Adhesive Sensor Tape Nodes for Real-Time Cold-Chain Deviation Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional temperature tracing methods for assets sensitive to temperature, such as vaccines or dry ice, fail to promptly identify and correct deviations from acceptable temperature conditions due to reliance on retrospective data access and poor cellular reception, leading to asset degradation or loss.
Innovation Solution
A wireless sensing system with adhesive tape nodes equipped with sensors, processors, and communication capabilities that generate environmental profiles and notify of deviations, enabling real-time adjustments and data transmission even in low-reception areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional retrospective temperature tracing methods are used, then data collection is simple, but timely identification and correction of temperature deviations is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring temperature in real-time and generating environmental profiles before asset degradation occurs. The tape nodes capture temperature data throughout transport and proactively generate alerts when deviations are detected, enabling corrective action before quality loss happens.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where temperature data is continuously captured, analyzed against acceptable ranges, and fed back through notifications to stakeholders. This closed-loop feedback enables real-time correction of temperature deviations, transforming the open-loop retrospective review into a responsive monitoring system.
2Reliability
If cellular communication is relied upon for data transmission, then system implementation is straightforward, but data transmission fails in low reception environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication approach where tape nodes first store environmental data locally, then transmit it when any communication opportunity arises. This intermediary storage-and-forward mechanism bridges the gap between data generation and successful transmission in low-reception environments, ensuring no data is lost due to connectivity issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the communication parameter from real-time continuous transmission to event-driven batch transmission. Environmental profiles are generated and transmitted as discrete events when deviations occur or when connectivity is available, adapting the communication strategy to match reception conditions rather than requiring constant connectivity.
3Measurement precision
If continuous real-time monitoring is implemented, then timely detection of temperature deviations is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic sampling of temperature data at the tape nodes rather than continuous monitoring. Environmental profiles are generated at regular intervals or triggered by threshold events, maintaining detection precision while significantly reducing the energy consumption associated with constant data acquisition and transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial monitoring intensity by focusing computational resources on generating environmental profiles only when temperature deviations are detected or at scheduled intervals. This selective profiling approach maintains measurement precision for critical events while avoiding the excessive energy consumption of continuous full-scale monitoring and processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless sensing system, comprising at least one tape node, each tape node adhered to a respective asset, comprising at least one sensor, the at least one tape node having a first processor, a first memory communicatively coupled with the first processor, the first memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to: capture, by the at least one sensor of the at least one tape node, environmental data; generate, based on the captured environmental data, at least one environmental profile; determine, based on comparing the environmental profile to an accepted environmental profile, that a difference between the environmental profile and an accepted environmental profile satisfies a predetermined threshold; and responsive to the difference satisfying the threshold, generate a notification that includes instructions to perform an action.