EP2436361B1

EP2436361B1 - Device with an electromechanical lock for the safe distribution of blood or hemocomponents

Info

Publication number: EP2436361B1
Application number: EP09845122.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eduardo Graells Ferrandez; Francesc RIBAS ARIÑO
Original assignee: VERIDENTIA SL
Current assignee: VERIDENTIA SL
Priority date: 2009-05-25
Filing date: 2009-10-06
Publication date: 2017-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2029-10-06
Also published as: CN102458343A; AU2009347021A1; WO2010136613A1; US20120067894A1; EP2436361A1; DK2436361T5; DK2436361T3; EP2436361A4; ES2635296T3; ES1071023U; JP2012527925A; ES1071023Y

Description

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to a device with electromechanical closing for the safe distribution of blood or hemocomponents applicable preferably to medical centres.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In hospitals and health centres in which supplies of hemocomponents and drugs are made for patient treatments, it is very important to ensure that the hemocomponent is supplied to the correct patient. Control of these processes is always delicate, especially in hospitals with large numbers of patients.
In such centres, it is usual for bags of blood or hemocomponents to be transferred by health staff to the patients' rooms, which could produce mistakes leading to the wrong patient being given the blood or hemocomponent transfusion with the subsequent health risks.
One employed system for blood or hemocomponent identification to be applied to a patient, is the use of patient identification at the head of the bed, which is annotated on the sample containers that are sent to the blood bank. After performing the corresponding analyses, the blood bank sends the hemocomponents to the requesting personnel or the requested drugs from the pharmacy, together with a tracking code for said hemocomponents. The health staff receiving the hemocomponents or drugs are usually responsible for several patients and distribute them in accordance with the supplied codes and fill out a report if there are any incidents or problems. These codes are normally handwritten which involves the possibility of the personnel intervening in the successive steps misreading the codes or accidentally changing the packages employed, with subsequent risk to the patent's health.
One alternative is to make use of a bracelet with several self-adhesive labels for printed codes, a writable area for the patient's name and the label codes, together with a simple closing mechanism. The bracelet is worn on the patient's wrist and the sample containers are identified with the self-adhesive labels. However, there is the problem of hemocomponents or drug reception because the staff who are going to administer the product must visually read the numeric code with the accompanying possibility of a mistake in reading such abstract data.
There are other systems based on the use of handheld computers by the health staff involved in all the steps for supplying the hemocomponents or drugs so that patient identification is not made on the sample, but within the computer network. This system is much safer and objective, but does mean higher costs and more complex handling because the health staff are obliged to learn more or less complex computer applications. Moreover, in services such as emergencies or operating theatres, agility and simplicity of use are essential and so, systems that are complicated to use by the associated health staff cannot be employed.
Various devices are also known that permit the supply and consumption of medication to patients at home and in hospital.
Document US 2003099158 describes a system for supervising patient compliance with the prescribed medication. Said system is based on the use of a container fitted with a screw top and electromagnetic label with information about the medication included on the packaging, a reader to interrogate the electromagnetic label and identify the medication in question, an indicator that warns the patient to take the medication in accordance with the dosage regime and a memory that stores the time when the medication is actually removed from the container. This system comprises an electromechanical lock to unblock the cover when the indicator warns the patient to take the medication.
Document WO 0238101 describes a medication dispensing system that comprises a cabinet with various compartments containing medication and accessible to a health assistant for preparing individual doses and at least one supply device with various sections for medication doses, with the cabinet including a processor with memory for storing patient names and their corresponding doses, with the supply device incorporating a screen for displaying the patients' names and doses and a communications link with the patient. This system requires the intervention of a computer system and communications means between the cabinet and the supply device, which involves complexity and high costs.
A device for securely storing medicines in a way to restrict access to authorized persons only is known from document US 6,382,416 . Especially, it is intended that the device cannot be opened by children. For this purpose, the device includes a fingerprint reader for identifying the person intending to open the device. The device can only be opened if the scanned fingerprint corresponds to the one of an authorized person.
A device with electromechanical locking for secure distribution of blood is known from document WO 02/07800 A1 . The device includes a container that holds blood-bags for blood transfusions. First identification data designating the patient who needs the transfusion is contained in a bar code which is applied to the device. Second identification data concerning the blood or the patient is contained on a mark or a different device on the patient. A signal generator reads the first identification data from the device and the second identification data from the patient and compares them. It transmits a lock-releasing signal if the first and second identification data coincide.
The problem thus lies in the development of a device with an electro-mechanical locking mechanism for safe blood distribution, the opening of which requires the entering of certain previously assigned codes in a biunivocal manner to the corresponding patient to prevent the blood transported in the mentioned container being mistakenly given to another patient.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The device with electromechanical lock for the safe distribution of blood ort hemocomponents, the object of the invention, present certain constructional peculiarities intended to allow at least one bag of blood or hemocomponent to be placed inside with the device lock preventing access to the contents because it is necessary to enter codes into the device, associated with the patient for whom the blood or hemocomponent is intended, in order to unblock and open the device. In this way, undesired content manipulation and mistakes in supplying patients are avoided.
