Automated Blood Bank Buffer Storage for Faster Product Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern blood banks face challenges in efficiently storing and accessing a large number of blood products, as existing systems require manual access and lack automated retrieval methods.
Innovation Solution
A blood bank system featuring a housing with a refrigerator device for temperature control, stationary storage racks, and an automated transport device with a buffer storage and robot to facilitate automatic access and retrieval of blood containers, allowing for increased throughput and efficient storage and retrieval processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual access to blood containers is used in stationary storage racks, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and access efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-service operation where the robot autonomously navigates to storage locations, identifies blood containers, and performs retrieval/storage operations without human intervention. The robot uses sensors and control systems to independently complete the entire access process, dramatically improving productivity while the standardized interface keeps complexity manageable
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical access operations are replaced by an automated robot system that uses sensors, motors, and control algorithms. The robot substitutes human hands and eyes with automated detection and manipulation mechanisms, transforming a simple manual system into an intelligent automated system that achieves high productivity
2Productivity
If buffer storage is added to temporarily hold blood products, then productivity and throughput are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into two distinct functional zones: buffer storage for temporary high-speed access and permanent storage for long-term archiving. This segmentation allows the buffer zone to operate independently for quick throughput operations while the permanent storage handles bulk capacity, thereby increasing overall productivity without proportionally increasing total system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer storage acts as an intermediary between the product access door and the permanent storage racks. It temporarily holds blood products during transfer operations, decoupling the speed requirements of access operations from the capacity requirements of permanent storage. This intermediary buffer zone smooths throughput variations without requiring complete system redesign
3Reliability
If the storage area is cooled to below -20°C, then blood product preservation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system applies local quality by providing different temperature conditions in different storage zones. The buffer storage operates at moderate cooling temperatures for active blood products requiring frequent access, while permanent storage racks maintain deeper freezing temperatures for long-term preservation. This localized temperature differentiation preserves blood product reliability in each zone while minimizing total energy consumption by not over-cooling all areas uniformly
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables efficient storage and automatic access to a large number of blood products, improving throughput by using a buffer storage to temporarily hold products and a robot for transporting them between storage locations, thus enhancing operational efficiency and reducing access time.
Implementation Method 1
A refrigerator device is attributed to said storage area, and it is adapted and structured to cool the items in the storage area. Advantageously, the refrigerator device is adapted and structured to cool said storage area to a temperature below 0 °C, in particular below -20 °C, typically below -27°C
Data Source
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AI summary
The blood bank comprises a cooled storage area (10) with a plurality of stationary storage racks (12). Further, it comprises a buffer storage (22), which holds a number of movable storage racks (23). A robot (50) is provided for moving blood products between the stationary storage racks (12) and the movable storage racks (23). A product access door (40) is arranged close to the buffer storage (22) for manual access to the blood products within the movable storage racks (23).