Solutions for real-time monitoring of medical cooling devices for the safe storage of medical products

With B Medical Systems' monitoring solutions, medical cold chain products like the ultra-low temperature freezer shown above can be monitored around the clock (Image source: B Medical Systems).

Luc Provost, CEO of B Medical Systems

Vaccines, biological samples, medications, and similar items must often be stored refrigerated to prevent spoilage. An interruption of the cooling cycle, which can be caused, for example, by a malfunction of a medical refrigeration device, often results in significant financial losses, shortages of vaccines and blood supplies, or weeks of lost work time. Due to the denaturation of the molecules they are made of, biological samples can be irreparably lost if exposed to unsuitable temperatures, rendering them unusable for clinical or research purposes. For this reason, digital real-time monitoring solutions are always recommended.

Depending on the application scenario and the type of medical refrigeration device used, there are different solutions for real-time monitoring.

For a long time, paper temperature recorders were the only way to monitor refrigeration devices. However, bulky and permanently costly paper temperature recorders should be replaced, as they need to be exchanged regularly and do not transmit data, making remote monitoring of medical refrigeration devices impossible with them. Instead, digital solutions for monitoring are a safer and overall better option, also considering the total operating costs.

Digital solutions offer numerous advantages

Some modern medical refrigeration devices come with integrated monitoring software depending on the manufacturer. To be monitored remotely, these devices are simply connected via a cable (e.g., RJ-45) to the local network and thus to the monitoring software. Once connected, the software collects the data sent by the refrigeration units, displays it clearly, and triggers alarms and/or sends an SMS (and also emails) in case of emergency. Additionally, this software can monitor several hundred devices in real time, making this method the easiest to implement since it requires no additional external devices.

However, not every medical refrigeration device is equipped with a suitable connection (e.g., RJ-45). Some models, for example, only have an RS485 port. Furthermore, healthcare facilities sometimes use devices from different manufacturers. For scenarios involving devices without a suitable connection or with devices from different manufacturers, an external connection is necessary to link the devices with monitoring software. For example, B Medical Systems offers the Data Communication Unit (DCU), which can connect up to ten devices with its own monitoring software depending on the type of refrigeration device. However, this requires that the medical refrigeration units are equipped with a PT1000 temperature sensor, unless it is already built into the device. Existing devices can be retrofitted so that new devices do not need to be purchased. This makes it an interesting option for implementing real-time monitoring, especially for smaller facilities.

In rural or remote areas (such as many developing countries), the solutions described above often reach their limits because the necessary infrastructure is lacking. For this scenario, a real-time monitoring device like the Remote-Temperature Monitoring Device (RTMD) from B Medical Systems is recommended. The device is connected to a medical refrigeration unit and collects data. Thanks to an integrated SIM card, the collected data is transmitted in real time when the device is within range of a 2G/3G network. If the temperature of a refrigerator equipped with an RTMD deviates from the set parameters, the monitoring system sends an alarm via SMS and/or email.

Diverse manufacturers offer suitable solutions for real-time monitoring of the entire cold chain. It is important for customers to consider the topic of real-time monitoring already during the purchasing process and to discuss their application scenario with the provider to find the appropriate solution together. The software should display the collected data clearly in a dashboard and automatically send an alarm via SMS or email if there are deviations from the set parameters. This way, the risk of spoilage of stored samples, blood supplies, or vaccines can be minimized.