Smart storage of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals

Abstract

A refrigerator and/or freezer unit and system for storing, monitoring, and maintaining a supply of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products in compliance with regulatory requirements. The unit contains compartments for each product type in multiple controlled temperature zones with sensors to track product status and content. In a system, each unit communicates with an application service provider to provide remote inventory management capability.

Claims

1. A smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit for temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products, comprising: (a) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments configured to store temperature sensitive products, which electronically monitored compartments are disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (i) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (ii) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (iii) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone; and (b) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s).

2. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1, wherein the temperature zone comprises a temperature above or below 0° C. (+/−0.5° C.), optionally between 2° C. (+/−0.5° C.) and 8° C. (+/−0.5° C.) or between −50° C. (+/−0.5° C.) and −15° C. (+/−0.5° C.).

3. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1, wherein temperature zone temperature is monitored by the one or more temperature sensors associated with the electronically monitored compartments in the temperature zone, and wherein the temperature of each temperature zone is displayed on an external portion of the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit, optionally on a touch screen interface.

4. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 3 that further comprises a backup power supply.

5. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 that further comprises a reader, optionally a barcode reader.

6. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 that is wirelessly or connected via a hard wire to a computer network, optionally the Internet.

7. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 that 1s m electronic communication with an ASP.

8. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 configured for secure access, optionally via entry of a user login code or biometric data.

9. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 that further comprises a touch screen interface configured displays information on the unit and its contents.

10. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 9, wherein the information displayed on the touch screen interface comprises one or more of: temperature sensitive product type identified by name or names; temperature sensitive pharmaceutical type quantity or quantities in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit; current temperature of the at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone; alerts; temperature sensitive product type order status; and, when the temperature sensitive product is a temperature sensitive pharmaceutical product, temperature sensitive pharmaceutical product type dosage or dosages and/or a location in the unit of a nearest temperature sensitive pharmaceutical product expiration date.

11. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 10, wherein a user, by selecting the name of a specific temperature sensitive product type on the touch screen display, is provided further information about the temperature sensitive product type, which further information is optionally selected from the group consisting of location by compartment or temperature zone, temperature history, lot number or numbers with associated expiration date or dates of current inventory of the temperature sensitive product type, and an Internet link to the temperature sensitive product type.

12. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of compartments is capable of holding a plurality of units of one temperature sensitive product type, which units optionally have the same expiration date.

13. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of compartments hold one temperature sensitive product unit per temperature-monitored compartment.

14. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1 that further comprises a plurality of temperature-controlled temperature zones, each of which is optionally maintained at a temperature different from the temperature of the at least one other temperature zone.

15. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 14, that comprises first and second temperature-controlled temperature zones, wherein the first temperature-controlled temperature zone is maintained at a temperature between 2° C. and 8° C. and the second temperature-controlled temperature zone is maintained at a temperature between −50° C. and −15° C.

16. The smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit of claim 1, wherein location and temperature are electronically monitored in the electronically monitored compartments and, optionally, the temperature sensitive products for which the electronically monitored compartments are configured are temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products.

17. A system to manage temperature sensitive products, optionally temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products, comprising a plurality of smart refrigerator and/or freezer units, wherein each of the smart refrigerator and/or freezer units comprises: (a) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments to store temperature sensitive products and disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (i) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (ii) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (iii) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone; and (b) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in each smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s), wherein each smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit is connected to the ASP; and (c) at least one temperature sensitive product stored as product inventory in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s).

18. System according to claim 17, wherein the ASP provides one or more services selected from the group consisting of inventory management and system administration.

19. A method of storing a temperature sensitive product inventory, the method comprising: (a) providing at least one smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit that comprises: (i) a plurality of electronically monitored compartments to store temperature sensitive products and disposed in at least one temperature-controlled temperature zone, wherein each such compartment is (A) associated with at least one temperature sensor, (B) configured to store a plurality of units of a temperature sensitive product type, and (C) maintained at substantially the same temperature as the one or more other compartment(s) in the same temperature-controlled temperature zone; and (ii) one or more processors configured for unit operation and to electronically communicate wirelessly or via a hard wire link with a computer network, optionally the Internet, hosting an application service provider (ASP) that provides inventory management services for a product inventory stored in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s); (b) connecting the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s) to the ASP via the computer network; and (c) storing a temperature sensitive pharmaceutical product inventory in the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s); and, optionally (d) collecting data related to the smart refrigerator and/or freezer unit(s) and the stored product inventory and communicating at least a portion of such data to the ASP.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary interior view of a refrigerator with a compartment configuration for two temperature zones.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary front exterior view of refrigerator.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an exemplary view of a UID display.

(4) FIG. 4 is a block diagram overview of refrigerator system components.

(5) FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating communication between refrigerator, UID and ASP.

(6) FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of an exemplary product intake process using external camera reader 2.

(7) FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of an exemplary product dispense process using internal camera reader 1.

(8) FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of an exemplary product intake process using a barcode reader.

(9) FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed by the system in generating temperature deviation alert.

(10) FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed by the system in generating expiration of product alert.

(11) FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed by the system in generating low stock of product alert.

(12) FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating steps performed by the system in determining a product dispense rate.

(13) FIGS. 13A and 13B is a flow diagram illustrating access to inventory reports based on user profile.

