HK1169305A - Device with an electromechanical lock for the safe distribution of blood or hemocomponents - Google Patents

Description

Device with electromechanical lock for the safe dispensing of blood or blood components

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device with an electromechanical closing mechanism for the safe dispensing of blood or blood components, preferably for use in a medical center.

Background

In hospitals or health centers, where treatment of patients requires the provision of blood components and medications, it is important to ensure that the blood components are provided to the correct patient. These procedures always need to be carefully controlled, especially in hospitals with numerous patients.

In these locations, the bags or components are typically sent by healthcare personnel to the patient's ward, which can be a mistake and misdirected delivery of blood or blood components to other patients, causing a subsequent health problem.

Currently, one system for identifying blood or blood components for infusion into a patient is to use a bedside patient identification that is indicated on a sample container sent to a blood bank. After performing the relevant analysis, the blood bank sends the blood component or the required medication dispensed by the pharmacy to the requesting staff member along with the tracking code for the blood component. The healthcare personnel receiving the blood components and medications are typically responsible for several patients who are assigned the blood components and medications according to the provided codes and fill out reports if there are any accidents or problems. These codes are normally hand-written and it is possible for personnel to see the code incorrectly in several successive steps or to inadvertently replace the packaging to be used, with the consequence of jeopardizing the health of the patient.

Another method is to use a wristband with several self-adhesive labels with printed codes, areas where the patient's name and label code can be filled in, and a simple closure mechanism. The wristband is fitted over the patient's wrist and the sample container is also labelled with a self-adhesive label. However, problems still arise in receiving blood components and drugs, because the staff administrating these items must look at the digital code with the eye, and there is a possibility of errors in reading such abstract data.

Still other systems are based on the use of a hand-held computer that is used by healthcare personnel during all steps of providing blood or blood components, so that the identity of the patient does not appear on the sample, but only within the computer network. Such systems are relatively safe and objective, but also imply high costs and complex operations, for which the healthcare personnel have to learn more or less complex computer applications. Furthermore, in services such as emergency rooms or operating rooms, the basic requirement is that the use is as simple and quick as possible, so that systems requiring complex operations by health care personnel cannot be used.

The problem therefore exists of developing a device for the safe dispensing of blood having an electromechanical locking mechanism which, when opened, requires the input of a number of previously dispensed codes, which are unique to the patient, preventing the blood contained in the container from being mistakenly introduced into other patients.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for the safe dispensing of blood or blood components with an electromechanical lock, the said device having certain constructional features allowing to place at least one blood package or blood component package inside it and to lock it with the device, preventing anyone from accessing the contents, since the patient code input means corresponding to these blood or blood components must be entered to be able to unlock and unlock the device. This avoids undesirable manipulation and error of the contents involved in the process of providing them to the patient.

According to the invention, the device comprises a container made of rigid transparent material provided with an inlet for placing inside it a blood bag or blood component bag to be transported, and a closure lid provided with a rear appendix axially engaged with the inlet of the container; the container access and the closure lid rear fitment have similar irregular profiles for engagement in one position.

In a basic configuration, the closure is provided with an electronic circuit comprising an electronic control card, input and download data means, data memory, a data display screen, a battery and a low power electromechanical closure.

The electromechanical lock is provided with a stop movable between a protruding closed position, in which it is positioned inside a transversal support defined on the container access, and a non-operating position; in the inoperative position, the stop is positioned inside the closure lid, allowing the stop to be disengaged from the container and the low power consumption closure device controlled by the electronic control card when the code or data received by the data acquisition device is correct.

The container of rigid transparent material is shaped to identify the blood bag or blood component package placed inside it without opening the device.

The input and download data means for inputting and downloading data stored in the memory in association with an electronic control card inside the closure of the container comprise buttons operable from the outside of the closure, and external means for data processing and recording.

The input and download data means allows data stored in the external device to be unloaded, formatting the data storage inside the container closure so that the device can be used at a later time.

In one embodiment of the invention, the closure blocking unlocking device comprises an electronically operated low power consumption piezoelectric mechanism. The low power piezoelectric mechanism is controlled by an electronic control card which controls the piezoelectric mechanism to unlock when the opening code input by a numeric keyboard or a wireless transceiver is consistent with the code pre-assigned to the designated patient and stored in a data memory.

This way it is ensured that the device can only be opened by entering the code associated with the patient, thereby preventing unauthorized persons from mistakenly opening the device and disposing of the contents.

