Tamper Evident Point of Containment, Inventory and Accountability System and Method

Abstract

The system in at least one embodiment provides a tamper evident specimen sample lock that in a further embodiment includes an embedded storage medium. They system and method in at least one embodiment allows for efficiently and securely creating, maintaining, identifying, tracking, and controlling inventories (either prospective or retrospective) of biological and chemical sample containers and their contents, while eliminating potential loss and degradation associated with handling the samples. The system in at least one embodiment provides a sample container tray or cryogenic box having one or more integrated RFID readers within an associated smart lid that sense RFIDs associated with the individual samples thereby eliminating the need to remove, visually inspect, and/or handle the samples.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method for communicating information regarding at least one unique specimen sample vial uniquely associated with an embedded storage media to a transceiver in a tamper-evident sample locking device, the method comprising:
 interrogating at least one embedded storage medium associated with at least one specimen sample vial to inventory the specimen sample container and detect changes in specimen sample vial stored data;   receiving data from the at least one embedded storage medium regarding the associated specimen sample vial by at least one transceiver embedded in the tamper-evident sample locking device where the transceiver is tuned to communicate with the at least one embedded storage medium; and   sending data regarding the at least one specimen sample vial into an inventory on a computer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising alerting said transceiver when a noticeable alteration of said specimen sample vial has been detected by said embedded storage medium. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the transceiver interrogating and receiving data from said at least one specimen sample vial and sending said data to the computer according to a schedule. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the transceiver interrogating and receiving data from said at least one specimen sample vial and sending said data to the computer upon being queried or instructed by an external computer. 
     
     
         13 . A tamper evident sample locking device comprising:
 a cryogenic box including a bottom tray having a plurality of sample container holders for secure placement of specimen sample vials equipped with an embedded storage medium capable of receiving, storing, and transmitting data;   a smart lid sized and designed to cooperatively engage with said cryogenic box; and   at least one transceiver tuned to electronically communicate with said embedded storage medium and capable of interrogating at least one embedded storage medium to receive data, said at least one transceiver configured to communicate with an external transceiver.   
     
     
         14 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one transceiver is embedded within the smart lid. 
     
     
         15 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one transceiver includes a radio-frequency identification device. 
     
     
         16 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein the embedded storage medium includes a radio-frequency identification device. 
     
     
         17 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one transceiver is programmed to transmit data according to a schedule or upon being queried or instructed by an external computer to initiate interrogation and send a reporting signal to the external computer. 
     
     
         18 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein said cryogenic box is made of a suitable material to withstand low temperatures. 
     
     
         19 . The tamper evident sample locking device of  claim 13 , wherein said transceiver is located in said bottom tray. 
     
     
         20 . A tamper evident storage system comprising:
 a storage environment,   at least one storage container containing at least one unique specimen sample stored in a vial equipped with an embedded storage medium;   a transceiver tuned to electronically communicate with said embedded storage medium and capable of interrogating said embedded storage medium to receive said data, said transceiver located within the storage environment in sufficiently close proximity to establish communication with said embedded storage medium.   
     
     
         21 . The storage system of  claim 20 , further comprising a mat, wherein said transceiver is embedded within said mat, said mat made of a material capable to withstand the conditions of the storage environment. 
     
     
         22 . The storage system of  claim 20 , wherein said transceiver is programmed to transmit data according to a schedule or upon being queried or instructed by an external computer to initiate interrogation and send reporting signals to the external computer. 
     
     
         23 . The storage system of  claim 20 , wherein said transceiver includes a radio-frequency identification device. 
     
     
         24 . The storage system of  claim 20 , wherein said embedded storage medium includes a radio-frequency identification device. 
     
     
         25 . The storage system of  claim 20 , wherein said transceiver is configured to be in electronic communication with a plurality of embedded storage media distributed in a plurality of storage containers located within the storage environment.