(14) FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the various functions provided by the Application Service Provider.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(15) The following detailed description illustrates an embodiment of the invention by way of example, not by way of limitation of the principles of the invention. Various embodiments of the invention will be described by way of illustration with reference to various software tools, but it should be understood that other software tools that have comparable capabilities of the mentioned tools may be used.

(16) The contents of this Detailed Description are organized under the following headings: Definitions; Overview; Refrigerator Unit; User Interface device (UID); Reader; Application Service Provider (ASP); Alerts; and Inventory Management.

(17) Definitions

(18) Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents and publications referred to herein are, unless noted otherwise, incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event a definition in this section is not consistent with definitions elsewhere, the definition set forth in this section will control.

(19) As used herein, “refrigerator” refers to an appliance that cools the interior compartments to temperatures below the ambient temperature of the room, is designed for the storage of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals in compliance with regulatory requirements, and is fitted with sensors, devices and a computer as described hereinafter. The refrigerator contains compartments above zero.degree. C. and may or may not provide a freezer compartment with temperatures below zero. degree. C. It is a low humidity, frost free, refrigerator with calibrated temperature monitoring sensors located at a point or points within the compartments which most accurately represents the temperature profile of the pharmaceutical product, is equipped with alarms to indicate temperature excursions and/or refrigeration failure, and has lockable doors meeting the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), as described in “WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations”, WHO technical Report Series 961, 2011 (Report found on www.who.int/en/)

(20) As used herein, “freezer” refers to an appliance defined as is the refrigerator noted above with the exception of the inside of the unit cooled to a temperature below zero ° C.

(21) As used herein, “smart refrigerator” refers to a refrigerator and/or freezer unit which contains a computer in communication with an ASP and is designed for storing, monitoring, and maintaining a supply of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products as described herein.

(22) As used herein, “compartment” refers to a holding container for a product designed to securely fit into the refrigerator and/or freezer unit and may take on a plurality of shapes including for example; a sliding drawer like structure wherein a drawer may contain further subdivisions forming smaller compartments; a tray like structure further holding individual trays designed to hold one product type which may come for example in the form of a vial, two vials, a syringe, or a package. The compartment design meets regulatory requirements and provides for a consistent temperature profile throughout the storage compartments when empty and in a normal filled condition.

(23) As used herein, “cleanable surface” of a refrigerator is made of materials that are acceptable in a medical environment and can be cleaned and/or wiped with sterilization and/or cleaning chemicals and cloths as required by WHO regulation or best practice methods. The material is a durable, corrosion free material such as stainless steel, hard plastic or resin, and the surface is smooth with minimal number of seams.

(24) As used herein, “Automatic Identification and Data Capture” (AIDC) refers to methods of automatically identifying objects using a device which collects data about the object and transfers the data directly into computer systems. Technologies typically considered as part of AIDC include bar code readers, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), biometric scanners, magnetic strip reader, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), smart cards, and voice recognition.

(25) As used herein, “reader” is a device used to obtain the identity of, and information related to, a specific product, using a method referred to as Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC), by scanning, detecting, or capturing an image of a product in order to identify embedded information on the product.

(26) As used herein, a “camera” may be used as a reader device to capture an image of a product with the portion displaying a barcode. The camera transfers the data to the ASP database via the UID computer, for analysis by barcode recognition software (see, e.g. Barcode Xpress available from accusoft at www.acusoft.com). The camera may also be used to capture an image of a compartment which is analyzed by the ASP provided software for the number of objects stored in a compartment using image recognition software available and known to those of skill in the art.

(27) As used herein, “barcode” refers to an optical symbol, machine readable, containing information about the product on which it is displayed. The barcode may be one dimensional, a collection of bars of various widths representing the descriptive characters, two dimensional collection of symbols for example known as a Quick Response Code (QR), or three dimensional, where for example a 2D image includes color and further expands the amount of information captured.

(28) As used herein, “barcode reader” refers to an electronic device specifically designed for reading printed barcodes. It consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port (see, e.g., The LS3008 rugged handheld scanner by Motorola designed for the healthcare industry or the Motorola SE330X which can be integrated into a device, on the Motorola web site at www.motorola.com).

(29) As used herein, “Radio-frequency identification” (RFID) refers to a reader that uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to a product for the purposes of automatic identification and tracking. The tag does not require a battery as it is powered by the electromagnetic fields used to read them. The tag contains electronically stored information which can be read from up to several meters away. Unlike a bar code, the tag does not need to be within line of sight of the reader and may be embedded in the tracked object (see, e.g. UHF Mobile RFID Reader for Smartphones and Tablets, by IDBLUE at www.idblue.com).

(30) As used herein, “magnetic strip reader” or “magnetic card reader” refers to a device with a guide for swiping and reading a magnetic card for example containing an access identification code of the designated user. Exemplary devices include MagTek Mini Swipe Magnetic Strip Reader, available from MAGTEK® (see, e.g. magtek.com) where data is sent to the UID via a USB port and may be viewed in applications such as Windows® Notepad without requiring additional drivers or application programming.

(31) As used herein, “biometricreader” refers to a reader that uses for example a finger print or a retinal or facial recognition scan as a security measure to identify an authorized user of a refrigerator unit. For example a finger print recognition controlled access implements a finger print scanner, embedded in the user interface device, and software to analyze the scan. Scanners and software are readily available (see e.g. Mercury™ Series OEM Module from Lumidigm at www.lumidigm.com).

