The ways of transporting blood samples in hospitals today can be divided into 3 distinct groups:
1. Manual handling and transportation
2. Conventional pneumatic transport
3. Tempus600 - for blood/small clinical samples
This is the most time consuming and expensive solution, monetary- and resource wise.This solution, rests upon highly qualified members of staff manually carrying the samples, either on foot, bicycle or a trolley based system, from the different wards spread throughout the hospital to the laboratory. Alternatively, the hospital has hired piccolos which is staff hired and paid only for the purpose of collecting and bringing blood samples to the lab. Time spent walking around the hospital could be used more efficiently analyzing samples, diagnosing, and either admitting the patients or sending them home. It takes no grand scale mathematical schemes to calculate that this is a very time consuming and expensive solution, with no focus on areas of LEAN and FiFo.
Get a better blood transport system
This was initially created in order to try to solve the challenges with internal logistics of not only blood samples in hospitals worldwide, but also transport of medicine, plasma, relevant papers and prescriptions. Traditional pneumatic was the way of making a transport system without totally rebuilding the hospital. The pipes are "only" 110mm to 160mm but still… it takes a significant amount of space. Just picture the piping with all its bends, pipes, sending and receiving stations that are occupying space around the hospital.
Although, compared to for example monorails and AGV it is still smaller and relatively easier to use. One of the biggest challenges for the traditional pneumatic transport system is the handling of the capsules and carriers in both ends of the system. Furthermore, the large build in docking stations that enables the capsules to pass one another, notwithstanding the distribution boxes that are supposed to enable the capsules to change directions. A problem is also the prioritizing of in which order the capsules should be sent.
Traditional pneumatic transport is still a good system for sending all different kinds of materials, papers, instruments etc. Nevertheless, using it to send blood samples in hospitals is by far an optimal solution. Considering that for nearly every blood sample there is a patient waiting in a bed at the other end. Furthermore, doctors/nurses are waiting for the result in order to treat the patient. All capsules/carriers are using the same "high way" for all their different purposes which results in considerable waiting time.
Finally, all carriers/capsules are to be manually opened and closed, and when sending blood samples, these has to be packed and wrapped to ensure that no damage is inflicted – and then unpacked and unwrapped again.
The Tempus600 is a system that is created around a dedicated line going from each ward (sending station) directly to the lab. There is no risk of the samples going to the wrong destination. The pipes, in which the samples move, can be fitted to most bulk loaders on automatic lab systems/tracks which means there is only one touch from drawing to the result is there. Nevertheless, bulk loaders are not required for the installation of Tempus600, other solutions can easily be made. An example can be the fitting of receiving trays in the laboratory.
The tube system is as small as 25mm, which is significantly smaller than traditional tubes resulting in lower energy cost, and lesser space required for the installation. Each sending station can be loaded with 3 racks of 7 samples, effectively sending 21 samples nearly at the same time ensuring a swift transport to the lab. The samples are generally moving around 10 meters per second, but Tempus600 is calibrated to the individual requirement of the particular laboratory.
All the time saved using the Tempus600 systems effectively results in faster test results, and less resources spent upon transportation, and hence frees up resources for other significant areas of the laboratory processes, and beds occupied by patients who might not need the bed, which is then available for patients who need it. Tempus600 ensures both LEAN and FiFo.
Tempus600 helps the hospital and laboratory save time, resources and money and one day maybe even lives.
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