Wireless Sensors. An Organization’s Portal to the IoT World.
The IoT is propelling the business world into a new era. An era of intelligent data that drives efficiencies, improves profitability and enhances decision making abilities. Energy savings, improved productivity, and risk mitigation all come together to create a more sustainable and flexible operation. The Schneider Electric 2020 IoT report concisely outlines the reception of IoT by business.
But how do organizations get there? Changing an existing wired infrastructure to one that can collect intelligence from all aspects of the operation that communicates with key decision makers via the cloud can be a costly and daunting task.
Until now.
Wireless sensors provide organizations with the vehicle to the IoT and all it has to offer.No wired infrastructure is required. Wireless sensors mount easily to a wall, inside a freezer or refrigerator, or anywhere monitoring and measuring environmental variances are of value.
Building Automation Systems can communicate with wireless temperature / humidity sensors and CO2 sensors to optimize energy management.
Healthcare settings utilize temperature sensors to monitor medications, blood and tissues to improve patient care. Operating rooms benefit from differential pressure sensors that prevent the spread of airborne diseases.
Restaurants clearly need to insure the safe storage and delivery of food to their customers. Temperature sensors are becoming widely used to assist in HACCP compliance and prevention of foodborne disease.
Data centers are huge energy consumers, requiring enormous amounts of energy to cool their servers. Temperature and humidity sensors are a key component to the energy management strategies used by this industry.
The applications for wireless sensors are endless. And the doorway to the world of IoT is opening wider and becoming more cost effective each day. Mesa Labs can lead you through the portal with economical and common sense applications. Learn more at www.pointsix.com, or contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com.
The success of battling these vaccine-preventable diseases relies in large part to proper storage and handling of vaccines. Namely, maintaining proper temperatures in the entire cold chain; from the time of manufacture to administration of the vaccine. While this may sound like an onerous task, it’s really quite simple.
Unfortunately, many hospitals and doctor’s offices do not follow CDC guidelines for monitoring and maintaining adequate storage temperatures. A recent incident at APD Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH reveals critical lapses in storage guidelines. Unsafe temperatures rendered some vaccines ineffective, leaving over 800 children vulnerable to otherwise preventable diseases. Their system relied on a staff member manually noting refrigerator temperatures. CDC guidelines require twice daily refrigerator temperature checks; the hospital had only two entries for a refrigerator in a one month period.
Disturbingly, this happens with even more frequency at physician offices. Studies by the OIG show that 76% of providers stored vaccines at improper temperatures. Doctor’s offices are closed during weekends – what happens if a refrigerator malfunctions then? Does anyone even know? And more importantly, how do we know the vaccines given to our children are safe and effective? Are our children adequately protected from preventable diseases?
Mesa Labs Point Six™ Wireless temperature sensors monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures and alert staff real time to temperature breaches and equipment malfunctions. Automated temperature logs are available for regulatory reports at any given time. Vaccines and other temperature sensitive medications are protected against equipment malfunctions, and human error, protecting our most precious asset: our children.
To learn more about Mesa Labs Point Six Wireless temperature sensors for safe vaccine and medication storage visit www.pointsix.com or contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com.
A non-profit café had barely opened their doors to serve the community when they narrowly avoided disaster. Twice.
Hugs Café, located in McKinney, TX, provides foodservice training and employment to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Just a few weeks after opening, the café was afflicted by a common occurrence in the foodservice industry – a malfunctioning refrigerator. After losing all the food contained in that unit, the owner contacted SenSource Wireless and installed wireless temperature sensors for all their refrigerators and freezers. The wireless sensors monitor and alert staff when temperatures fall below desired levels, protecting their food and their financial investment.
As it turns out, the original refrigerator malfunction was merely a gentle nudge to the non-profit; inspiring the installation of wireless temperature sensors to prevent a more devastating loss. Just four weeks later, the café lost ALL power to the location (also not uncommon). Had it not been for the wireless sensors, they would have lost their entire inventory of food. Instead, staff was alerted to the power outage and disaster was avoided.
Hugs Café is the dream of Founder and President Ruth Thompson. Her vision is to create a non-profit café that will be run and operated primarily by Special Needs Adults. They combine a unique mix of their own recipes with donated recipes of celebrity chefs from across the great state of Texas.
SenSource Wireless is a valued partner of Mesa Labs. To learn more about Sensource Wireless, visit www.sensourcewireless.com or contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com.
A key element for delivering safe food to customers is the cold chain temperature control process from transportation to storage and temperature controlled preparation of both hot and cold items. A breach in temperature during any part of this process can result in dire health ramifications. Yet, despite the advancement of wireless temperature monitoring and recording sensors, the foodservice industry has been generally slow to adopt the technology, instead relying on antiquated paper and pencil processes highly prone to human error.
Five Guys, known for its Zagat rating for “Best Burger” is an industry leader in food safety and quality. The family owned and operated franchise restaurant group is deploying the state-of- the- art ComplianceMate System in all corporate and franchise stores across North America as a key component of its food safety compliance program. ComplianceMate combines checklist completion, wireless temperature monitoring, and active responses to problems to meet HACCP guidelines. Mesa Labs Point Six™wireless temperature sensors, are used exclusively by ComplianceMate for delivery of temperature data. Data is transmitted via the cloud for real-time access by individual stores and corporate management. Five Guys customers can relax and enjoy their meal knowing food temperatures have been maintained at levels inhospitable to potentially harmful bacteria.
School lunches receive a lot of attention with respect to dietary guidelines and menus not well received by students. School food safety issues however don’t receive nearly the same exposure yet pose serious health implications for children.