According to the invention, one end of the closure cap comprises a temperature sensor connected to an electronic control card for detecting and recording the temperature inside the container. Such a temperature record will determine whether the blood package or blood component package to be delivered in the interior of the device has been exposed to an inappropriate temperature during the dispensing process.

In one embodiment of the invention, the closing cover further comprises an acoustic signal emitter connected to the electronic control card, which emits a different acoustic signal indicating whether the input data (for example the opening code of the electromechanical lock) is accepted or rejected.

Drawings

To supplement the description and facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, this description is given, by way of example only, without in any way limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a device in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device with the container shown in vertical section and also in partial section with the closure lid in the closed position; and

fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electronic circuitry associated with the closure for inputting, displaying and recording data and operation of the closure.

Detailed Description

The exemplary embodiment shown in the figures comprises a container (1) made of rigid transparent material provided with an access opening (11) to the interior and a closing lid (2) which at one end provides a rear accessory (21) which can be engaged with the container access opening (11).

The container (1) and the closure cap (2) are substantially cylindrical and are sized for use in conventional pneumatic transport devices.

The container (1) and the closure rear attachment (21) each have a curved recess (12, 22) in the transverse direction, defining an engagement position between the closure (2) and the container (1).

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 3, an electronic circuit (3) is provided on the closure lid (2), said electronic circuit comprising an electronic control card (31), data input and download means in the form of a numeric keypad (32a), a connector (32b), in this case a USB connector, a wireless transceiver (32c), a data memory (33), a data display (34), a battery (35), a low power electromechanical lock (36), a temperature sensor (37) and an acoustic signal transmitter (38).

The electromechanical lock (36) is responsible for closing the closure lid (2) in the closed position of the container (1), and is provided with a movable stop (36a) made in the shape of a sphere designed to be seated in a transverse support (13) defined on the container access and in an unlocking device (36b) consisting in particular of a low-power piezoelectric mechanism.

As described above, data recorded in the memory (33), such as an electromechanical lock release code or other data associated with the patient, may be wirelessly entered via two buttons (32a) or a wireless transceiver (32 c).

When the closure (2) is in the locked position of the container (1), the previously stored opening data must be entered again to disengage the electric lock (36) and open the closure, thereby preventing unauthorized persons from opening the device.

After use of the container, the stored data may be downloaded and the memory formatted via the connector (32b) and transceiver (32 c).

The acoustic signal emitter (38) is used for indicating whether the input code for opening the electromechanical lock is correct or not in different acoustic signals.

While the nature of the present invention has been fully described in connection with the specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various changes in the materials, shapes, sizes and arrangements of the components described above may be made without departing from the essential spirit of the invention, and such changes are intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims (8)

1. Device with electromechanical lock for the safe dispensing of blood or blood components, characterized in that it comprises a container (1) made of rigid transparent material provided with an inlet (11) and a closing cap (2) with a rear appendix (21) for the axial engagement of the closing cap with the inlet (11) of the container; said container access opening (11) and said closure rear fitment (21) having similar irregular profiles such that they engage in one position; and the closure lid (2) comprises an electronic circuit (3) comprising an electronic control card (31), a data memory (33), data input and download means (32a, 32b, 32c), a data display screen (34), a battery (35) and a low power electromechanical lock (36).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said electromechanical lock (36) comprises a stop (36a) movable between a protruding closed position, in which it is seated inside a transversal support (13) defined on the access opening (11) of the container (1), and a rest position; in the inactive position, the stop (36a) is arranged inside the closure cap (2), and the electronic control card (31) controls the disengagement of the container and the low-power electronic closure device (36b) when the code or data received through the data input device (32a, 32c) is correct.

3. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said data download and input means comprises a numeric keyboard (32a) operable from outside said closed cover (2).

4. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said data downloading and inputting means comprises a wireless transceiver (32 c).

5. Device according to any of the previous claims, wherein said data downloading and inputting means comprise a connector (32b) connected to means for external processing and recording of data.

6. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said movable unlocking means (36b) of the stop (36a) comprise a low-power electronic piezoelectric mechanism.

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear end of the closure cap (2) comprises a temperature sensor (37) connected to an electronic control card (31) for detecting and recording the temperature variations inside the container (1) during use of the device.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said closure cap (2) comprises an acoustic signal emitter connected to an electronic control card (31) for emitting an acoustic signal indicating whether input data, such as the opening code of the electromechanical lock (36), is accepted or rejected.