(32) As used herein, “docking station” refers to a device that receives the user interface device. The docking station may serve only as a power source or may also be integrated directly into the other devices or systems such as temperature sensor, a reader, a camera, a biometric sensor or a central processing unit (CPU).

(33) As used herein, “cell phone card” refers to a cellular network card which provides access to the internet. Cell phone cards are available and known to those of skill in the art.

(34) As used herein, “user interface device” (UID) is a computer in communication with the refrigerator unit components and an ASP and is docked, or mounted, in a docking station connected to or embedded in the unit. The UID contains wired and wireless network adapter cards and remains fully functional when docked or undocked maintaining communications with the unit via a short range wireless communication device embedded in the unit. The UID, preferably a touch screen computer with a virtual onscreen keyboard, can access the internet via a wireless link to a local wireless network, a wireless communication through a cell phone card embedded in the unit, or a cable connection through a docking station. The UID contains an operating system and software required to capture data from sensors and readers on or within the refrigerator unit, send and receive data from an ASP, capture manually entered data, and display information.

(35) As used herein, “tablet” refers to a self contained computer with a wireless internet connectivity that uses a touch screen with virtual keyboard capabilities for data access and entry.

(36) As used herein, “Wireless” refers to a type of communication in which power and/or data is transferred over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or wires. For example, electromagnetic waves, light waves, or acoustic waves can be used to carry power and/or data over a distance without using electrical conductors or wires.

(37) As used herein, “cloud-based host” refers to a third party provider server farm located in a centralized location, away from the individual refrigerator units, implemented as a service, maintaining communications with individual computers and users via the web. The data, software and programming are centralized on the server farm.

(38) As used herein, “Application Service Provider” (“ASP”) refers to a cloud-based hosted environment business that provides computer-based services to customers over a network. A user requires only a browser and an internet/intranet connection on their desktop, laptop, or other network access appliance to obtain substantially complete secure access to that system. Software offered using an ASP model is also sometimes called on-demand software or software as a service (SaaS) and may be accessed using standard protocol such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web (see, e.g., ASP hosted services provided by NetSuite, Inc. of San Mateo, Calif. such as NetSuite™, Oracle® Small Business Suite, NetCRM™, and NetERP™, descriptions of which can be found at www.netsuite.com).

(39) The ASP utilizes one or more software application programs, routines or modules configured to be executed by a general purpose microprocessor, in one or more hardware devices, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). The user benefits from having access to highly specialized software without the cost of purchasing, servicing and upgrading the software as well as access to ASP provided information and resources related to the products.

(40) A used herein, “service provider” refers to a business that oversees and maintains the refrigerator/freezer system in all its functions as described herein.

(41) As used herein a “product descriptor”, refers to product information generated by the ASP provided software that combines the reader data received from the UID and information available from product manufacturer, information includes for example: product name and dosage, lot numbers and associated expiration date, recommended temperature for storage, and compartment location.

(42) As used herein, “HL7” refers to a data format adapted by the healthcare industry for sharing information within the health care field. The document format is developed by Health Level Seven (HL7), a non-profit organization involved in the development of international healthcare informatics interoperability standards.

(43) As used herein, “Electronic data interchange” or “EDI” refers to a data format adapted for communication between a healthcare provider and a vendor for example. EDI is the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means and without human intervention as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

(44) As used herein, a “HIPPA” refers to “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996” wherein it protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information.

(45) As used herein, “regulatory requirements” refers to the regulations related to a refrigerator unit for storage of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) qualification requirements for cold storage of Time and Temperature Sensitive Pharmaceutical Products (TTSPP) (see, “WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations”, WHO technical Report Series 961, 2011 available at www.who.int/).

(46) As used herein, a “web site” is a set of related web pages containing content such as text, images, video, audio, etc. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator. All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web.

(47) As used herein, “product type” refers to products of the same pharmaceutical composition and dosage and its packaging may come for example, in the form of a vial, two vials, a syringe, or a package.

(48) As used herein, “par level” is a predetermined inventory level of a specific product. When ordering or re-ordering product the goal is to increase inventory to the predetermined par level. The predetermined par level takes into consideration the physical maximum quantity of the specific product that can be physically accommodated by the storage unit, the shelf life of the product, and historical product dispense records.

(49) As used herein, “re-order point” is the inventory level at which a re-order message is generated. The re-order point takes into account lead time for dispense rate, order processing, and product delivery in order to avoid stocking out of the product. The re-order point quantity of product to be ordered is determined by the difference between current inventory and the predetermined par level.

(50) As used herein, “critical low” is an inventory level whereby a re-order would not arrive in time to avoid a zero count of stock, “stock-out”, based on expected dispense rate, and manual intervention such as placing an overnight shipping order may be required.

(51) As used herein, “biologic” is a pharmaceutical product composed of sugars, lipids, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids or combinations of these substances and may be a vaccine, blood or a blood component, allergenic, somatic cell, gene therapeutic product, recombinant therapeutic protein or nucleic acid, or living cells that are used as therapeutics to treat diseases.

(52) As used herein, “potency” is a measure of the pharmaceutical product activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity. Exposure to improper storage temperatures may decrease potency of a pharmaceutical product due to decomposition and/or denaturation of the product and/or by destabilizing the formulation of the product.

(53) As used herein, “effectiveness” refers to the ability of a pharmaceutical to produce a beneficial effect.

