Dynamic Calibration of Environmental Exposure Indicators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental exposure indicators (EEIs) face inaccuracies due to unwanted progression before being associated with products, leading to premature indication of product expiration and waste, as they start changing state during shipping or storage before being used to track environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
Dynamic calibration of EEIs by determining the current optical property before associating it with indicia, adjusting the initial and end states to account for pre-deployment exposure, ensuring accurate tracking of environmental exposure post-deployment through encoding calibration data in the indicia, such as barcodes or RFID tags.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If environmental exposure indicator materials are deployed before product association, then they can track environmental conditions, but they undergo unwanted state progression leading to inaccurate readings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calibration of the environmental exposure indicator material before it is associated with the product. The optical properties are measured and calibration data is stored in an indicia at this initial stage, establishing a baseline that accounts for any pre-deployment state progression. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent measurements are accurate despite prior exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the calibration parameters (optical property baseline values) based on the actual state of the indicator material at deployment time. By changing these parameters to reflect the true initial state, the system compensates for unwanted progression and maintains measurement precision throughout the product's lifecycle.
2Measurement precision
If calibration data is dynamically determined and encoded, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically measuring the optical properties of the indicator material and generating calibration data without requiring manual intervention. The indicia is automatically encoded with this calibration data, and the system autonomously uses this data to adjust subsequent measurements, reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the measured optical properties are used to update calibration data, which in turn adjusts the measurement parameters for future readings. This closed-loop feedback system maintains measurement precision while automating the calibration process, reducing the need for complex manual calibration procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy of environmental exposure tracking, preventing premature product disposal and maintaining product usability by recalibrating the EEI's optical properties to reflect only post-deployment exposure, thus extending the product's usable life.
Implementation Method 1
an environmental exposure indicator material provided on the substrate that is configured to change an optical property between a creation state and an end state
Data Source
AI summary
An environmental exposure indicator includes a substrate and an environmental exposure indicator (“EEI”) material provided on the substrate that is configured to change an optical property between a creation state and an end state. The environmental exposure indicator material has a deployment state, between the creation state and the end state, at a deployment time. The environmental exposure indicator also includes calibration data based on the deployment state.