How technology is changing the way we do temperature monitoring

Temperature monitoring dates back to the 1500s with the invention of the thermoscope by Galileo.  Since then, advancement in temperature monitoring technology has changed radically in order to keep up with globalisation and the consequent pressure of supply and demand. The monitoring of temperature is now in place throughout the supply chain, from the supplier to the end user.

Before the advent of the internet, temperature measurement data logging was done manually using a chart recorder. The data was not always reliable or accessible for mathematical and statistical analysis.

At Temperature Monitoring Solutions Africa, we understand that consumers expect accurate, quality temperature monitors in order to compete with their specific growing markets. Our company also makes sure to distribute temperature monitors which stay ahead of the curve technologically to offer the most effective temperature monitoring. Here is how temperature monitoring has more recently evolved.

What is already in place

Data loggers

The advent of data loggers has revolutionised the temperature monitoring industry. These devices make it possible to not only accurately record temperature but also to have records of this recording linked to time and date.

Data loggers are also set up with an alarm system to trigger whenever the temperature of an object rises or drops outside of the range. This availability of the data and setting of alarm limits has allowed a higher quality of product and ultimately also lead to more profit. Data loggers have also evolved to allow for real-time notification through smart phone access and automated SMS.

IoT

‘The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.’ – https://www.techtarget.com/

Basically it is any object with an IP address which can transfer data over a network. This ecosystem of web-enabled smart devices, use embedded processors, sensors and communication hardware to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. In the world of temperature monitoring, this has lead to the interconnectivity of the data loggers that we mentioned earlier.

Artificial

Artificial intelligence (AI) is what has made IoT possible. ‘Intelligence’ is the human ability to reason and make decisions, and AI is a branch of computer science which is developing the technology for machines to think like humans.

It is so much a part of our daily lives that we don’t even notice. Smart phones, used by people the world over, are the most widespread use of AI in the world. This technology is constantly being utilised to update temperature monitoring technology for the better.

 

What we aspire to in the future

Block chain technology

This technology is relatively new and is mostly associated with cryptocurrencies. The basis of blockchain technology is a decentralised, transparent way to exchange information. The ‘blocks’ are a recorded transaction shared on a peer-to-peer network consisting of ‘nodes’ – devices such as a computer, that contain a history of all transactions for all the blocks in that chain.

Before a new block can be added to the chain, all the nodes in its network must verify it. Once added to the chain, information cannot be modified or removed, ideally creating a trustworthy, transparent record of transactional information. This could be utilised well for tracking, tracing and making sure of the integrity and ownership of particular products, ultimately creating a safer environment for all.

This is particularly good for the pharmaceutical industry, as it can be used to verify the authenticity of drugs which are returned to pharmaceutical manufacturers. This often occurs when wholesalers have ordered excess inventory.

Instead of destroying these perfectly good drug shipments, pharmaceutical companies instead opt to re-sell them. However, before they can re-sell these drugs, there is a legal obligation to verify the authenticity of the returned drugs, which is where block chain comes in.

Additionally, if temperature is compromised during transportation, the consumer can easily see at what point that occurred. Another benefit is that smart contracts can be automatically invoked within the blockchain.

As you can see, we have come a long way from the manual tracking of Galileo’s time, but clearly there is still a lot of ground to cover. Temperature monitoring is a complex field and we have only just begun to scratch the surface of what is possible. We will keep at the forefront and continue to update our offerings to make sure our clients receive the best offers out there.