In accordance with the invention as solely defined by the appended claims, this device comprises a transparent rigid-material container, fitted with an access mouth for placing the bag of blood or hemocomponent to be transported inside and a closing cover fitted with a rear appendix for axial coupling to the container mouth. The container mouth and the rear appendix of the cover have similar irregular outlines for coupling in a single position.
The lock cover incorporates an electronic circuit that, in a basic configuration, comprises an electronic control card, the means to enter and download data, a data memory, a data display screen, an electric battery and low consumption electromechanical closing.
The electromechanical lock is fitted with a stop that is moveable between a protruding blocking position in which the stop is housed inside a lateral seating defined on the container mouth and an inoperative position in which said stop is housed inside the cover allowing it to be released from the container and electric, low consumption closing blocking means governed by the electronic control card when the code or data received via the data acquisition means are correct.
The shape of the transparent rigid-material container allows the bag of blood or hemocomponent inside to be identified without having to open the device.
The means for entering and downloading the data in the memory that are associated with the electronic control card inside the container cover comprise pushbuttons that are accessible from outside the cover and an external device connection for data processing and recording.
These means for entering and downloading the data allow the dumping of the data held in an external device and to format the data memory inside the container cover, leaving the device ready for subsequent usage.
In an embodiment of the invention, the closing stop unblocking means comprise an electrically operated low-consumption piezoelectric mechanism. This low-consumption mechanism is governed by the electronic control card that produces its unblocking when opening codes, coinciding with those held in the data memory and previously assigned to a determined patient, are entered by keypad or a wireless transmitter-receiver.
In this way, device opening is guaranteed to only occur via the codes associated with a patient, thus preventing mistakes in opening it and in manipulation of the contents by unauthorised persons.
In accordance with the invention, the cover comprises, at one end, a temperature sensor connected to the electronic control card, which detects and records the temperature inside the container. This temperature record will determine whether the bags of blood or hemocomponents being transported inside the device have been exposed to unsuitable temperatures during distribution.
In an embodiment of the invention, the cover additionally comprises an acoustic signal emitter, connected to the electronic control card that emits different acoustic signals indicating acceptance or rejection of the entered data, such as electromechanical lock opening codes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To complement this description and to facilitate understanding of the characteristics of the invention, this descriptive report is accompanied by a set of drawings, having merely an illustrative, non-limiting character in which the following is represented:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device in the open position.
Figure 2 is an elevation view of the device with the container sectioned by a vertical plane and with the cover partially sectioned and blocked in the locked position.
Figure 3 shows a schematic of the electronic circuit associated with the cover for entering, displaying and recording data and the cover blocking device operation.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The exemplary embodiment shown in the attached figures comprises a rigid transparent material container (1), fitted with a mouth (11) for access inside and a cover (2) the end of which presents a rear appendix (21) that can be coupled to the container mouth (11).
The container (1) and the cover (2) present a generally cylindrical configuration of suitable dimensions for use in conventional pneumatic transporters.
The container (1) and the rear appendix (21) of the cover each present lateral curvo-concave configurations (12, 22) that determine a single coupling position between cover (2) and container (1).
The cover (2) incorporates an electronic circuit (3) which, in the exemplary embodiment shown in figure 3, comprises an electronic control card (31), data entering and downloading means represented by a keypad (32a), a connection (32b), in this case USB type, a wireless transmitter-receiver (32c), a data memory (33), a data display screen (34), an electric battery (35), a low-consumption electromechanical lock (36), a temperature sensor (37) and an acoustic signal emitter (38).
The electromechanical lock (36), responsible for blocking the cover (2) in the container (1) closed position, is fitted with a movable stop (36a), represented by a ball, intended to be housed in a lateral seating (13) defined in the container mouth and unblocking means (36b) specifically consisting of a low consumption piezoelectric mechanism.
As previously indicated, the data to be recorded in memory (33), such as the electromechanical lock opening codes associated with the patient, or any others, can be entered by two pushbuttons (32a) or in a wireless manner via the wireless transmitter-receiver (32c).
When the cover (2) is in the container (1) locked, the previously stored opening codes have to be re-entered in order to unblock the electromechanical lock (36) and open the top, thus preventing the device being opened by unauthorised persons.
Once the container has been used, the stored data are downloaded and the memory is formatted, using the connector (32b) and the transmitter receiver (32c).
The acoustic signal emitter (38) is responsible for using different acoustic signals to indicate whether the codes entered to open the electromechanical lock are correct or not.
Once the nature of the invention is sufficiently described, together with an exemplary embodiment, it is placed on the record for whatever purpose that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the described elements may be modified, provided this does not involve any alteration to the essential characteristics of the invention which is claimed below.

