RFID enabled drawer refrigeration system

摘要

An automated system and associated method for storing medical items comprises a medication cabinet having at least one refrigerated drawer having a thermo-electric cooling (TEC) device and a non-refrigerated drawer. The refrigerated drawer design is such that cooling gradients throughout the drawer are minimized. Faraday cages are provided about each drawer to support separate RFID readers to monitor the medical items in each drawer. An automatic RFID data detection system determines the temperature requirements of medical items in the refrigerated drawer and controls the TEC device to maintain the required temperature. A temperature logging system for the refrigerated drawer is provided. A separate RFID reader determines if a temperature-controlled item has been placed in a non-refrigerated drawer and if so, an alert is provided.

主权项

1. A cabinet for storing medical items, the cabinet having a depth and comprising:
a plurality of drawer cavities, each cavity configured to receive a drawer, each cavity having a front opening through which the drawer is moved to a closed position within the cavity and through which each drawer is moved to an open position in which the drawer is at least partially outside of the cavity; an electrically conductive cage formed about a first cavity, the cage having a cage front located at the front opening of the cavity; a plurality of drawers, each of which is received by a respective cavity and which is movable to an open position and to a closed position, with a first drawer being received by the first cavity having the electrically conductive cage; a thermo-electric cooling (“TEC”) device configured to provide cooling for a single drawer, the TEC device mounted to at least one of: the first drawer so as to move with the drawer; and at a fixed position in relation to the first cavity; a second cavity adjacent the first cavity, the second cavity having no TEC device and being at ambient temperature; thermal insulation disposed between the first and second cavities, the thermal insulation located and configured to inhibit cooling provided by the TEC device of the first cavity from reaching a drawer that is located in the second cavity; and an RFID reader disposed within the first cavity and configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag located within the first drawer.