Cold storage device

An ice-lined vaccine cold storage device, comprising:

• a cold storage compartment arranged at an interior of the ice-lined cold storage device, the cold storage compartment having a first side portion and a second side portion with the first side portion and the second side portion being separated by the cold storage compartment and facing each other across the cold storage compartment;
• a thermally insulated envelope surrounding the cold storage compartment, the thermally insulated envelope having a cold storage compartment access panel moveable between an open position in which access is provided to the cold storage compartment and a closed position in which the access panel blocks access to the cold storage compartment and contributes to maintaining the cold storage compartment at a desired cold storage temperature;
• a first ice-lining configured to absorb heat from the interior of the cold-storage device, the first ice-lining being arranged between the cold storage compartment and the thermally insulated envelope, adjacent to the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a first thermal barrier which is arranged between the first ice-lining and the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a second ice-lining configured to absorb heat from the interior of the cold-storage device, the second ice-lining being arranged between the cold storage compartment and the thermally insulated envelope, adjacent to the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a second thermal barrier which is arranged between the second ice-lining and the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• and
• an electrically powered cooling circuit comprising one or more evaporators, a condenser and a compressor, the compressor being configured, when in operation, to circulate a refrigerant through the cooling circuit so as to remove heat from the first and second ice-linings;
• wherein the first thermal barrier comprises i) a first layer of thermal insulation material which provides a thermal resistance between the cold storage compartment and the first ice-lining and ii) a first, planar, metal sheet which provides a temperature distribution adjacent to and over an area of the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• wherein the second thermal barrier comprises i) a second layer of thermal insulation material which provides a thermal resistance between the cold storage compartment and the second ice-lining and ii) a second, planar, metal sheet which provides a temperature distribution adjacent to and over an area of the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• and wherein the cold storage device further comprises an RFID reader which comprises an RFID antenna, the RFID reader being configured to receive information from RFID tags positioned within a RFID detection zone via the RFID antenna;
• wherein the RFID antenna comprises the first, planar, metal sheet of the first thermal barrier, the second, planar, metal sheet of the second thermal barrier and an electrical connector which provides an electrical pathway between the first and second planar metal sheets such that, in use, the RFID reader controls an electrical flow through the first and second planar metal sheets and the electrical connector which generates the RFID detection zone within the cold storage compartment between the first and second planar metal sheets.

An ice-lined vaccine cold storage device,

• in which the ice-lined vaccine cold storage device is configured to operate with its cold storage compartment having a temperature which is maintained between +2° C. and +8° C., the ice-lined vaccine cold storage device comprising:
• a cold storage compartment arranged at an interior of the ice-lined cold storage device, the cold storage compartment having a first side portion, a second side portion, a third side portion and a fourth side portion, with the first side portion and the second side portion being separated by the cold storage compartment and facing each other across the cold storage compartment, with the third side portion and the fourth side portion being separated by the cold storage compartment and facing each other across the cold storage compartment, with the third side portion being arranged at a portion of a periphery of the cold storage compartment between the first side portion and the second side portion and the fourth side portion being arranged at another portion of the periphery of the cold storage compartment between the first side portion and the second side portion;
• a thermally insulated envelope surrounding the cold storage compartment, the thermally insulated envelope having a cold storage compartment access panel moveable between an open position in which access is provided to the cold storage compartment and a closed position in which the access panel blocks access to the cold storage compartment and contributes to maintaining the cold storage compartment at a desired cold storage temperature;
• a first ice-lining configured to absorb heat from the interior of the cold-storage device, the first ice-lining being arranged between the cold storage compartment and the thermally insulated envelope, adjacent to the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a first thermal barrier which is arranged between the first ice-lining and the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a second ice-lining configured to absorb heat from the interior of the cold-storage device, the second ice-lining being arranged between the cold storage compartment and the thermally insulated envelope, adjacent to the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• a second thermal barrier which is arranged between the second ice-lining and the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• and
• an electrically powered cooling circuit comprising one or more evaporators, a condenser and a compressor, the compressor being configured, when in operation, to circulate a refrigerant through the cooling circuit so as to remove heat from the first and second ice-linings;
• wherein the first thermal barrier comprises i) a first layer of thermal insulation material which provides a thermal resistance between the cold storage compartment and the first ice-lining and ii) a first, planar, metal sheet which provides a temperature distribution adjacent to and over an area of the first side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• wherein the second thermal barrier comprises i) a second layer of thermal insulation material which provides a thermal resistance between the cold storage compartment and the second ice-lining and ii) a second, planar, metal sheet which provides a temperature distribution adjacent to and over an area of the second side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• and wherein the cold storage device further comprises an RFID reader which comprises an RFID antenna, the RFID reader being configured to receive information from RFID tags positioned within a RFID detection zone via the RFID antenna;
• wherein the RFID antenna comprises
• the first, planar, metal sheet of the first thermal barrier,
• the second, planar, metal sheet of the second thermal barrier,
• a third, planar, metal sheet arranged at the third side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• and
• a fourth, planar metal sheet arranged at a fourth side portion of the cold storage compartment;
• such that, in use, the RFID reader controls an electrical flow through the first, second, third and fourth planar metal sheets and generates the RFID detection zone within the cold storage compartment between the first and second planar metal sheets and between the third and fourth planar metal sheets.