(54) The “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (CDC), a division of Department of Health and Human Services, which among its many roles also provides guidelines for proper handling and storage of vaccines. The guidelines may be found at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5242a6.htm.

(55) As used herein, “point of care” is a location at or near the location where the pharmaceutical product is administered to a patient. Locations may include a physician's office, a physicians practice group suite, a clinic, a pharmacy, and a hospital.

(56) As used herein, “business hours” refer to a time period of the day when pharmaceuticals are administered to patients and the refrigerator unit is likely to be opened frequently.

(57) Overview

(58) Provided herein is a smart refrigerator unit and system for the secure storage of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals at optimal temperatures designed to identify, track and maintain an inventory of the temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals at optimal levels and potency in compliance with regulatory requirements. The refrigerator unit compartments are dedicated to one product type and expiration date, or a single product, and may be customized by size and number. The compartments may be located within several temperature zones which may include zones above and below freezing, zero ° C. The refrigerator unit devices such as temperature sensors, readers, locking mechanism, and security features communicate with a user interface device, docked on the unit, via a direct hard wire link or a wireless connection. The UID controls access to the unit, collects data related to the status of the refrigerator and its inventory content, and communicates with an ASP provided software in a cloud based hosted environment for inventory and information management.

(59) Refrigerator and/or Freezer Unit

(60) A smart refrigerator unit in one exemplary embodiment is a smaller unit, under 34 inches tall, designed to fit under a counter within a point of care facility such as a physician's office, a clinic or an onsite pharmacy. The exemplary unit contains two temperature zones commonly recommended for the storage of biologic pharmaceuticals, a first cold temperature zone maintained between 2° C. and 8° C., and a second frozen temperature zone maintained between minus 15° C. and minus 50° C. The first temperature zone is maintained preferably between 3° C. and 7° C. and more preferably between 4° C. and 6° C. The second temperature zone is maintained preferably between minus 15° C. and minus 30° C., and more preferably between minus 15° C. and minus 25° C.

(61) Each temperature zone is filled with compartments for holding product, customizable in number and size, from at least one compartments in the frozen temperature zone to at least four compartments in the cold temperature zone. The compartments slide in and out for ease of access, come in at least 2 standard sizes, and vary in width and height to accommodate various quantities and sizes of product. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary layout of an arrangement of customizable compartments 102 with 4 compartments located in the below 0° C. temperature zone 104 and 13 compartments located in the above 0° C. temperature zones 103. Each compartment is dedicated to one type of product and expiration date and may be optionally labeled and/or color coded to denote differences between products contained within.

(62) The smaller unit described above, may further be implemented by dedicating the unit to only one temperature zone, for example above 0° C. storage or below 0° C. storage, to meet the needs of a point of care facility. Larger units, above a 34 in height in yet another implementation of the invention may be a preferred size for point of care facilities including for example, a hospital, a clinic and pharmacy. The larger unit may also be dedicated to above 0° C. storage, below 0° C. storage or a combination of multiple temperature zones. In one exemplary embodiment each compartment within the unit contains at least one temperature sensor which, in communication with the user interface device, provides a historical record of temperature for each product assigned to the compartment. The temperature of each compartment is monitored at a customizable frequency that meets regulatory requirements and may vary throughout the day based on the frequency of opening and closing of the unit. For example, the temperature may be monitored at least once every 10 minutes during regular office hours and at least every 30 minutes outside of regular business hours. The sensor is connected to a back-up power source, a battery, or optionally if the sensor is a wireless sensor it is powered by a battery.

(63) In yet another embodiment the temperature of a plurality of small compartments, designed to hold one or several products, is monitored by a plurality of temperature sensors positioned throughout a unit temperature zone to ascertain temperature measurement is representative of the compartment temperature.

(64) The temperature within each temperature zone is pre-set to a temperature within the recommended storage temperature range for the products stored within and is maintained within several degrees of that point. In the event of a power failure the temperature sensors have a back-up power source, a battery, and will continue to record and store temperature data. Temperatures of the various compartments are displayed on the UID docked on the external portion of the refrigerator. The compartment temperatures may also be displayed using a secondary device, for example a digital or LED display, embedded or mounted on the external portion of the refrigerator. During a power outage the locks to the unit may be disabled and a user may choose to transfer products to another cold storage device in the event of temperature deviations outside of the recommended range.

(65) Each compartment may further have a designated camera used to capture an image of the compartment content. Analysis of the image using ASP provided reader software generates a count of the number of products contained in the compartment, wherein the image analysis is based on the number of objects in the image. Each compartment is dedicated to one product type and expiration date and therefore the count of products within a compartment also provides an accurate inventory count.

(66) The unit is fully compliant with the World Health Organization (WHO) qualification requirements for cold storage of Time and Temperature Sensitive Pharmaceutical Products (TTSPP) (see, “WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations”, WHO technical Report Series 961, 2011 available at www.who.int/). The unit is specifically designed for storage of TTSPP, is capable of maintaining the temperature range over the full range of annual ambient temp at a point of care facility, is equipped with alarms to indicate temperature excursions and/or refrigeration failure and is fitted with lockable doors and an access control system. The exterior and interior of the unit is made of materials that are cleanable with sterilization solutions. The unit has a consistent temperature profile throughout the storage compartments when empty and in a normal filled condition and is equipped with calibrated temperature sensors, accurate to ±0.5° C., capable of continuous recording. The sensors are located at points within the unit which most accurately represents the temperature profile of the TTSPP. The WHO specifications for a refrigerator unit address the physical requirements, noted above, as well as protocols and methods that validate the potency of the administered TTSPP. The WHO protocol specifications include keeping records of the temperature profile of each TTSPP stored, providing alerts when deviations occur and scheduling and completing regular maintenance of the unit. The smart refrigerator system provided software follows, performs and/or schedules the specified protocols.

