RFID Temperature Monitoring for Pharmaceutical Container Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to check the quality of pharmaceutical products during delivery and storage processes to ensure they remain within a predetermined temperature range, as containers used in these processes may fail to maintain the required temperature due to power outages or open lids, exposing the products to external air and potentially compromising their quality.
Innovation Solution
A quality control system utilizing RFID tags and readers to monitor temperature deviations in delivery containers and refrigerators, with a temperature measurement device that determines if the product temperature has deviated from a set range and alerts staff via a light-emitting diode, and a mobile terminal to manage and record temperature data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature monitoring is performed continuously throughout the delivery and storage process, then quality assurance of pharmaceutical products is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is divided into independent RFID tags that can be attached to individual containers, rather than requiring a centralized complex system. Each tag independently monitors its own container's temperature, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining comprehensive coverage across multiple delivery chains.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tags are self-contained units that autonomously monitor temperature, store data, and transmit information without requiring constant external system intervention. This self-service capability reduces the complexity of central monitoring infrastructure while ensuring continuous quality assurance.
2Measurement precision
If RFID tags are attached to containers for temperature monitoring, then temperature deviation detection is improved, but ease of operation decreases due to additional attachment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag attachment process is merged with existing container identification and labeling procedures. By integrating temperature monitoring functionality into the same tagging/labeling step already performed for inventory management, the system adds monitoring capability without requiring separate attachment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tags serve multiple functions: they provide both container identification for inventory management and temperature monitoring. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate monitoring devices and simplifies operational workflows by combining previously separate tasks into one unified process.
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
Enables continuous monitoring and quality assurance of pharmaceutical products until they are used, ensuring they remain within the required temperature range by detecting and recording temperature deviations.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature measurement device that determines whether a temperature of the article in the container has deviated from a reference temperature range
Implementation Method 2
alerts staff via a light-emitting diode
Data Source
Figure 1~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
Figure 4
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to check the quality of pharmaceutical products until immediately before use thereof. A temperature measurement device 25A is a temperature measurement device 25A that includes a temperature sensor 25d and that is accommodated in a container 21 along with an article 23, and includes a temperature deviation determination unit 25h that determines whether a temperature of the article 23 in the container 21 having been detected by the temperature sensor 25d at a predetermined measurement interval has deviated from a reference temperature range, a control unit 25g that enables a temperature deviation flag when the number of times the temperature of the article 43 in the container 21 has consecutively deviated from the reference temperature range exceeds a reference number as a result of determination by the temperature deviation determination unit 25h, and a notification unit 25f that notifies a fact that the temperature deviation flag has been enabled by the control unit 25g.