Ensuring safety of the vaccinations we give to our children and loved ones is important. Some of these vaccinations require storage in a controlled environment, and to help achieve this goal during transport, Intelleflex has introduced a new GPS RFID reader and database in the cloud to monitor temperatures during each step of the transportation process.

The CMR-6100 cellular multiprotocol reader and associated Zest Data Services cloud platform was introduced on April 3, and it gives both manufacturers and health care professionals peace of mind that the precious cargo, both food and pharmaceutical items, will reach their destination without spoiling.  The GPS-enabled RFID reader sends temperature data to the cloud, allowing interested parties to analyze it at any time throughout the delivery process.

“By monitoring the temperature of the products throughout distribution – without opening or unpacking the container – we can help record actual time out of refrigeration or proper cooling, ensuring the efficacy and quality of the product through to the last mile,” said Peter Mehring, president and CEO of Intelleflex.

The beauty of offering the Zest cloud platform: vendors don’t have to worry about installing any new software or investing in expensive servers. An application on the RFID device, Proware’s FreshAware, reads the information and sends it to the database in the cloud using a secure connection.

The GPS RFID devices monitor the temperature in food in an effort to prevent any food-related disease, according to the first quarter 2011 report “RFID-enabled Food Safety and Traceability Systems” compiled by ABI Research. The cellular reader can keep an eye on the temperatures a pharmaceutical or food shipment no matter where the shipping container may be, including an airport tarmac waiting for a plane.

Some doctors will refuse a shipment of vaccinations if it is found they were either shipped or stored improperly, as some vaccines require storage in specific temperatures. For example, protein-based vaccines require temperatures from 2 to 8 degrees Centigrade to be effective. “They have a controlled range,” said Kevin Payne, senior director of marketing at Intelleflex. “If it goes [outside] that band, it risks the efficacy of the product – it could make it potentially dangerous for use.”

The GPS RFID reader connects with temperature-monitoring tags and allow all parties involved in the distribution process including couriers, manufacturers, and even health care providers to assure pharmaceuticals are handled properly every step of the way. “The Intelleflex CMR-6100 cellular reader enables remote, unattended, secure operation, installation at locations where network access is not available or not allowed, and access to data from locations where data capture was not previously possible,” said Mehring.

This GPS device currently tracks the temperature, but it is the hope of the company to add humidity, vibration, and shock to the list of factors it tracks. Payne notes these RFID readers could also be used in the future to track patients in a hospital who may wander away, or to link mothers to their newborn babies in a maternity ward.