Smart storage of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals
AssigneeTruMed Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert James Manning, Eugene Abraham Baker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator and/or freezer unit and system for storing, monitoring, and maintaining a supply of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products in compliance with regulatory requirements. The unit contains compartments for each product type in multiple controlled temperature zones with sensors to track product status and content. In a system, each unit communicates with an application service provider to provide remote inventory management capability.
Claims19
A smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit for temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments configured to store temperature sensitive products, which electronically monitored compartments are disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (i) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (ii) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (iii) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone;
- and
- (b) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s).
A system to manage temperature sensitive products, optionally temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products, comprising a plurality of smart refrigerator and/or freezer units, wherein each of the smart refrigerator and/or freezer units comprises:
- (a) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments to store temperature sensitive products and disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (i) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (ii) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (iii) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone;
- and
- (b) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in each smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s), wherein each smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit is connected to the ASP;
- and
- (c) at least one temperature sensitive product stored as product inventory in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s).
A method of storing a temperature sensitive product inventory, the method comprising:
- (a) providing at least one smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit that comprises:
- (i) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments to store temperature sensitive products and disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (A) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (B) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (C) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone;
- and
- (ii) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with a computer network, optionally the Internet, hosting an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s);
- (b) connecting the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s) to the ASP via the computer network;
- and
- (c) storing a temperature sensitive pharmaceutical product inventory in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s);
- and, optionally
- (d) collecting data related to the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s) and the stored product inventory and communicating at least a portion of such data to the ASP.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.