(67) User Interface Device (UID)

(68) A UID 203, preferably a tablet computer with a touchpad incorporated into the display, is docked in a docking station 201 embedded or connected to the front of the refrigerator unit. See FIG. 2. Communications between the UID and refrigerator unit is maintained via a hard wire connection to the central processing unit (CPU) of the smart refrigerator unit. The UID is the primary security interface providing a secure access to the unit and may use login code verification and/or a biometric image capture such as finger print identification, a retinal scan, a facial recognition, or a voice identification. A log in code may be a simple alphanumeric password that the user is either given or is provided an opportunity to enter a password that will be stored in the authentication server, located in the ASP database, in conjunction with the user account name. The user may also be prompted to enter a security question in the event the user forgets the password and needs to be issued a new password. The security feature may be optionally disabled

(69) The UID communicates with a cloud-based ASP via an internet connection through a local internet router, a wired or wireless network adapter card, or via a cellular network using a cell phone card, embedded in the unit. When the cell phone card is activated it updates information to the ASP at customizable number of minute intervals which may vary for periods during business hours, a period of frequent use of the unit, and periods outside of business hours when the unit remains closed.

(70) A docking station connected to or embedded on the external portion of the unit provides a port for the UID and will primarily function as a link to the CPU and a power source for the UID. Other devices and sensors associated with the unit may communicate with or deliver data to the UID via the CPU or wirelessly. The docking station may in yet another embodiment provide a wired internet connection, a power source, and may integrate any wired sensors and devices, such as the temperature sensor and compartment cameras, with the UID. An RFID reader, a biometric sensor, a barcode or magnetic strip reader are other exemplary devices that can communicate with the UID wirelessly or be integrated with the UID via the docking station.

(71) The UID uses a touch screen to display, enter and access information on the unit and its content. The default UID display includes: current temperatures, current product content with name and quantity of pharmaceuticals, nearest expiration date, alerts, and order status. By selecting the name of a specific pharmaceutical product on the UID screen further information about the pharmaceutical product is displayed including location by compartment, temperature history, lot numbers with associated expiration dates of current inventory; and links to manufacturer and/or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information on the pharmaceutical. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary display on the UID.

(72) Reader

(73) A reader in one embodiment is a device used to identify and/or count products present in the unit or being added to or removed from the unit. The reader device is embedded in, attached, and/or unattached to the unit and is in communication with the UID via a wired or wireless connection. Suitable reader devices are known to those skilled in the art and may be selected from various technologies including a camera, a radio frequency identification (RFID), barcode scanner, and or magnetic strip reader. Most pharmaceutical products, packaged individually or in groups by lot number, are labeled with a barcode by the manufacturer and therefore a barcode reader is preferred.

(74) An exemplary reader is a camera which captures the image of a product, including a barcode label, and via the internet, wired or wireless, sends the image to the ASP for analysis. An ASP provided software analyzes the image obtaining product descriptor information which includes product name, dosage, lot number, and expiration date. The camera may be located on the UID and/or within or above the refrigerator compartment. A camera reader is a technology readily available, simple to use, and does not require special labeling of the product

(75) In yet another embodiment of the invention a barcode reader may also be utilized to identify a product. The barcode reader in this case contains decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image sending the information directly to the UID wherein the UID stores and also send the product information to the ASP to be added to a product database. The on-site user may scan the product being added to the unit with a handheld or an embedded reader wherein the information is transmitting to the UID via a wireless or a wired connection. The smart refrigerator unit may also be implemented with RFID technology by placement of an RFID reader, a two way radio transmitter-receiver wired to a transmitter, in communications with the UID which transfers the signal to the ASP provided RFID software to generate a product descriptor. The product in this case must be labeled with an RFID tag.

(76) A reader in yet another embodiment is a biometric or magnetic strip device used as a security measure to identify an authorized user of the unit.

(77) In embodiments using biometric authentication, some biometric information, such as a fingerprint image, is obtained and stored in the authentication server for use as the authentication credential. Such biometric information may be, but are not limited to, finger print images, spoken phrases for use in voice recognition, and facial images for use in facial recognition. In embodiments using finger print biometric information, users will have a fingerprint scanned to generate a fingerprint template that is stored in the authentication server. For other forms of biometric authentication, users may record a voice sample or have their retina scanned, with the resulting recording (or voice print) or image stored in the authentication server. For embodiments using facial recognition as a form of authentication, a camera may be employed to take detailed photographs of a user's face.

(78) FIG. 4 contains a block diagram overview of an exemplary refrigerator system and components. The unit 100 includes docking station 201, an exemplary compartment 410 further including an internal reader 1 415 and temperature sensors 420 connected to a backup power source 425, a cell phone card 430 in communication with a central processing unit (435). A UID 203 can be docked in the docking station includes a touch pad 440, a camera 445, a biometric sensor 450, a speaker 455, a microphone 460, and is connected to or in communication with an external reader 2 465. The UID is connected to a local internet router 470 which provides access to the cloud based ASP 475.

