Temperature controlled cabinet system and method employing a thermal barrier to thermally isolate the cabinet interior from the ambient environment

Abstract

A temperature controlled cabinet system of the present invention includes at least one heat pump, a controller assembly for controlling system operation and a temperature sensor for measuring a cabinet interior temperature. The heat pump heats and/or cools the cabinet interior to maintain the cabinet interior at a desired temperature in response to control signals from the controller assembly. The cabinet system further includes a thermal barrier to thermally isolate the cabinet interior from the ambient environment and permit access to medical items contained within the cabinet. The thermal barrier includes a plurality of strips that maybe arranged in various fashions (e.g., overlapped, spaced from each other a selected distance, etc.) to substantially impede or minimize heat exchange between the cabinet interior and ambient environment during intervals where the cabinet interior is exposed to that environment (e.g., intervals where at least one cabinet door is in an open state).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A temperature controlled cabinet system for storing medical items and maintaining said medical items within a desired temperature range comprising: 
 a cabinet to receive at least one medical item within a cabinet interior and including at least one door to provide access to said cabinet interior;    at least one heat pump partially disposed within said cabinet interior to heat or cool said cabinet interior;    a temperature sensor disposed within said cabinet interior to measure a cabinet interior temperature and to generate a temperature signal indicating said measured cabinet interior temperature;    a controller assembly to enable selection and entry of said desired temperature range into said system and to generate control signals to control each of said at least one heat pump, wherein said controller assembly controls each of said at least one heat pump to heat or cool the cabinet interior as required in response to a comparison of said temperature signal received from said temperature sensor with said selected temperature range to maintain said cabinet interior within said selected temperature range; and    a thermal barrier disposed between said at least one door and a rear wall of said cabinet to impede heat exchange between said cabinet interior and the ambient environment and maintain temperature of said cabinet interior and said at least one medical item contained therein when said cabinet interior is exposed to that environment;    wherein said thermal barrier is configured to facilitate passage of said at least one medical item through said thermal barrier and to retain heat within said cabinet interior in response to said cabinet interior temperature exceeding a temperature of the ambient environment and impede heat from said ambient environment accessing said cabinet interior in response to said cabinet interior temperature being below said ambient environment temperature.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal barrier is disposed adjacent at least one door.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal barrier is disposed within said cabinet interior a selected distance from said at least one door to partition said cabinet interior into a plurality of thermally isolated compartments.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further including a support member disposed between at least one door and said cabinet rear wall to engage and support said thermal barrier within said cabinet interior.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal barrier includes a plurality of elongate strips.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of strips are arranged in an overlapping fashion to form said thermal barrier.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of strips are arranged with each strip positioned a selected distance from a neighboring strip to form said thermal barrier.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of thermal barriers each disposed within said cabinet interior to partition said cabinet interior into a plurality of thermally isolated compartments.  
     
     
         9 . A method of maintaining an interior of a cabinet within a desired temperature range, wherein said cabinet stores at least one medical item and includes at least one door to provide access to said cabinet interior, a temperature sensor, a controller assembly to control system operation, at least one heat pump to heat or cool said cabinet interior, and a thermal barrier disposed between said at least one door and a cabinet rear wall, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving said desired temperature range for said at least one medical item entered into said controller assembly;    (b) with said temperature sensor, measuring a temperature within said cabinet interior and generating a temperature signal indicating said measured cabinet interior temperature;    (c) with said controller assembly, comparing said temperature signal received from said temperature sensor to said desired temperature range;    (d) controlling each of said at least one heat pump, via said controller assembly, to heat or cool said cabinet interior as required in response to said comparison of said temperature signal with said desired temperature range to maintain said cabinet interior temperature within said desired temperature range;    (e) with said thermal barrier, impeding heat exchange between said cabinet interior and the ambient environment and maintaining temperature of said cabinet interior and said at least one medical item contained therein when said cabinet interior is exposed to that environment by retaining heat within said cabinet interior in response to said cabinet interior temperature exceeding a temperature of the ambient environment and impeding heat from said ambient environment accessing said cabinet interior in response to said cabinet interior temperature being below said ambient environment temperature.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) with said thermal barrier disposed adjacent at least one door, impeding heat exchange between said cabinet interior and the ambient environment and maintaining temperature of said cabinet interior and said at least one medical item contained therein when said cabinet interior is exposed to that environment.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) forming a plurality of thermally isolated compartments within said cabinet interior by disposing said thermal barrier within said cabinet interior a selected distance from said at least one door.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said cabinet further includes a support member disposed between at least one door and said cabinet rear wall, and step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) supporting said thermal barrier within said cabinet interior via said support member.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said thermal barrier includes a plurality of elongate strips, and step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) forming said thermal barrier by arranging said strips in an overlapping fashion.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said thermal barrier includes a plurality of elongate strips, and step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) forming said thermal barrier by positioning each strip a selected distance from a neighboring strip.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said cabinet includes a plurality of said thermal barriers, and step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) forming a plurality of thermally isolated compartments within said cabinet interior by disposing said thermal barriers within said cabinet interior.    
     
