During cold chain shipping, using a temperature monitor inside a package to confirm that the shipment stayed within the desired temperature range has become common practice. These monitors can greatly vary in specs, and it can be difficult to decide which features are worth the investment. The main reason to have the monitor is for the information that it collects, so one of the most important capabilities to examine is how easily and quickly the information can be accessed at the end of the shipment.
Monitors with readable display screens allow for the quickest access to the most information. It is common for such devices to use the display screen to inform the recipient of alarms at the very least. The more advanced monitors can use the screen to report details on an out of range condition, providing data points such as the time and duration of the alarm, as well as the minimum, maximum and average temperatures recorded. This can provide a faster means of analyzing the out-of-range condition without requiring the recipient to use a computer.
Expanding the amount of information accessible by the recipient can have a very positive effect on patient care. Time is an important factor when delivering drugs. When an out-of-range temperature is reported, decreasing the time it takes for the alarm to be fully analyzed will result in the patient receiving their drug more quickly and with a higher assurance that it retains its intended potency. If an out-of-range alarm is reported by the temperature monitor, the potential is there to replace the product at the shipper’s expense. Increasing the information available to the recipient decreases that potential while decreasing the time needed to determine its usability.
Cryopak offers several types of LCD screen data loggers to meet your needs, including our compact iMINI LCD. To learn more about how we can help you obtain temperature data quickly and efficiently, contact us.
Author:
Anthony Alleva, Technical Director