(79) FIG. 5 contains a block diagram overview of communication lines between components of an exemplary refrigerator system. Reader 1 415 and temperature sensor 420 communicate with CPU 435, The cell phone card 430 and CPU 435 in refrigerator unit 100 communicate with the UID 203 that also communicates with reader 2 465, biometric sensor 450, and ASP 475. Reader 1 415 and temperature sensor 420 may also communicate directly with and cell phone card 430 that is in communications with the ASP 475. The ASP 475 communicates, via a secure web site, with authorized users that include the unit user 500 and other non-unit users for example, a sales representative 505, a pharmacist 510 and a manufacture 515.

(80) Application Service Provider (ASP)

(81) The ASP, a cloud-based hosted environment, provides server space, to store and securely access data and information related to the unit, and software required to analyze and manage the data, information, and inventory.

(82) The refrigerator unit data captured by the ASP inventory management software includes product dispense and refill transactions, product reader scans, temperature sensor data, manually entered information via the UID, camera images, and bioscans. The ASP software analyses and stores the data. The ASP product identification software provides a product descriptor record for each product which includes product name, dosage, lot number, expiration date, quantity of the product in the unit, recommended temperature for storage, unit/compartment location, special handling requirements and links to manufacturer and/or CDC information. The ASP further generates records related to dispense rate of product, spoilage frequency, historical temperature records, and product order frequency including average number of days required to receive new product.

(83) An ASP inventory management function includes the tracking of add/dispense transactions of product to and from the unit. FIG. 6 provides an exemplary protocol flow diagram for addition of product to the unit using a camera as the reader device. An on-site user logs into (step 615) or directly accesses (step 620) the unit via the UID and scans the product using a reader device on the unit (step 625), for example a camera embedded in the UID. The camera reader in communication with the UID send image to the ASP product identification software (step 630) that analyzes the image (step 640) and, using additional manufacturer information stored in its database, generates a product descriptor (step 645) which includes product name, dosage, lot number, expiration date, recommended temperature of storage, and any special handling requirements such as for example light sensitivity. The ASP product management software compares the product descriptor to those of product already in the unit (step 650) and if the product has an assigned compartment in the unit the compartment identifier is included with the product descriptor (step 660). If the product does not have an assigned compartment the ASP product management software will assign one in the temperature zone required for the storage of that product (step 655). The product descriptor and instructions for placement and handling are delivered to the on-site user via the UID where the information is displayed and can be verified by the on-site user (step 665). If any information is missing, for example the expiration date, the on-site user can use the UID keypad to manually enter the information (steps 670, 675, 680). The product is placed in the compartment (step 685), the user logs out (step 690) and the UID product content is updated (step 695). The product descriptor is stored in both the ASP and the UID product database.

(84) Dispensing of product in one embodiment may be captured by the unit when the on-site user selects the product to dispense on the unit content listing, displayed on the UID, and further selects the reason for dispensing including for example: dispense to patient, expired, spoiled in unit, transferred from unit, and discontinued. Optionally the user may also select, or enter manually, the name of the patient to receive the product. The “dispense to patient” reason may be changed to post dispense spoilage if product is deemed to have spoiled prior to being administered to a to patient.

(85) FIG. 7 provides an exemplary protocol flow diagram for dispensing of product from the unit using a camera associated with a compartment as the reader 1 device. An on-site user access the unit and UID (step 700) and views the unit content listing on the UID display (step 705). The compartment holding product is identified (step 715) and the user removes product (step 720) The user logs out and closes unit (step 725). The compartment camera takes and image of the compartment (step 730), the image is sent to the ASP provided software for analysis (step 735), and the unit content is updated (step 740).

(86) FIG. 8 provides and exemplary protocol for addition of product to the unit using an external barcode reader 2. An on-site user scans the product barcode label with a barcode reader (step 805) and the reader transmits the information to the UID (step 815) which transmits the information to the ASP (step 820) wherein the ASP inventory management software generates a product descriptor with assigned compartment (step 825). The product descriptor is sent to the UID (step 830) and user confirms correct identification of the product (step 835). If product is not correctly identified the user enters information (step 840), ASP software confirms receipt of data and compartment assignment (step 845) and the user places product in the designated compartment (step 850). If the product is correctly identified at step 835 the user places the product in the designated compartment (step 850). The user logs out, closes unit (step 850) and the UID product data base is updated (step 860).

(87) Alerts

(88) Alerting activities will emanate from the ASP hosted system and alerts will be delivered to pre-determined locations including the physical unit and/or specified phones, computers and email addresses. Alerts are generated by events associated with the physical unit including: temperature deviations from allowed temperature range, loss of power to the physical unit in the event of a power outage, lock malfunction, and cooling system failure. Alerts are further generated by the inventory management software based on inventory deviations including expiration of product, about to expire product and low or depleted stock warnings.

(89) The ASP unit management software records and keeps historical data on the temperature of each compartment and the product contained within the compartment. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary flow diagram illustrating the steps taken to monitor temperature and send out alerts. The temperature is, recorded by the temperature sensors associated with each compartment and or temperature zone (step 900) and is sent to and displayed on the UID (step 905). The temperature data is further sent by the UID via the internet (step 910) or a cell phone card (step 915), if internet access is not available, to the ASP unit management software, the temperature data is compared to the allowed storage temperature limits for that product (step 925). If the temperature falls within these limits no action is taken (step 930). If the temperature falls outside these limits an alert is generated (step 935) and delivered to the UID and selected recipients emails and/or phone numbers (step 940). The alert, which may include a visual and/or audio signal, received by the UID will display a temperature deviation warning with name and location of product and instruct the user to confirm the temperature deviation by comparing to temperature readout at the unit, and take action to transfer product to an alternate storage device if necessary. The alert is emailed or telephoned to the customized list of user contacts and includes all information on the nature of the deviation and instruct the recipient to follow user established protocol and take action to confirm product is properly stored.

