MEDICAL SUPPLY CART SYSTEM

A medical supply cart system comprising a cart, a refrigeration device, and a power system. The cart includes an enclosure, a handle, a number of wheels rotatably mounted to the enclosure, and a number of supports each configured to be shifted between an operational position and an access position. The refrigeration device is configured to be positioned in the enclosure and retain perishable medical supplies at a lowered temperature. The power system is configured to power the refrigeration device and includes a number of batteries configured to directly power the refrigeration device, a genset configured to charge the plurality of batteries, and a solar array configured to charge the plurality of batteries.

BACKGROUND

Perishable medical supplies often cannot be transported or delivered to remote areas, or they have a high percentage of spoilage. This is particularly problematic for cures of pandemic diseases such as Covid-19. Distribution and use of medical supplies can also be difficult to track, which makes it difficult to determine the need for additional medical supplies.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention solve the above-mentioned problems and other problems and provide a distinct advancement in the art of medical supply systems. More particularly, the invention provides a medical supply cart system that allows perishable medical supplies to be stored, transported, and delivered more effectively and efficiently.

An embodiment of the invention is a medical supply cart system broadly comprising a cart, a refrigeration device, a power system, and a communication module. The medical supply cart system is configured to provide mobile refrigeration for perishable medical supplies.

The cart includes an enclosure, a number of wheels, a drive motor, a number of lift points, a handle, a number of movable supports, and a number of controls. The enclosure includes a number of doors and may be substantially metal, plastic, composite material, wood, or any other suitable material. The doors allow access the refrigeration device , certain components of the power system, and in some embodiments the communication module, electrical wiring, and electronic components.

The wheels are rotatably connected to the enclosure and may be fixed-axle wheels, steerable wheels, or free-turning caster wheels. The drive motor is drivably connected to some of the wheels for propelling the cart. The drive motor may be powered by components of the power system. The lift points provide safe structure for lifting or hoisting the cart. The lift points may include lift rings, eye hooks, forklift tine channels, and the like.

The handle is positioned on one end of the cart and may be rigidly connected to the enclosure or may be pivotably or freely linked thereto. The handle may include controls or inputs for controlling the drive motor, for steering the cart, and/or for controlling various components of the medical cart.

The movable supports support the refrigeration device and certain components of the power system and may be slide-out or rotatable trays, drawers, or the like. The movable supports may be shiftable between a stored position and an access position to make various components more accessible.

The controls may be positioned near the respective component they control or monitor. For example, some of the controls may be positioned near the genset, other ones of the controls may be positioned near the batteries, while other ones of the controls may be positioned near the refrigeration device. The controls may include switches, buttons, dials, knobs, levers, display screens, touchscreens, mouses, keypads, gauges, indicator lights, speakers, and the like.

The refrigeration device may be configured to retain perishable medical supplies at a lowered temperature or lowered temperature range. In one embodiment, the refrigeration device may be configured to retain some of the perishable medical supplies in a first lowered temperature range and some of the perishable medical supplies in a second lowered temperature range different than the first lowered temperature range. In other embodiments, two refrigeration devices configured to retain perishable medical supplies at different lowered temperature ranges than each other may be used. The refrigeration device may be powered by the batteries or directly (i.e., not via the batteries) by the genset or the solar array (described below). The refrigeration device may also be powered directly or indirectly by external power via an external power connection, which may be an electrical outlet or other electrical interface.

The power system provides electrical power to the refrigeration device, the communication module, and other electrical and electronic components and may include a number of batteries, a genset, and a solar array.

The batteries store electrical energy for powering the refrigeration device. The batteries may be lithium, alkaline, or metal hydride batteries, super capacitors, or any other suitable electrical energy storage component. The batteries may also provide electrical power to the communication module, the drive motor, auxiliary lights, auxiliary power outlets, and the like. The batteries may also be charged by line voltage (via an electrical outlet or other electrical connection).

The genset may include an engine and generator and may be configured to charge the plurality of batteries. The genset may also provide electrical power directly to the refrigeration device (rather than first storing the electrical power in the plurality of batteries). The genset may also provide electrical power to the communication module, the drive motor, auxiliary lights, auxiliary power outlets, and the like. The genset may be configured to be run on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, propane, or any other suitable fuel. To that end, a fuel tank may be mounted in, on, or near the enclosure to provide fuel to the genset.

