Erie, PA – 23rd July 2015 – Lascar Electronics has today launched its range of EL-Vaccination Kits – combining a temperature monitoring data logger and external glycol bottle probe designed specifically to monitor the refrigerated storage temperatures of vaccines.
As well as monitor their ongoing temperature profile, these sensors can be programmed to alert users if vaccine temperature is changing – perhaps due to power failure or an open refrigerator door. Early notification of a changing temperature gives users the opportunity to correct the problem before vaccines have been exposed to inhospitable temperatures for too long and have to be destroyed.
The new kits are available with three levels of data logger, from standalone USB devices to remote WiFi sensors. All loggers are supplied with a glycol bottle temperature buffer and calibration certificate:
The EL-USB-TP-LCD-PROBE-G is a USB device capable of storing up to 32,000 temperature readings and alerting users of a temperature breach with an on-board flashing red LED. The USB-enabled EL-GFX-DTP-PROBE-G has two probes for monitoring two temperatures at one time (for instance a refrigerator and a freezer), stores over 250,000 readings per channel and has both visual and audible alarms on-board. Both units are simple to set-up using free accompanying software.
For users who prefer a remote solution, the EL-WiFi-TP+-PROBE-G uses WiFi connectivity to wirelessly communicate readings back to a host PC or push information up to a cloud site. Alarms can be emailed instantly to users as well as being indicated on board the device.
All three loggers use a glycol bottle temperature probe designed to mimic a vaccine and not simply measure the internal temperature of a refrigerator. Leaving a refrigerator door open for five minutes will likely cause the internal temperature of the refrigerator to rise, but this may not have an immediate effect on the vaccine. By using a temperature buffered probe inserted into a bottle of glycol, the logger can trace the temperature of the actual vaccine itself indicating a genuine temperature issue rather than an ambient issue which may have no effect on the vaccine if caught early.
Numerous studies have found that the vaccine storage and handling practices in primary care facilities and other medical institutions are often inadequate. A 2012 report found that 76% of US healthcare providers were improperly storing vaccines. These failures can trigger vaccine recalls, reduced efficacy in patients, increased costs for providers, and damage to public confidence in vaccines.
Richard Cameron, head of the EasyLog data logging division at Lascar, commented: “Vaccine storage is a prime example of how properly deployed data logging can have a huge impact on the healthcare industry, both for minimal cost and without the need for technical training. While there are a number of guidelines on vaccine storage available, we want to ensure implementing these is as easy and pain free as possible for medical practitioners. The EL-Vaccination kits have been designed specifically for that purpose.”
Lascar’s devices all exceed the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for data loggers used in vaccine storage ensuring healthcare providers and patients benefit from ‘better than best practice’ performance and safety. Those features include high and low alarms, an LCD screen showing current, maximum and minimum temperatures logged, accuracy of 0.5ºC/1ºF, low battery indicator, user programmable logging rates and an integral magnet to affix the logger to the outside of the storage unit.
The EL-Vaccination Kits are available now from http://www.lascarelectronics.com/. The EL-USB-TP-LCD-PROBE-G kit is priced at $180, the EL-GFX-DTP-PROBE-G kit is $295 and the EL-WiFi-TP+-PROBE-G is $305.
