This portable monitoring system senses the temperature of individual containers of perishable items, such as blood and food, during storage and transportation then transmits the data wirelessly to a specified database application. Blood banks and suppliers of other temperature-sensitive materials must ensure products are safe and usable after transportation or long-time storage. FDA guidelines require strict temperature control of blood. However, difficulties arise when attempting to determine information about conditions at an individual level. Industries that work with perishable items do not regularly make use of available single-container monitoring devices because available individual monitoring systems are typically large in size and highly complex when used to interface with wireless networks. Researchers at the University of Florida have developed an FDA approved monitoring system that observes and records the temperature of perishable items before use. This technology will also generate a dynamic profile of both an individual container and its contents, sounding an alarm when temperature values are irregular.
FDA approved wireless monitoring system for monitoring the temperature of perishable items
Sensor nodes placed onto individual items wirelessly transmit real-time temperature data to a transceiver located on the container. The system’s central processor produces a dynamic temperature profile from user-defined parameters. An alarm will sound in the event temperatures of individual items or the container reach values outside of the defined parameters. A circuit board within the primary transceiver device stores temperature data received from surface sensors, making temperature data history reports available when requested or pre-scheduled by users.
