SENSOR AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING WHETHER ITEM HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION

• Main Authors: GOREDEMA ADELA, KAVASSALIS THOMAS A, IFTIME GABRIEL, KAZMAIER PETER M, MORIMITSU KENTARO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 14.05.2015
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor comprising detecting material which monitors whether an item has been exposed to an environmental condition.SOLUTION: Provided is a method for determining whether an item has been exposed to an environmental condition during a monitoring period. The method includes: a step of placing a sensor at least in proximity to the item at beginning of the monitoring period so that the sensor will be exposed to level of the environmental condition that can be correlated to exposure level of the item to the environmental condition; a step of reading the sensor; and a step of determining from reading of the sensor whether the item has been exposed to the environmental condition. The sensor includes detecting material comprising photochromic material or photo-thermochromic material, and the detecting material is selected so that upon exposure to the environmental condition the detecting material exhibits detectable color change. 【課題】物が環境条件に曝されたかどうかを監視する検出材料を含むセンサーを提供する。【解決手段】監視期間中に物品が環境条件に曝されたかどうかを決定する方法であって、物品が環境条件に曝されたレベルに相関し得る環境条件のレベルにセンサーが曝されるように、監視期間の最初に物品に少なくとも近接してセンサーを配置する工程；前記センサーを読み取る工程；および前記センサーの読取りから、前記物品が前記環境条件に曝されたかどうかを決定する工程を含み、前記センサーが、フォトクロミック材料またはフォトサーモクロミック材料を含む検出材料を含み、前記検出材料が、前記環境条件に曝された時に検出可能な色変化を呈するように選択されている。【選択図】なし