Claims

A blood or hemocomponents holding device with electromechanical locking for secure distribution of blood or hemocomponents, comprising
a rigid container (1) having an access mouth (11), and
a closing cover (2) including an electronic circuit (3), the electronic circuit (3) including an electronic control card (31), an electric battery (35), a low-consumption electromechanical lock (36) and a data display screen (34), wherein
the electronic circuit (3) includes a data memory (33) for storing codes associated with the patient for whom the blood or hemocomponent is intended and means (32a, 32b, 32c) for entering and downloading the data and for unblocking the electromechanical lock by entering an opening code corresponding biunivocally to the data stored in the data memory (33),
the cover (2) has a rear appendix (21) for axially coupling it to the container mouth (11),
the container mouth (11) and the rear appendix (21) of the cover (2) having similar irregular outlines for coupling them in a single position, and
the container (1) is made of transparent material.
A device in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the electromechanical lock (36) comprises a stop (36a) that is movable between a protruding blocking position in which said stop is housed inside a lateral seating (13) defined in the container (1) mouth (11) and a non-operative position in which said stop (36a) is housed inside the cover (2) permitting the release of the container and electric low-consumption blocking means (36b) governed by the electronic control card (31) in function of codes or data received via the data entry means (32a, 32c).
A device in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterised in that the data download and entry means comprise a keypad (32a) that is accessible from outside the cover (2).
A device in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterised in that the data download and entry means comprise a wireless transmitter-receiver (32c).
A device in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterised in that the data download and entry means comprise a connection (32b) for external data processing and recording devices.
A device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the movable unblocking means (36b) for the stop (36a) comprise an electric low-consumption piezoelectric mechanism.
A device in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterised in that the cover (2) comprises a temperature sensor (37) at the rear end that is connected to the electronic control card (31) for the detection and recording of the temperature changes inside the container (1) during device usage.
A device in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterised in that the cover (2) comprises an acoustic signal emitter connected to the electronic control card (31), for the emission of acoustic signals indicating acceptance or rejection of the entered data, such as electromechanical lock (36) opening codes.