Section 3 Intelligent Specimen Transport in Medical Laboratories

I. Intelligent Pneumatic Logistics System

The pneumatic logistics system is a pipeline network that allows users at different stations to send items to target stations by means of transport carriers; the network is expandable. Multiple pipelines can be interconnected while still operating independently. Compared with ordinary logistics transport systems, it is lower in cost, faster, and more stable, and it features anti-collision functions, quiet operation, and ease of use.

II. Intelligent Rail-Car Logistics System

The automated rail-car logistics transport system consists of transport cars, a rail network, local controllers, work stations, fire dampers, and other components. The system adopts a distributed topology and can be laid out flexibly according to the hospital's building structure, transporting items in both horizontal and vertical directions. The system has a disinfection function to meet the hospital's infection-control requirements, and cars equipped with spirit levels can transport reagents and blood specimens that cannot be tilted, providing full coverage of the hospital's transport needs. The system analyzes user habits and automatically optimizes allocation, effectively improving car-use efficiency during peak periods. It features self-locking and password-based sending, further ensuring the security of valuable-item transport. The automated rail-car logistics system will greatly improve the medical-care environment, reduce operating costs, and enhance the hospital's competitiveness and brand image; it is the trend in modern hospital construction.

Fig. 3-30 Pneumatic logistics

Fig. 3-31 Station and transport carrier

Fig. 3-32 Pneumatic logistics case

Fig. 3-33 Pneumatic logistics case

Fig. 3-34 Rail car

Fig. 3-35 Rail car Fig. 3-36 Rail car

Fig. 3-37 Rail car

III. Intelligent Medium-Sized Box Logistics System

The intelligent medium-sized box logistics transport system builds an automatic transport line within the hospital and uses turnover boxes as carriers to achieve automated transport of materials throughout the hospital. The system's transport scope covers most hospital items, completely transforming the traditional transport method of carts plus manpower, while also compensating for the insufficient transport capacity of other small in-hospital logistics systems. It can rapidly transport hospital materials, with a horizontal transport speed of up to 1,000 boxes per hour. It saves more time for patients and medical staff and improves medical-care efficiency. The load capacity of a single box is as high as 50 kg, which both handles the large-volume, high-efficiency transport needs of pharmacy intravenous admixture centers and logistics supplies, and meets the rapid transport needs of emergency testing and pharmaceuticals. It completely transforms the traditional "manpower plus elevator" transport mode, saving manpower and greatly reducing labor costs. It separates pedestrian and logistics traffic, easing congestion, improving the medical-care environment, and raising overall patient satisfaction. It can safely deliver pharmaceuticals, test specimens, logistics supplies, consumables, and other items to each department through dedicated transport lines, saving transport time while avoiding the risks of secondary contamination and loss of materials during transport. It creates a new model of in-hospital logistics automation.

Fig. 3-38 Station with boxes Fig. 3-39 Diagram of the medium-sized box logistics system

IV. Intelligent Transport Robots

Intelligent transport robots are designed specifically for transporting hospital materials. They highly integrate mechatronics, multi-dimensional sensing, artificial intelligence, and digital communications, and are dispatched through a cloud platform for hospital material supply-chain management. They can seamlessly interface with the medium-sized logistics transport system to carry out same-floor material transfer transport, and can also undertake the transport of large quantities of materials. With multi-dimensional sensing, they are intelligent and efficient, capable of lateral movement and turning, reducing labor costs.

Fig. 3-40 Medical transport robot

Fig. 3-41 Medical transport robot

V. Blood Specimen Transport System

The Total Turnaround Time (TAT) of test specimens is an indispensable indicator in laboratory ISO 15189 accreditation and an important parameter for measuring the quality of hospital services.

In China, the time from the issuance of a clinical test order to receipt of the test report (TAT) still takes 2 to 3 hours, and before blood-sample analysis, specimen circulation time accounts for more than 50% of the TAT. A large body of practice has proven that applying a one-touch dedicated blood-specimen transport line can greatly shorten the waiting time for clinicians and patients. Fig. 3-42 Blood specimen transport system

Fig. 3-43 Testing flowchart of the blood specimen transport system

Blood specimen transport systems include the single-tube direct-delivery type, the rack-loading type, and the intelligent blood-specimen sorting system.

1. Features of the Single-Tube Direct-Delivery Type

1.1 Send upon insertion, with blood specimens entering directly as single tubes 1.2 Human-machine interaction with innovative light prompts 1.3 No waiting required: samples can be fed in simultaneously during sending, with a 42-tube buffer 1.4 Amazing efficiency: designed for large-batch blood samples, transporting 600 meters per minute 1.5 High accuracy: dedicated-line transport through a 25-mm pipeline 1.6 Risk elimination: no impact on specimen quality 1.7 Flexible placement: occupies less than 0.2 m2 of floor space 1.8 Continuous operation: works without interruption for 24 hours 1.9 Ultra-long distance: maximum transport distance of 1,500 meters

2. Features of the Rack-Loading Type

2.1 Batch loading with 7-tube loading racks and automatic recovery 2.2 Human-machine interface with touch interaction and multilingual support 2.3 No waiting required: samples can be fed in simultaneously during sending, with a 21-tube buffer 2.4 Amazing efficiency: 4 loading racks can be loaded at the sending end simultaneously, transporting 600 meters per minute 2.5 High accuracy: dedicated-line transport through a 25-mm pipeline 2.6 Risk elimination: no impact on specimen quality 2.7 Continuous operation: works without interruption for 24 hours 2.8 Ultra-long distance: maximum transport distance of 1,500 meters

Fig. 3-44 Single-tube direct-delivery type

Fig. 3-45 Rack-loading type

3. Features of the Intelligent Blood-Specimen Sorting System

3.1 Intelligent sorting: rapidly, automatically, gently, and safely sorting specimens 3.2 Efficient design: the pending-inspection compartment can hold up to 600 tubes, and a single ejection compartment can hold up to 150 tubes 3.3 Error-prevention warning: prompts are issued when specimens are not delivered in time 3.4 Real-time monitoring of the acceptance and sorting status of various specimens 3.5 Diverse rules: sorting rules can be set by barcode / test item / tube-cap color (optional) 3.6 Continuous operation: works without interruption for 24 hours Fig. 3-46 Intelligent blood-specimen sorting system