The Internet of Things enables higher operational efficiency for research projects and pilot factories, and faster release of new products.

The demand for research and development is becoming increasingly strong in today's world. Major companies urgently need to find a way to increase production without increasing budgets. Meanwhile, samples are more expensive than ever before, and losses from a single batch could cost tens of thousands of dollars. This indicates that developers have two choices to face: either let their experiments run overnight without human supervision, while also facing the risk of losing expensive samples; Either you have to stop working after work, which will greatly reduce production efficiency.

Through the Internet of Things, remote monitoring can be achieved without the need for personnel to physically visit the fluid processing research and development site, allowing researchers to remotely manage and monitor the workflow required, whether it is preparation, fermentation, collection, or purification stages.

More and more people are discovering the presence of remote monitoring in pharmaceutical processing operations, which is of great help to research and development departments responsible for fluid processing experiments or pilot projects. Applying remote monitoring to peristaltic pumps will have a positive impact on departments that handle fluids around the clock, as remote monitoring does not require on-site personnel to monitor these pumps.

Equipped with local Bluetooth wireless control function and cloud based remote monitoring technology, the R&D department can develop products and processes faster. The completion of the R&D phase and rapid pilot testing can reduce the time and cost of introducing new products to the market.

Bluetooth control

The function of monitoring peristaltic pumps through Bluetooth connection allows researchers to be more flexible in configuring the pump's process flow. They do not need to physically operate the pump on site to control or set up a fluid treatment process.

With today's smartphones and tablets, researchers can set all pump functions from 70 feet away. We can place the pump in the clean room, fume hood, glove operated box, or other areas of the laboratory, while researchers can operate it outside of these areas. In this way, we can save a lot of time and cost by eliminating the steps of sterile changing, disinfection, cleaning, and decontamination required to enter these areas in the past. At the same time, it can also keep employees away from hazardous chemicals or biological products, providing additional health and safety protection for employees.

The peristaltic pump operator can use this technology to control and set all pump parameters, such as speed, flow rate, start, stop, and direction. In addition, operators can also set the pump as a metering pump for nutrient delivery, pH control, transportation, and filtration, or as a dispensing device for filling and quantitative dosing.

Cloud based remote monitoring

With the development of network interconnection, we can now monitor peristaltic pumps and other fluid processing equipment anywhere through cloud services. Now, fluid handling equipment can transmit read-only prompts of operating parameters and status conditions through any small program on networked devices.

Real time monitoring of this data can give researchers more peace of mind, letting them know that experiments are still running as usual when they leave the laboratory or pilot plant. We can also handle multiple tasks simultaneously during the long dispensing process, allowing researchers to perform additional critical tasks while they handle their workflow, and accurately knowing how much time is left in their dispensing process.

The transferable operational parameters include:

• Flow characteristics: Monitor whether the pump is operating in continuous or distributed mode, the flow rate or speed at which the pump is running, and the cumulative pumping flow.

• Dispensing status: View the current quantitative settings and dispensing cycle completion status

The transferable state conditions include:

• Pump motor status: Confirm whether the pump motor is running or stopped, and the current direction of operation (clockwise or counterclockwise).

• Process status: Confirm that the pump head has not unexpectedly opened or leaked during the process.

• Pump device status: Confirm that no errors have occurred and that the pump is online and operational.

For researchers who are looking for more automated monitoring methods, they can also set notification rules in the monitoring interface to send alerts for specific conditions through email or text, such as completion of dispensing cycles, leaks, and equipment errors.

For sensitive and expensive samples, every second is crucial; Instant notification can make the alarm response faster and save cells, culture media, or other important products in a timely manner.

Following the principle of 'simpler is better', read-only transmission of operating parameters and status conditions ensures security and confidentiality. The process of the pump cannot be interrupted, and key information related to research and development cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals.

The monitoring mini program can also be controlled by setting login and strong passwords, and then pairing the device's serial number, thereby adding a layer of security to prevent accidental viewing of data.

Conclusion

In situations where budgets are tight or resources are limited, researchers can utilize this new connectivity feature. The direct benefits brought by the new connectivity feature include increased productivity and reduced fluid handling operating costs in laboratories and pilot factories. This connection helps speed up the time to market, allows for unmanned operations at night, and reassures researchers that the process is constantly being monitored.

The automatic control method provided by Bluetooth connection makes the placement of pumps more flexible during the research process, and can simulate the production process of the factory, thereby shortening the time interval between product development laboratory and workshop production. This technology can also keep operators away from harmful chemicals and biological agents, increasing the safety level of personnel.

Cloud remote monitoring allows researchers to track the operation of the extension end, achieving a more seamless scaling from experimental scale to the entire process. Read only data transmission ensures data security, which is a common concern for researchers and product developers.