Tracing biological samples during transport means knowing what happens between their point of origin and the laboratory. Marc Real, CEO of Groenlandia Tech, explains how his solution combines an instrumented container and a data platform to record conditions and incidents during the journey. Episode 19 of Toque de Ingenio presents a connected product in which sensors, battery autonomy and service must be designed together.
Guest Marc Real. Company or organization: Groenlandia Tech.
Interview published: July 22, 2024. Episode: 19. Duration: 1 h 20 min.
In this episode:
- What information does monitoring the path of a sample provide?
- How are identification, temperature, location, and communication functions integrated?
- Why development continues with maintenance, manufacturing, and support.
The gap between the origin and the destination is part of the problem.
Marc describes a limitation in the processes that collect information upon arrival and departure, but which do not allow for observation of the route in the same level of detail. When an incident is detected upon arrival, it has already passed the point at which it would have been useful to know about it.
The proposed solution combines physical transport with data capture. The stated objective is to link conditions and events with the movement of a sample. This information allows for a better understanding of what occurred during the operation.
The case is of interest to teams of product development Because it begins with a lack of information within a process. The technical opportunity lies in making a part of the service, which was previously difficult to follow, visible.
Container and platform are the same product.
The guest insists that the container and the platform don’t make sense as separate components of the proposal. The device gathers information, and the software makes that information accessible within the operation.
“There’s no sense in one thing without the other”.
Marc Real, 6:03.
The interview mentions records of openings and closings, identification of individuals, location, and temperature. All of this data has relevance in relation to an event. A list of sensors, without a structure explaining when and why the information is recorded, does not yet describe the service.
Designing that relationship requires defining interfaces between hardware and software. The fields, events, and method of querying an incident should align with the work of those who prepare, transport, and receive the container.
Electronics for recording what matters during transport.
Marc compares the system’s components with familiar technologies found in a mobile phone: a microcontroller, communication systems, sensors, and a battery. This comparison helps to explain the integration, without presenting each component as a separate invention.
“To illustrate a point”.
Marc Real, 18:52.
The challenge lies in ensuring that those elements are relevant to a specific application. custom electronics Specify what is measured, how often, how the data is stored, and when it is transmitted. It should also consider consumption and available space.
In a product that moves between locations, battery life and communication are key components of the user experience. Users need to know what information is available and how it relates to the container they are using.
Design to verify and maintain measurement.
The conversation dedicates a section to monitoring temperature probes. Marc explains the verification of measurements and the associated service. The significance of this point is that the quality of the data must be maintained after the product is delivered.
The article details the company’s experience as of July 2024. The references to certifications, regulations, or evidentiary value mentioned in the video relate to the guest’s statements and are not used here as current validation of a specific unit or operation.
From engineering, learning involves incorporating verifiability into the design: access to components, identification of units, and a procedure that allows for reviewing functionality. Documentation links development with subsequent maintenance.
Three years of development before the first sale.
Reviewing the calendar, Marc estimates that it will take approximately three years to reach the first sale. This timeframe reflects a project that involves mechanics, electronics, a platform, and validation processes, as well as a commercial proposal.
Los functional prototypes They help to break down that complexity into individual tests. It’s possible to examine a reading function, an opening, or a communication separately, before validating the entire set. The data obtained guides design changes.
The interview also highlights that there are expenses during the development phase before a sustained commercial operation begins. This reality makes it important to define the scope and to know which tests will allow progress towards the next milestone.
The manufacturing and service sectors are changing the needs of the business.
There’s a key difference between the effort of developing a product and the effort of growing it. Once a product finds demand, it still requires resources to manufacture, deliver, and maintain the service. Commercial traction creates new operational demands.
El industrial assembly It requires documentation, controls, and traceability of the individual units themselves. For a system with sensors, the manufacturing process must also consider how it verifies that each set is functioning correctly before being released.
The lesson for other IoT products is to focus on the continuity between design and operation. The value of the data depends on a device, a platform, and a service that maintain consistency throughout the product’s lifespan.
Questions regarding the traceability of biological samples
What does traceability of samples during transport contribute to?
It allows you to link conditions and events with transport, rather than simply having information only at the beginning and end. The episode describes this need based on the experience of Groenlandia Tech.
Why integrate hardware and platform from the outset of development?
Because the device captures data that needs to be transformed into useful information for the process. Events, identification, and queries should be designed in a coordinated manner.
What should a product with sensors anticipate after its sale?
How to check its functionality, maintain measurements, and address any issues. These tasks can affect components, documentation, and access to the equipment.
Four key takeaways from the chapter.
- The data should be relevant to a specific operational need.
- Hardware and software share traceability requirements.
- The measurement requires a method of verification during use.
- Producing more units requires preparing the controls and service.
From learning to product development.
At i-mas, we develop connected products by combining design, electronics, prototyping, and industrialization. If your project requires measuring and transmitting information in a specific environment, We can study your architecture with you..
You can also read. How Engidi approaches security with connected technology..
Source: Original interview from Toque de Ingenio, published on YouTube on July 22, 2024. The experiences, figures, and plans discussed in the interview are reflective of that specific time. The references to i-mas services are the editorial analysis of the article.
