned facing the space delimited by the slot 58. Formulated otherwise, the projection of the slot 58 in the plane of the second communication unit 44 coincides with the second communication unit 44.

Each second communication unit 44 is able to communicate, if applicable, with the first communication unit 14 of the element 12 received in said slot 58 for obtaining pieces of information relative to the element 12.

Each second communication unit 44 is able to transmit radiofrequency waves.

Each second communication unit 44 is adapted for communicating with the set of first communication units 14.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first communication units 14 are RFID tags and the second communication units 44 are RFID readers.

More generally, each second communication unit 44 comprises at least one antenna, a memory and optionally a microprocessor.

In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 to 3, each second communication unit 44 is secured to the drawer 42 of the corresponding drawer block 30. More specifically, each second communication unit 44 is fastened below the bottom 56 of the drawer 42 of the corresponding slot 58.

In an alternative, each second communication unit 44 is secured to the support 40 of the corresponding drawer block 30. Each drawer block 30 further comprises a satellite.

The satellite is a casing which contains the second communication unit 44. The satellite is fastened to the support 40 of said drawer block 30 directly under the drawer 42 of said drawer block 30. When the drawer 42 is closed, said second communication unit 44 is facing the corresponding slot 58 and is therefore, if applicable, capable of communicating with a first communication unit 14 positioned in the corresponding slot 58. When the drawer 42 is open, said second communication unit 44 is not moved with the drawer 42, and therefore is not capable of communicating with a first communication unit 14 positioned in the corresponding slot 58.

Each plate is able to prevent the passing of radioelectric waves transmitted by all the second communication units 44.

Each plate is positioned below the bottom 56 of the drawer 42 of each drawer block 30 and below the second communication units 44 corresponding to the slots 58 at the bottom 56 of the drawer 42 of said drawer block 30. Thus, each second communication unit 44 is able to communicate only with the first communication units 14 positioned above said second communication unit 44.

Each plate is for example, made in metal.

The base 32 is assembled with the lowest drawer block 30 of the stack 38 of drawer blocks 30. To that end, the base 32 comprises an upper end 62 comprising at least one third assembling member. Each third assembling member is identical to the first assembling members 51. The second assembling member(s) 52 of the last drawer block of the stack 38 are assembled with the third assembling member(s) of the base 32, which makes it possible to close the stack 38.

The processing unit 33 is able to process the pieces of information stemming from the second communication units 44. In particular, the processing unit 33 is able to determine the occupation of each slot 58 and, if applicable, from said pieces of information, a state of the element 12 positioned in said slot 58.

The determined states are for example two in number: a “valid” state and an “invalid” state. An element 12 is considered as being “valid” when the pieces of information relative to the element 12 are compliant with requirement specifications and is considered as “invalid” in the opposite case.

Thus, the processing unit 33 has an instantaneous image of the device for storing 22, namely which element 12 is in which slot 58 and the pieces of information relative to each of said elements 12. The processing unit 33 also comprises a history of the entry and exit dates of each element 12 relative to the device 22.

Further, the processing unit 33 is able to coordinate the second communication units 44. In particular, the processing unit 33 is able to activate each second communication unit 44 and to order, if applicable, the updating, by the second communication units 44, of the pieces of information contained in the first communication units 14.

Optionally, the processing unit 33 is able to generate an alarm depending on the occupation of each slot 58 and, if applicable, on the state of the corresponding element 12 to said slot 58. For example, if the processing unit 33 determines that a same slot 58 comprises more than one element 12, the processing unit 33 generates an alarm.

The operation of the device 22 integrated into the installation 10 will now be described.

When an element 12 is positioned in the slot 58 of one of the drawer blocks 30 of the device 22, the second communication unit 44 corresponding to said slot 58 communicates with the first communication unit 14 of said element 12, in order to obtain the pieces of information relative to the element 12. From the collected pieces of information, the processing unit 33 determines a state of each element 12, and if necessary, either triggers or not an alarm.

Thus, the device 22 gives the possibility of reliably controlling the state of the elements 12 stored in the device 22, as well as the occupation level of the slots 58 of the drawer blocks 30.

Furthermore, the specific positioning of the readers below the corresponding drawer gives the possibility of obtaining reduced congestion.

The device 22 is therefore a device for storing elements making it possible to check the status of elements 12 reliably without congesting the storage area.

Furthermore, it is easy to assemble and disassemble the drawer blocks 30 of the device 22. Such a modularity of the device 22 gives the possibility of adapting the device 22 to a large number of facilities 10, by modifying the number of drawer blocks 30 of the stack 38.

Furthermore, a stack of drawer blocks is much lighter and more compact than a plurality of drawers, and therefore easier to manipulate and install.

Additionally, from a production standpoint, thousands of identical drawer blocks 30 are manufactured, rather than tens of cabinets with different formats. This makes it possible to achieve economies of scale, simplify inventory management, and simplify maintenance.

Moreover, the device 22 is adaptable to an installation 10 not having beforehand any RFID technology.

Additionally, the reduced bulk makes it possible to contemplate configurations in which the installation 10 contains a larger number of elements 12.

Further, the installation 10 and/or the device 22 are easy to manufacture.

Lastly, in the alternative according to which each drawer block 30 comprises a satellite, the satellite is in a single block and is therefore easy to replace in case of failure.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1.- A device for storing elements, each element comprising a first wireless communication unit, the device comprising a plurality of drawer blocks, each drawer block 5 comprising: - a support comprising a housing, - a drawer positioned in the housing of the support and able to slide relatively to the support, the drawer comprising a bottom defining at least one slot for receiving an element, 10 - for each slot, at least one second wireless communication unit able to transmit radiofrequency waves, the second communication unit being adapted for communicating with the first communication units, the bottom of the drawer being formed with a material able to be crossed by radiofrequency waves transmitted by said or each second communication unit, 15 said or each second communication unit being positioned below the bottom of the drawer facing the slot corresponding to the bottom of the drawer so as to allow communication between said second communication unit and the first communication unit of an element received in said slot, and an upper end and/or a lower end of the support of each drawer block comprising 20 an assembling member with a complementary assembling member, respectively of a lower end or of an upper end of the support of another one of said drawer blocks, so that the drawer blocks are assembled onto each other in order to form a vertical stack. 25 2.- The device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the drawer is in plastic. 3.- The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elements are containers of biological products, of drugs or of therapeutic preparations. 30 4.- The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each first communication unit is a radio-identification tag and each second communication unit is a radio-identification reader. 5.- The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each second 35 communication unit is secured to the support of the corresponding drawer block. 6.- The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each second communication unit is secured to the drawer of the corresponding drawer block. 7.- The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each first 5 communication unit comprises pieces of information relative to the corresponding element comprising said first communication unit, each second communication unit being, if necessary, able to communicate with the first communication unit of the element received in the slot facing said second communication unit for obtaining pieces of information relative to the element, the device further comprising a processing unit connected to each 10 second communication unit, the processing unit being able to determine, from said communicated information, the occupation of each slot and, if necessary, a state of the element received in said slot, the processing unit being able to trigger an alarm depending on the occupation of each slot and, if necessary, of the state of the element. 15 8.- An installation comprising: - an enclosure comprising an inner compartment, and - a device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the device being positioned in the inner compartment of the enclosure. 20 9.- The installation according to claim 8, wherein the enclosure is a refrigerating enclosure or a platelet stirrer, the elements being containers of platelets. 10.- The device according to claim 1, the device being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 11.- The installation according to claim 8, the installation being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 51 52