AppNotes
Monitoring and documenting the temperature of sensitive goods Having the ability to keep track of the temperature storage of sensitive goods is crucial in healthcare. Everything from incubators to medical refrigeration units must be kept within the strictest boundaries.
The testo Saveris temperature monitoring system is
storage of frozen samples must all be done and
capable of keeping such measurements in check and is
documented appropriately.
currently being put to use by Eastern Health Pathology
“To talk specifically about blood storage device, there
in several locations across the eastern suburbs of
are incredibly strict regulations upon the temperature
Melbourne. Tony O’Neill, the associate director and
tolerances of blood product refrigerators and freezers.
core laboratory manager of Eastern Health, explained
We’re storing thousands of dollars’ worth of donated
that the organisation’s expansion has seen the testo
blood and plasma products and if the temperatures
system become more valuable than ever.
are not maintained at appropriate levels, the products
“We’re the second largest metropolitan health
have to be discarded.
network within Victoria,” he said. “One of our acute
“Not only do we need appropriate control of our
care hospitals - Box Hill Hospital - has just opened up
temperature-sensitive devices - we also have to have
a brand new facility and it’s close to double the size of
very good record keeping of temperature data that can
what it was, so our workload and requirements are on
be reproduced when required.”
the increase.”
O’Neill said the testo system has ironed out previously inefficient processes at the company. The system can consistently log data - storing up to 40,000 measurement values - and is highly accurate. “Before testo, we had a series of individual local temperature monitoring systems on each applicable device and we had to go round and actually manually check and record that those devices were operating at the right temperature,” he said. “That manual checking, depending on the device, may have only been on a 24-hour basis. “[Using the testo Saveris system] means that all of our devices are being monitored in a universal, continuous manner. It’s exactly the same process no matter what the device is - if there is an alarm, we know exactly what device it is. Our response to the alarm can be simply recorded, which makes it easier to manage and track issues, if any. We also have the ability to monitor devices located in areas which may not be staffed 24
Eastern Health Pathology has three separate
hours a day.”
laboratories, each of which has devices such as freezers,
To keep up with new technology, testo has just
waterbaths and incubators which must be carefully
launched a cloud-based Wi-Fi temperature monitoring
monitored by accurate thermometers. O’Neill said the
system called testo Saveris 2. Although this system is
company owns “a variety of devices that have to be kept
very similar to its big brother testo Saveris, Saveris 2
in expected temperature ranges - from -80°C freezers
is primarily designed for small to medium applications.
all the way up to incubators in the mid-40°C range”. “We have a regulatory requirement to make sure that these devices are maintained at expected temperatures,” O’Neill continued. “Any variation from this may affect patient testing and diagnosis. For example, incubating microbiology plates, storage of blood products and
26 | LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - March 2015
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