The solar array may be mounted near a top of the enclosure and may include a stationary section and a movable section each including one or more solar panels. The stationary section may be rigidly connected to the enclosure, while the movable section may be shiftable between a stored position and a deployed position.

The communication module may generally allow components of the medical supply cart system to communicate with, transfer data to, and download software updates, programming, and direct commands from a remote server, cloud service, or other external system, mobile electronic devices, and the like. The communication module may include signal and/or data transmitting and receiving circuits, such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, digital signal processors (DSPs), and the like.

The medical supply cart system100may also include other electrical and electronic components such as connecting wires, busses, converters, inverters, fuses, circuit breakers, and electrical outlets. The medical supply cart system100may also include other mechanical components such as valves, pumps, fuel regulators, lubricating systems, cooling systems, heating elements, radiators, and the like.

The above-described medical supply cart system provides several advantages. For example, the medical supply cart system may be used to refrigerate medical supplies such as vaccine dosages including Covid vaccine dosages to provide medical care in remote or mobile environment. The medical supply cart system includes several power options to accommodate local energy source availability. The medical supply cart system may also serve as a “hot spot” via the communication module. The communication module may also be used to transmit, to remote or external computing devices, data relating to the refrigeration device such as current temperature and number of medical supplies current stored or provided. The medical supply cart system may also be used as an electrical power station or even a mechanical power station via the engine of the genset.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Turning to the Figures, a medical supply cart system100constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The medical supply cart system100broadly comprises a cart102, a refrigeration device104, a power system106, and a communication module108. The medical supply cart system100is configured to provide mobile refrigeration for perishable medical supplies.

The cart102may include an enclosure110, a plurality of wheels112, a drive motor114, a plurality of lift points116, a handle118, a plurality of movable supports120, and a plurality of controls122. The cart102may be modular and portable.

The enclosure110may include a plurality of doors124A-C and may be substantially metal, plastic, composite material, wood, or any other suitable material. The enclosure110may be waterproof or water resistant, weather resistant, and sound dampening.

The plurality of doors124A-C may be pivotably or slideably connected to walls of the enclosure110for accessing the refrigeration device104, certain components of the power system106, and in some embodiments the communication module108, electrical wiring, and electronic components. Three doors124A-C are shown, but other numbers of doors may be used. The three doors124A-C are shown on one side of the enclosure110, but some of the three doors124A-C or additional doors may be on other sides of the enclosure110.

The plurality of wheels112may be rotatably connected to the enclosure110and may be fixed-axle wheels, steerable wheels, or free-turning caster wheels. Some of the plurality of wheels112may be driven by the drive motor114while some of the plurality of wheels112may be free-wheeling. Steerable wheels may be linked to the handle118for steering the cart102.

The drive motor114may be drivably connected to some of the plurality of wheels112for propelling the cart102. The drive motor114may be powered by the components of the power system106.

The plurality of lift points116may provide safe structure for lifting or hoisting the cart102. The plurality of lift points116may include lift rings, eye hooks, forklift tine channels, and the like.

The handle118may be positioned on one end of the cart102and may be rigidly connected to the enclosure110or may be pivotably or freely linked thereto. In one embodiment, the handle118may be linked to steerable wheels of the plurality of wheels112. The handle118may include controls or inputs for controlling the drive motor114, for steering the cart102, and/or for controlling various components of the medical cart100.

The plurality of movable supports120A-C support the refrigeration device104and certain components of the power system106and may be slide-out or rotatable trays, drawers, or the like. The plurality of movable supports120A-C may each be shiftable (e.g., pivotable, rotatable, translatable, or repositionable) between a stored position and an access position. In the stored position, the corresponding refrigeration device104or power system component may be completely bounded by walls of the enclosure110. In the access position, the corresponding refrigeration device104or power system component may be positioned at least partially in the enclosure110and partially out of the enclosure or entirely out of the enclosure.

The plurality of controls122may be positioned near the respective component (e.g., genset, plurality of batteries, or refrigeration device describe below) they control or monitor. For example, some of the plurality of controls122may be positioned near the genset, other ones of the plurality of controls122may be positioned near the plurality of batteries, while other ones of the plurality of controls122may be positioned near the refrigeration device. The plurality of controls122may include switches, buttons, dials, knobs, levers, display screens, touchscreens, mouses, keypads, gauges, indicator lights, speakers, and the like. Some of the plurality of controls may be integrated with the enclosure110, while other ones of the plurality of controls may be integrated with the genset, plurality of batteries, refrigeration device.