(90) The ASP database stores expiration date for each product within a unit and generates an alert when a product is within a select number of days from the expiration date or has expired. When a product expires it is critical to remove the product from the unit, not only to comply with TTSPP storage regulation, but to avoid the ultimate error of administering an ineffective product to a patient and endangering the patients well being.

(91) FIG. 10 shows an exemplary flow diagram illustrating the steps taken to monitor the expiration dates of products and send out alerts. The ASP inventory management software accesses expiration date data in database (step 1000), comparing current date to expiration date (step 1010). If the expiration date is equal to or prior to the current date, the product is expired and an alert is sent to the UID and select recipients (step 1015), with optional audio and or visual alerts, instructing user to remove and dispose of expired product, providing product name, expiration date, lot number and unit/compartment location (step 1020). If a product expiration date is a select number of days post current date (step 1025) a different alert is sent to the UID and select users (step 1030), for example instructing the user to prioritize use of the product (step 1035) if products with later expiration dates are also present in the unit and to verify stock status and consider ordering more product. The select number of days post current date is customizable by the unit user and is based on the dispense rate of the product.

(92) The ASP inventory management software further sends out low stock alerts and reorder recommendations based on the captured data related to current inventory status of each unit, expiration dates of the products, and pre-determined re-order levels. FIG. 11 shown an exemplary flow diagram illustrating the steps taken to monitor product stock in the unit and send out alerts. The ASP inventory management software updates the inventory levels of each compartment every time a compartment is accessed and the unit is reclosed (step 1100). Inventory is decremented as product is dispensed and upon reaching or falling below a predetermined re-order level (step 1105), an order for additional product will be processed. If product count is greater than the re-order level count (step 1105) no action is required (step 1115). Should inventory levels fall to or below the predetermined re-order level a reorder message is sent (step 1110) to place or confirm if an order has been placed (step 1120). If the re-order message is not successful, an order was not placed, the system will determine if the product count is below a critical level (step 1130) and will generate a low stock alert if it is not below the critical level (step 1135) or a critical low stock alert (step 1140) if it is below the critical level. No action is required (step 1125) if an order is in place. A critical low may occur for a variety of reasons including: expected shipment has been delayed, sudden surge in usage in a single day that reduces inventory past the reorder point, and failure to process a re-order. The quantity of product that is re-ordered is calculated based on the difference between current inventory and the predetermined par level of inventory. The ASP inventory management software can be configured to reorder stock automatically.

(93) Inventory Management

(94) All inventory management functions are managed centrally by the ASP in a cloud based hosted environment. Communication with individual units occurs via the Internet and all authorized users have secure access to their designated units via the ASP website.

(95) The ASP inventory management software captures transactions related to inventory of the refrigerator unit and include stock and dispense transactions with reason for dispending of product. The dispense transactions may include for example: dispensed to patient, expired, spoiled in unit due to unit temperature deviations outside of recommended range, transferred from unit, and discontinued. Post a transaction the “dispensed to patient” transaction may be changed by user to “post dispense spoilage” if product was not administered to patient and product has been deemed to have spoiled. The data is further used to establish historical records of product demand, to ascertain adequate stock is available as needed, avoid loss of product due to expiration/spoilage, and to optimize the frequency and timing for ordering product and the quantity of product to be ordered.

(96) A product dispense rate is determined by the ASP provided inventory management software to establish historical trends in use of product. Shown in FIG. 12 is an exemplary flow diagram for the process of determining dispense rates of a product. The ASP stored transaction data (step 1200) is first selected for dispensing transaction data (step 1205) which is then sorted by type (step 1210). The dispense rate for each type of dispensing transaction per calendar week (step 1215) and the average weekly rate for each type of dispensing transaction (step 1220) are determined. A comparison is made between the average dispense rate/week for each type of transaction to each weekly rate and one time anomalies in dispensing of product are excluded (step 1225). A corrected average dispense rate/week for each type of transaction is determined (step 1230) and a combined average of dispense rate/week for all transactions is established (step 1235). The exemplary dispense rates above are determined as a weekly rate. Further implementations of the dispense rate may be based on rates calculated for various time segments including a single day, several days, a month or year.

(97) To ascertain a unit does not run out of stock and the optimal quantity of stock is ordered, par levels, re-order levels and critical lows of stock are determined and low stock alert are generated. The determination of the physical maximum inventory level, par level, re-order level and critical low inventory level may be made by an authorized administrator of the unit. Typically, these inventory points will be determined by an individual with access to information and reports on transaction statistics for the unit. As historical trends of product use are established for a specific unit the determination of the par levels may be adjusted to reflect the historical use of the product within a given time period and may also be adjusted for seasonal variations. The unit user may choose to adjust the rates based on their review of the historical transaction data or may request that the ASP provide estimated values as a service.

