Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

Monitoring perishable goods is essential to ensure safety, the integrity of packaged products, and to reduce waste. For temperature-sensitive products, quality is often assessed using optical or electronic time–temperature indicators or integrators, which are costly compared to the value of the item and difficult to integrate into packaging and traceability systems. The challenge is to find a low-cost solution that is easy to integrate and connect to company information systems, allowing verification of product safety and quality while avoiding waste caused by errors in controlling storage conditions

Description

The proposed technology includes an electronic label designed to transmit sensory data related to the product's storage conditions, and optionally a unique identifier. The label is applied to primary or secondary packaging and communicates with a dedicated reader optimized to detect and store information in close proximity. Data transmission does not rely on digital memory or integrated circuits; instead, it exploits variations in the electromagnetic spectrum of the RFID channel, based on the circuit geometry and the active or sensitive materials that compose it. The design enables large-scale, low-cost production using conventional printing or converting techniques. The reader, compact and easily integrated into mobile devices, reduces cost and size. The technology is fully compatible with existing RFID systems

Research group involved