Vaisala simplifies incubator monitoring with wireless carbon dioxide measurement solution

Vaisala, a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, has today introduced an easy-to-install wireless carbon dioxide measurement solution to simplify incubator monitoring and enable cost savings for customers.

The new life science environmental measurement solution combines Vaisala’s carbon dioxide probe GMP251 with Vaisala wireless RFL100 data logger. The new configuration leverages the superior measurement stability and accuracy of the GMP251 probe, and provides reliable carbon dioxide percentage measurements for incubators used for example in cell culturing, gene therapy, and vaccine research.

“Traditional carbon dioxide measurement installations take up a lot of space and can be complicated to install and maintain, not to mention the related cost,“ says Product Manager Anniina Uotila of Industrial Measurements, Vaisala. “The RFL100’s  CO2 configuration enables a much simpler, wireless setup that is ideal for incubators in both strictly regulated GxP and less regulated non-GxP applications. Wireless data loggers also eliminate the need for expensive Ethernet connectivity for each data logger. Additionally, our incubator customers can benefit from the RFL100’s local display of carbon dioxide data next to their assets.”

The RFL100 can provide several measurements in a single data logger: CO2 percentage, temperature, and humidity. Along with the GMP251 carbon dioxide probe, other RFL100 compatible probes include Vaisala’s TMP115 temperature probe, and the HMP115 and HMP110 temperature and relative humidity probes.

Power meets performance

All RFL100 data loggers connect to Vaisala’s viewLinc software for monitoring, alarms, and reporting. RFL100-series loggers operate on Vaisala’s proprietary LoRa® based VaiNet wireless radio technology with a signal reach of over 100 meters, even in complex, obstructed indoor environments. VaiNet uses LoRa® modulation that prevents signal interference with WLAN applications. To ensure data integrity, all VaiNet data transmissions are encrypted and verified before being stored in viewLinc’s secure database.

Vaisala RFL100 data loggers use an external power supply for carbon dioxide measurement and include a lithium battery backup to secure data logger memory during power or network interruptions.

"Our customers appreciate VaiNet’s secure wireless connectivity and ease of deployment. Installing Ethernet access for each individual data logger is unnecessary when you have a reliable signal with significant reach, like the RFL100,” Uotila says. “Combined with the GMP251 probes, which provide a wide operating temperature range and high accuracy, the RFL100 data loggers also make probe calibration information available in the viewLinc monitoring system.”

In addition to data integrity and global compliance, Vaisala’s award-winning viewLinc Continuous Monitoring System provides user-friendly software, web-based user access, real-time data, and remote alarm capabilities.

Deliveries of the Vaisala RFL100 carbon dioxide data loggers will begin in July 2021.