(98) The quantity of product to be ordered is based on the predetermined par level which is a function of the number of products that can physically fit within the allotted compartments (physical maximum) in the unit, the shelf life of the product, a desired re-order frequency and the dispense rate of the product. For example a product with a shelf life of 90 days (i.e. expiration date is 90 days from the date of manufacture) and a dispense rate of 5 products per 10 days would allow the storage of a maximum of 45 products without having some of the product expire prior to use. Although the unit can physically accommodate 45 product units, the par level may be set significantly lower than 45 in order to have a desired shipment of product every two weeks. In this example, the par level may be set at 15, allowing room for variations in dispenses rate and product delivery. If the unit compartment can only accommodate 10 product units, the maximum par level in this exemplary case is set at 10.

(99) The re-order level is used to trigger a product order. If the order is not placed for whatever reason, there is a chance that the product could completely stock out and reach an inventory count of zero generating a stock-out alert. For example if it takes two days to order and receive product and the current dispense rate for product is 5 per day, a re-order level of 10 would be the lowest product count to trigger re-order. If an order has not been placed and inventory is at or below the set re-order level of 10, a low stock alert will be issued. Further, if the inventory level has reached a predetermined critical low level ( ) a low stock alert would be issued. In keeping with the example, if the critical low level is determined to be 4 (less than a day's supply of product) and that inventory level is reached prior to the new shipment arriving, a low stock alert is issued. Preferably the re-order level will be set at a higher count, for example 20 in this exemplary case, to adjust for delays in placement of order and dispense rate variations.

(100) The authorized user of a unit has access to reports, provided by the ASP inventory management software, HIPPA compliant, that ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements, and allow the user to review and optimize protocols of handling and ordering of product. The reports may include: current inventory of product with expiration dates; quantity of product dispensed, by type of dispensing and/or total dispensed, for a selected time period such as day, week month year; dispense rate and type by date, percentages of product administered and percent product lost due to expiration, spoilage in unit, spoilage outside of unit; alert reports detailing any inventory and/or temperature alerts that have been generated over a given period of time.

(101) An authorized user further has access to reports on regional inventory data available through the ASP database wherein the report may include: type and quantity of product administered by location such as a local region defined by community or city, a state, and/or country within a selected time period; and dispense rate and type by date, percentages of product administered and percent product lost due to expiration, spoilage in unit, spoilage outside of unit. Fluctuating supply demands for time and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals (TTSPS) give rise to a need for timely communication between the unit user, a point of care provider, manufacturers, distributors, sales representatives and others managing the flow of the TTSPS. The ASP inventory management software provides such a communications network, via a web interface, delivering user profile customized access to reports related to TTSPS inventory transactions. A manufacture of product “A”, for example, can have access to product “A” reports. Reports may include: quantity of product administered in by date and/or by location such as a local region defined by community or city, a state, and/or country within a selected time period; percentages of product administered and percent product lost due to expiration, spoilage in unit, spoilage outside of unit for a selected location; number of units within select location or region distributing product “A”; and low stock of product “A” alerts per unit and/or region.

(102) A distributor and/or product representative can have access to reports on products that they distribute and/or represent. Reports may include: quantity of product dispensed to patient by date and/or by location such as a local region defined by community or city, a state, and/or country within a selected time period; percentages of product dispensed to patient and percent product lost due to spoilage or expiration.

(103) FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B illustrate by way of an example the generation of, and user access to, reports on products A and B based on a time period of one week. Unit 1 and Unit 2 transaction data (steps 1300 and 1305) is used to generate a report for each unit, Unit 1 Report 1 and Unit 2 Report 2 accessible to the unit's users, 1312 and 1317, and includes the number of products stocked or dispensed per week by transaction type. The reports and data are merged in a regional database 1320 and provide unit user, 1312 and 1317, with regional data report, Report 4 1325. The regional data is broken down by product type, Report 5 for exemplary product A, 1330, and Report 6 for exemplary product B 6, 1335, for reporting to for example manufactures and sales representatives, of product A, 1340, and of product B, 1345.

(104) FIG. 14 illustrates by way of example some of the functions provided by the ASP. The ASP 1400 utilizes the Inventory Management Software 1410 and Product Recognition Software 1420 to capture and analyze data received from the Unit 1405 to generate Reports 1430 made available by report type (1432, 1434, and 1446) to the Unit User 1440, Sales Representative 1442, and Manufacturer 1444. The Unit 1405 UID 1407 captures data from a Temperature Sensor 1409, Readers 1 and 2 1411, Biometric Sensor 1413 and manually entered data 1415. The Product Recognition Software 1420 captures and analyze the Product Reader Data 1422 and generates a Product Identifier 1424 that is used in combination with the Temperature Sensor & Stock/Dispense Data 1412 by the Inventory Management Software 1410 to generate Unit Content/Status and Alerts 1426 also displayed on the UID 1407.

(105) In further embodiments of the ASP provided inventory management software an automatic customizable product order/reorder protocol may be implemented in response to low stock alerts. Re-order messages will be directed to one or more parties depending on customized preferences. These messages for example could flow to a manufacturer, a distributor, a physician's re-ordering system or some combination of two or more. Re-order messages are available in a variety of message formats including, but not limited to, EDI and HL7.

(106) The ASP hosted system will provide an interface to other computer systems that require information directly. A doctor's office may desire an interface to provide dispense data to confirm the product dispensed and/or re-ordering information to process through an existing re-order process. Interface messages are available in a variety of message formats including (but not limited to) EDI and HL7.

(107) Since modifications will be apparent to those of skill in this art, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.