     
         16 . A method of maintaining an interior of a cabinet within a desired temperature range via a temperature control system, wherein said cabinet stores at least one medical item and includes at least one door to provide access to said cabinet interior, and said temperature control system includes a temperature sensor, a controller assembly to control system operation, at least one heat pump to heat or cool said cabinet interior, and a thermal barrier disposed between said at least one door and a cabinet rear wall, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) retrofitting said temperature control system into a pre-existing cabinet lacking temperature control capability;    (b) receiving said desired temperature range for said at least one medical item entered into said controller assembly;    (c) measuring a temperature within said cabinet interior via said temperature sensor disposed within said cabinet interior;    (d) controlling each of said at least one heat pump, via said controller assembly, to heat or cool said cabinet interior as required to maintain said cabinet interior temperature within said desired temperature range, wherein said controller assembly controls each of said at least one heat pump in response to a comparison of said measured cabinet interior temperature with said desired temperature range;    (e) impeding heat exchange between said cabinet interior and the ambient environment, via said thermal barrier, and maintaining temperature of said cabinet interior and said at least one medical item contained therein when said cabinet interior is exposed to that environment.    
     
     
         17 . A temperature controlled cabinet system for storing medical items and maintaining said medical items within a desired temperature range comprising: 
 storage means to receive at least one medical item within an interior of said storage means and including at least one access means for providing access to said interior;    at least one thermal means partially disposed within said interior for heating or cooling said interior;    temperature means disposed within said interior to measure an interior temperature and to generate a temperature signal indicating said measured interior temperature;    controller means for enabling selection and entry of said desired temperature range into said system and for generating control signals to control each of said at least one thermal means, wherein said controller means controls each of said at least one thermal means to heat or cool said interior as required in response to a comparison of said temperature signal received from said temperature sensor with said selected temperature range to maintain said interior within said selected temperature range; and    thermal insulation means disposed between said at least one access means and a rear portion of said storage means for impeding heat exchange between said interior and the ambient environment and maintaining temperature of said interior and said at least one medical item contained therein when said interior is exposed to that environment;    wherein said thermal insulation means facilitates passage of said at least one medical item through said thermal insulation means and retains heat within said interior in response to said interior temperature exceeding a temperature of the ambient environment and impedes heat from said ambient environment accessing said interior in response to said interior temperature being below said ambient environment temperature.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal insulation means is disposed adjacent at least one access means.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal insulation means is disposed within said interior a selected distance from said at least one access means to partition said interior into a plurality of thermally isolated compartments.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17  further including support means disposed between at least one access means and said rear portion to engage and support said thermal insulation means within said interior.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal insulation means includes a plurality of elongate strips.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said plurality of strips are arranged in an overlapping fashion to form said thermal insulation means.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said plurality of strips are arranged with each strip positioned a selected distance from a neighboring strip to form said thermal insulation means.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a plurality of thermal insulation means each disposed within said interior to partition said interior into a plurality of thermally isolated compartments.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal barrier includes at least one opening to facilitate passage of said at least one medical item through said thermal barrier.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said thermal barrier includes at least one opening, and step (e) further includes: 
 (e.1) facilitating passage of said at least one medical item through said thermal barrier via said opening.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal insulation means includes at least one opening to facilitate passage of said at least one medical item through said thermal insulation means.