Systems and methods for pneumatic tube delivery using smart carriers

A method for delivering items via carriers traveling through a pneumatic tube delivery system comprising:

• receiving delivery information for a first one of the carriers including information identifying a target receiving workstation to which the first carrier is to be sent;
• determining, based on the delivery information, a path for the first carrier from a sending work station to the receiving workstation;
• establishing a communication link with a sensor of the first carrier via a wireless transmitter of the first carrier while the carrier travels along the path to the receiving workstation;
• receiving via the communication link carrier transit information pertaining to a delivery of the carrier along the path and a system data corresponding to a condition of the delivery system;
• adjusting operation of the delivery system based on the carrier transit information;
• and
• generating an indication of system conditions at a plurality of locations within a network of tubing of the delivery system based on the system data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions, executable by a processor, for controlling the operations of a pneumatic tube delivery system, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

• receiving delivery information from a sending workstation from which a carrier is to be sent to a receiving workstation, the delivery information identifying the receiving workstation;
• determining a path from the sending workstation to the receiving workstation based on the delivery information;
• establishing a communication link with a sensor of the carrier via a wireless transmitter of the carrier while the carrier travels along the path to the receiving workstation;
• receiving via wireless radio communications carrier transit information pertaining to a delivery of the carrier along the path and a system data corresponding to a condition of the delivery system;
• adjusting, by a system controller, operation of the system based on the carrier transit information;
• and
• generating an indication of system conditions at a plurality of locations within the network of tubing based on the system data.

A carrier for delivering items within a system, the carrier comprising:

• a housing including a storage component for storing content;
• at least one sensor collecting carrier transit information and system data, the carrier transit information pertaining to one of a delivery of the carrier along the path and the system data pertaining to a condition of the delivery system;
• and
• a wireless transmitter establishing a communication link between at least one system transceiver of the system and the sensor for transmitting the carrier transit information and the system data over the communication link while the carrier travels along a path from a sending workstation to a receiving workstation.