The temperature monitoring solution offered by the ICP DAS ViewPAC programmable controller and I/O modules enables vaccine warehouse storage facilities to self-monitor temperature and equipment status. This method preserves the vaccine’s stability and antigenicity by storing it at a steady low temperature.
Introduction
As a biological product, the environmental temperature affects the vaccine considerably. The antigen components in the vaccine will be inactive in areas where the temperature is too high or too low, and the recipient’s immune response will not be triggered after vaccination.
Vaccines in general, for example, should be stored at temperatures below 8 degrees Celsius, whereas the most recent coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer/BioNTech, which has been successfully manufactured around the world, must be stored and transported at an exceptionally low temperature of -70 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, the American Moderna vaccine, a coronavirus vaccine, must be stored and shipped at minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Low temperature storage and constant temperature control are particularly important for preserving the vaccine’s stability and antigenicity. This application scenario will show how ICP DAS programmable controllers and I/O modules are used to support the monitoring of vaccine storage’s temperature and equipment in the health care institution in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
ICP DAS Vaccine Storage Monitoring Solution
The medical and health care institution in this case is the most significant vaccine storage facility in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. In Taiwan, vaccines are delivered from domestic or foreign vaccine manufacturers and stored in a medical and health care institution of the city council in different regions before being distributed to major local medical institutions and education institutions. Therefore, the monitoring and management of vaccine storage spaces has become a big concern for this institution due to Kaohsiung City is the third most populous city in Taiwan.
ICP DAS I/O modules (I-87017ZW-G, I-87053W-G, I-87055W-G, M-7015P-G) were used in this case for digital and analog signal transmission for the vaccine storage space’s refrigerators and freezers, as well as the compressors. Also, the ICP DAS ViewPAC touch panel controller, VP-1239-CE7 series, is used for monitoring and abnormal warning actions. The diagram for this case is as follows:
The analog signal from the RTD temperature sensor can be obtained by the RTD analog signal input module, M-7015P-G, and thus used to measure the suction temperature, discharge temperature, compressor temperature, high pressure liquid, return air temperature, and internal temperature of each fixed point in the cold storage.
Both the ICP DAS I-87053W-G (16 channel DI modules) and the I-87055W-G (8 DI/DO modules) are used to obtain digital signals for compressor status, such as compression operation signals, cooling fan operation signals, evaporator fan operation signals, defrost operation signals, motor overload signals, high-voltage over-high signals, and so on, and can be used as warning signal output to send the digital signals to buzzers and warning lights.
ICP DAS I-87017ZW-G is an analog signal input module with programmable signal range. It can set the specific range of signals for each component input and help protect against 240 Vrms overvoltage and 50 mA overcurrent under 110VDC/VAC conditions. As a result, the I-87017ZW-G was used in this case to obtain the power monitor signals of the refrigerators, as well as the compressor equipment voltage, high and low pressure, and other signals.
The ICP DAS ViewPAC VP-1239-CE7 series is a 5.7″ LCD programmable touch panel controller with an RS-485 communication mode and TCP/IP communication protocol. It is capable of connecting to all I/O modules and receiving Modbus RTU signals, and the collected data is converted to Modbus TCP and sent to the remote control center. The VP-1239-CE7 is the new generation WinCE based InduSoft PAC, which provides professional mathematical calculation libraries and powerful user interface design, allowing relevant data to be presented through visual charts.
Therefore, in this application scenario, the ViewPAC VP-1239-CE7 is used as a controller to monitor the temperature and equipment status of the vaccine storage room. Besides, when the temperature and equipment operation are abnormal, in addition to activating the alarm system and sending alarm messages to the manager, relevant mechanisms can be implemented automatically. In the cooling system, for example, if one compressor fails, the other one will be turned on automatically ; if the temperature of the vaccine storage room is not met, both compressors will be activated simultaneously.
Vaccine Storage Room
Monitoring Screen
Benefits
- Each vaccine storage room can self-monitor temperature and equipment status for failures and send out alarm messages, as well as perform temperature recovery to return to an indoor constant temperature state. It can reduce the risk of vaccine damage while also saving time for personnel to troubleshoot problems.
- ICP DAS ViewPAC VP-1239-CE7 series controllers are interconnected with the security alarm system in addition to providing alarm functions. When an abnormal situation cannot be resolved on its own, the system can alert personnel in each area to handle the situation. At the same time, the VP-1239-CE7 will simultaneously send alert messages to maintenance personnel or equipment manufacturers in order to achieve continuous monitoring and protect the vaccine from harm caused by unusual temperatures.
- The ICP DAS ViewPAC, VP-1239-CE7 series, controller can record and save current and voltage data from the cooling system’s compressor equipment. To achieve the goal of predictive maintenance, the manager can evaluate and organize the machine maintenance of the compressor equipment using the report data and graph.
Conclusion
Vaccines are one of the most important weapons in the fight against infectious diseases, and their quality is closely associated to the health of hundreds of millions of people. When the concept of smart medical treatment was new, this health care center used Internet of Things technology and ICP DAS products to enact strict vaccine preservation supervision. It is a forerunner in the field of smart medical and health care.
ICP DAS adheres to the purpose of continuous innovation and the approach to product stability, providing the highest quality products and services to customers in various industries. We believe that we can bring a more intelligent lifestyle to the public via the Internet of Things technology.