The refrigeration device104may be configured to retain perishable medical supplies at a lowered temperature or lowered temperature range. In one embodiment, the refrigeration device104may be configured to retain some of the perishable medical supplies in a first lowered temperature range and some of the perishable medical supplies in a second lowered temperature range different than the first lowered temperature range. In other embodiments, two refrigeration devices configured to retain perishable medical supplies at different lowered temperature ranges than each other may be used. The refrigeration device104may be powered by the plurality of batteries or directly (i.e., not via the plurality of batteries) by the genset or the solar array (described below). The refrigeration device may also be powered directly or indirectly by external power via an external power connection138, which may be an electrical outlet or other electrical interface.

The power system106provides electrical power to the refrigeration device104, the communication module108, and other electrical and electronic components and may include a plurality of batteries126, a genset128, and a solar array130.

The plurality of batteries126store electrical energy for powering the refrigeration device104. The plurality of batteries126may be lithium, alkaline, or metal hydride batteries, super capacitors, or any other suitable electrical energy storage component. The plurality of batteries126may also provide electrical power to the communication module108, the drive motor114, auxiliary lights142, auxiliary power outlets (e.g., electrical outlet140) for providing auxiliary electrical power, and the like. The plurality of batteries126may also be charged by line voltage (via external power connection138).

The genset128may include an engine and generator and may be configured to charge the plurality of batteries126. The genset128may also provide electrical power directly to the refrigeration device104(rather than first storing the electrical power in the plurality of batteries). The genset128may also provide electrical power to the communication module108, the drive motor114, auxiliary lights, auxiliary power outlets, and the like. The genset128may be configured to be run on gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, propane, or any other suitable fuel. To that end, a fuel tank (such as propane tank132) may be mounted in, on, or near the enclosure110(via support140) to provide fuel to the genset128.

The solar array130may be mounted near a top of the enclosure110and may include a stationary section134and a movable section136each including one or more solar panels. The stationary section134may be rigidly connected to the enclosure110, while the movable section136may be shiftable (translatable, pivotable, rotatable, or a combination thereof) between a stored position and a deployed position. When the movable section136is in the stored position, at least one of the stationary section134and the movable section136may be protected by the other section and/or by the enclosure110. For example, the movable section136may be slid under the stationary section134to the stored position and slid out from under the stationary section134to the deployed position. In another embodiment, the movable section136may be folded over the stationary section134to the stored position and unfolded to the deployed position. In this way, the solar array130benefits from additional area when in use and can be reduced to a horizontal area corresponding to a horizontal size of the enclosure110. This also helps protect at least a portion of the solar array130when not in use or when less solar power is sufficient. The solar array130may also be covered or enclosed by a cover or case when not in use.

The communication module108may generally allow components of the medical supply cart system100to communicate with, transfer data to, and download software updates, programming, and direct commands from a remote server, cloud service, or other external system, mobile electronic devices, and the like. The communication module108may include signal and/or data transmitting and receiving circuits, such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, digital signal processors (DSPs), and the like. The communication module108may establish communication wirelessly by utilizing radio frequency (RF) signals and/or data that comply with communication standards such as cellular 2G, 3G, 4G, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), LTE, Voice over LTE (VoLTE), or 5G, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard such as WiFi, IEEE 802.16 standard such as WiMAX, Bluetooth™, or combinations thereof. In addition, the communication module108may utilize communication standards such as ANT, ANT+, Bluetooth™ low energy (BLE), the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band at 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), or the like.

The medical supply cart system100may also include other electrical and electronic components such as connecting wires, busses, converters, inverters, fuses, circuit breakers, and electrical outlets. The medical supply cart system100may also include other mechanical components such as valves, pumps, fuel regulators, lubricating systems, cooling systems, heating elements, radiators, and the like.

The above-described medical supply cart system100provides several advantages. For example, the medical supply cart system100may be used to refrigerate medical supplies such as vaccine dosages including Covid vaccine dosages to provide medical care in remote or mobile environment. The medical supply cart system100includes several power options to accommodate local energy source availability. The medical supply cart system100may also serve as a “hot spot” via the communication module108. The communication module108may also be used to transmit, to remote or external computing devices, data relating to the refrigeration device104and medical supplies such as current temperature and number of medical supplies currently stored, delivered, or used. The medical supply cart system100may also be used as an electrical power station or even a mechanical power station via the engine of the genset.