Foodborne disease afflicts at least 48 million people resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Of those affected, children are the most vulnerable to these preventable outbreaks. Reported school foodborne outbreaks account for about 3.8% of all outbreaks, and 8.2% of all illnesses reported to the CDC. Salmonella is among several pathogens responsible for food poisoning when temperature is not adequately controlled.
Monitoring the temperature of refrigerators and freezers to prevent foodborne illness is a key component of food safety programs and HACCP guidelines. Many schools still rely on the parochial pencil and paper method of record keeping. But who’s watching the kitchen on weekends, holidays and after school hours? No one knows if a refrigerator or freezer temperature has been breached because a door has been left open or equipment has failed.
Mesa Labs is a leading provider of wireless temperature sensors and is proud to work with partners such as Sentry 9000 placing wireless and WiFi refrigerator temperature sensors in dozens of school districts throughout Texas, New Mexico and California. The Coweta County School District in Metro Atlanta has also been proactive in deploying Point Six™ refrigerator and freezer temperature sensorsto protect student health.
The 1950s era building that will forever be remembered as the scene of one of our nation’s most gripping historical memories will soon relinquish its patients and their caretakers. Scheduled for August 20th, a new Parkland, a $1.3B state of the art building, will open its doors to a new era of patient care.
Said to be the largest hospital under construction in the entire world, this mammoth 2.1million square foot building is even larger than the Dallas Bank of America building.
Nurses, patients, doctors and a myriad of other healthcare professionals will continue to interact at the very human level they have for decades. The differences however will be striking; many not seen by the casual observer. The state of the art building will house advances in modern medicine and technology that elevate the quality and safety of patient care.
Cutting edge Mesa Labs Point Six™ Wireless sensor technology will unite modern medicine with quality patient care; insuring temperature sensitive medications, blood, and nutritional assets are safely stored and delivered according to JCAHO regulatory standards. This behind the scenes business of modern medicine is a part of the growing healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) that ensures patients receive safe, quality products while protecting the high financial value of these critical assets. It’s a win-win for the patient and the hospital.
The Galliera Hospital in Genoa, Italy plays a key role in Genoa’s Smart City Initiative. Originally built in 1877, the Galliera Hospital renovation will incorporate the latest in state of the art technologies to optimize energy performance and improve patient outcomes. Point Six™ WiFi sensors have been chosen to track and monitor temperature sensitive medications and blood products in this center of international excellence. Point Six’s strategic partner in Italy, Themis, has integrated Point Six™ data into their application package. Themis will handle all aspects of the project including installation and ongoing support.
The Mesa Labs Point Six™ ultra-low power 802.11 WiFi sensors can run for many years on just two AA batteries. Leveraging existing infrastructures, Point Six™ WiFi Sensors reduce installation costs and the ongoing maintenance costs associated with installing yet another wireless network where one already exists. This capability eliminates the need for repeaters, controllers and coordinators typically needed for most wireless deployments.
According to Goldman Sachs, the Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as the third wave in the development of the internet. It has the potential to connect 28 billion more “things” to the internet by 2020.
The Internet of Things connects everyday consumer devices and industrial equipment to the internet, enabling information gathering and management of these devices to increase efficiency, enable new services, or achieve other health, safety, or environmental benefits.
To learn more about how Mesa Labs Point Six™ Wireless WiFi sensors can help you leverage the IoT wave to save energy, optimize maintenance schedules and protect your assets, contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com.
The rays of the scorching sun beat down upon the greenhouse. Inside, the plants thrive as meticulous controls manipulate the many variables for maximum growth.
Water is scarce, but sorely needed to cool the tender new leaves when the optimum temperature is reached. Wireless sensors closely monitor temperature, humidity and CO2 levels. It’s a delicate balance.
Suddenly, a valve providing cooling water to spray the tender plants malfunctions, ensuring almost certain death as the baking sun envelopes the greenhouse. Humidity and CO2 levels build.
A text message received miles away alerts the scientists that temperatures are rising to a dangerous level. Immediate action is taken to turn on the faulty valve providing much needed water to cool the plants. The temperature, humidity and CO2 levels are correctly balanced again, restoring the environment for the prized plants.
Mesa Labs is proud to play such an important role in USDA greenhouses. For more information contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com.
Healthcare facilities are home to numerous infectious diseases, many transmitted by the air we breathe. This places healthcare workers and patients at risk, especially in areas where contamination can result in the spread of disease. Monitoring of differential pressure is not only prudent, but is a required standard in healthcare. The Mesa Labs Point Six™ WiFi Differential Pressure Sensor monitors these pressures in healthcare facilities around the globe.
Air is always on the move to achieve pressure equilibrium. Air in a room under positive pressure will flow out of the room to equalize with the surrounding area. Conversely, a room under negative pressure will draw air in from surrounding spaces. Controlling these differential pressures is essential to controlling the infectious microbes that travel in the air. Operating rooms and protective environment areas for immunocompromised patients will be maintained under positive differential pressure to keep airborne contaminants from flowing in. Isolation rooms with patients with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis will be maintained under negative pressure to contain the airborne microbes and protect those in surrounding areas.
The Mesa Labs WiFi Differential Pressure Sensor monitors the differential pressure between a room and an adjacent space, and provides alerts when these differential pressures exceed their limits, creating an unsafe environment. To learn more about Point Six™ WiFi Differential Pressure Sensors or any of our wireless sensors please contact Mark Fauber at mfauber@mesalabs.com
SensEnomics™ is an innovative "Sensors by Subscription" plan that enables you to take advantage of the latest wireless sensor technology with no upfront capital expenditure. For a nominal monthly fee, automatically receive reports and automated messages for proactive, efficient asset management. For information, contact Dan Piroli at dan@pointsix.com
