A system is disclosed for measuring a temperature of air within a container or other enclosure containing temperature controlled items or other product. The system includes a temperature sensor having a thermocouple within a shaft, and a fan for drawing air from within the container through the shaft and past a junction of the thermocouple. The temperature sensor further includes a control unit for correlating a voltage from the thermocouple to a temperature.

Batches (9a and 9b) pass in succession into a (pre) refrigeration machine. An actuator (17) in the chamber (1) of the machine is controlled by a logic controller (16) to insert a temperature sensor (18) into a product selected in the batch. Above batch (9a) in front of entrance door (6) of chamber (1), a preparatory module (27) explores the top surface of the area at the top of the batch located under sensor (18). An image analyzer selects a product into which sensor (18) will be inserted, and a future insertion point in the selected product. This data is transmitted to a memory to which logic controller (16) will refer to control actuator (17) when the batch is in chamber (1). Preferably, the data refer to a repository linked to the batch, for example provided by a corner of the box (3) containing the selected product.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to monitoring temperature or movement of merchandise during and after transport of the merchandise. Some of these embodiments include systems for monitoring the temperature of merchandise items comprising: a temperature sensor disposed at or near one or more merchandise items; a control circuit operatively coupled to the temperature sensor, the control circuit configured to: read temperature measurements from the temperature sensor at predetermined time intervals; generate and encode a barcode with data representing a first temperature measurement; and update and encode the barcode with data representing the first temperature measurement and one or more subsequent temperature measurements; and an interface operatively coupled to the control circuit and configured to display the updated barcode.

This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for hygiene monitoring in hospitals and drug stores. One sub-system use a combination of radio frequency tags attached to the staff, RF tag readers and infrared/proximity/motion/microphone/touch sensors installed over the faucet and dispenser to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly after going to the restroom. The forth sub-system automatically generate drug expiring label for opened drug container based on RF tag worn by the staff or attached to the container. The system generate and print the label whenever the staff gesture their RF tags in front of them and potentially scan the container bar code or select it from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The last sub-system can also monitor the inventory of drug/medicine container in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for determining a maximum temperature to which a perishable good or other temperature sensitive item was exposed. In some embodiments, a capacitance of a circuit provided on a substrate is measured. The circuit includes capacitor(s) each having first and second plates separated from each other by an ionic liquid (IL) in a solid state. The IL melts at a predetermined temperature and flows away from the first and second plates into a void. In some embodiments, the predetermined temperature at which the IL melts is different for each capacitor. For example, each capacitor in the circuit may employ a different N-alkyl bezothiazolium salt. A maximum temperature of exposure is determined based on the measured capacitance. In some embodiments, a decision of whether to discard the perishable good or other temperature sensitive item may be based on the determined maximum temperature.

Environmental indicators for monitoring a predetermined environmental exposure, for example, an historical heat exposure such as a cumulative ambient heat exposure and/or a peak ambient heat exposure, may include an environmental indicator material. The environmental indicator may be configured to attach to a host product for monitoring the predetermined environmental exposure of the host product.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automated measurement of the temperatures of samples on a production line without any human intervention. In one aspect the apparatus has a conveyance system; and a temperature measurement unit having: a first member and a second member which are movable relative to each other between at least a first position in which the first and second members cooperate to form an internal space which is substantially internally reflective of radiofrequency radiation and a second position in which the object can be introduced into said internal space; and a radiometer arranged so that it is coupled to said internal space, wherein the conveyance system is arranged to convey the object to a measurement position in said internal space whilst the first and second members are in the second position, for a measurement of the radiation emitted from the object to be performed by the radiometer when the first and second members are in the first position and to convey the object away from said measurement position once the measurement has been performed and said first and second members have returned to the second position. The apparatus allows for recording and storing of measured temperature information. Embodiments of the invention provide for auto-calibration of the apparatus and automated testing and rejection of samples which do not meet pre-defined criteria.

Systems and methods for modeling a temperature in a thermal package in a lane of commerce using forecast weather data or estimating the actual temperature history in a thermal package using actual weather data. Lane temperature is recognized and used as an intermediate calculated variable derived from weather data. Machine learning techniques estimate the lane temperature to determine a model. Product temperature in thermal packaging is estimated by simultaneously solving a set of heat transfer equations. The above is used to with forecast weather data to calculate a lane temperature and then calculate an expected product temperature based on the time and date of shipment. This product temperature curve is then analyzed with a set of decision rules to improve decision making on when to make a shipment and the best packaging to use.

A data logger for logging values of a physical environment parameter as a function of time includes a sampling subsystem which acquires a sequence of sample values of the physical environment parameter at sampling moments which are separated by sample intervals, an encoding subsystem which converts the sequence of sample values in data records including a representative value representing groups of one sample value or a number of successive sample values with variations which meet a stability criterion and information representative of the lengths of the groups, a memory subsystem which stores a sequence of defined data, and the data logger is arranged to determine in which range of a plurality of ranges a sample of the environment parameter is located, and to use a stability criterion for the encoding which depends on the determined range.

A temperature-sensing RFID device includes an RFID chip and an antenna electrically coupled thereto. The RFID chip includes a temperature sensor, while the antenna is adapted to receive energy from an RF field and produce a signal. A shielding structure and/or a thermally conductive or absorbent structure may be associated with the RFID chip. The shielding structure is oriented so as to be positioned between at least a portion of the RFID chip and an outside environment and configured to shield the temperature sensor from at least one environmental factor capable of affecting a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor of an article to which the RFID device is secured. The thermally conductive or absorbent structure is oriented so as to be positioned between at least a portion of the RFID chip and the article and configured to enhance thermal coupling between the temperature sensor and the article.