Concepts to be Presented  

Thermal buffering helps effectively simulate the thermal properties of the items stored in the refrigerator, providing a more realistic measurement of the temperature conditions experienced by the stored products. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions in your daily tasks. 

When specifying the thermal buffer for stored goods, the specimens’ number, size, and physical nature should be considered. Monitoring the specimens’ storage environment to ensure quality and long-term efficacy is the best practice for improved patient outcomes.  

One should not compare the response of a thermal buffer that may be 5, 10, or 20 times greater in volume than the one stored in the unit. Thermal buffers are unavailable in every storage unit volume; however, an average volume should be chosen for general measurement purposes when using a physical buffer. Alternatively, one could choose a buffer volume representing the most minor stored materials. Accurate buffer sizing is critical when simulating the measured temperature with the stored good.  

Understanding the geometry of stored materials is also crucial. Without this understanding, the extent and effect of a temperature excursion cannot be accurately measured, leaving us to speculate. This knowledge empowers us to make informed decisions and ensures the safety and efficacy of our storage practices. Unleashing the ingenuity of virtual thermal buffering using a virtual sensor removes unknown temperature variables and implements the best practices to help ensure material efficacy.  

As the requirement to buffer became more pervasive, an approach to address the problem holistically sought the optimum solution. From these observations, the development of the Virtual Temperature Buffering™ (VTB) concept. VTB is an algorithm-based tool with an input of air temperature and constants representing the stored goods; a representative temperature of the stored goods is produced. This application has near infinite possibilities in that each volume and content can be characterized and temperature represented based on a single air temperature, instilling a sense of reassurance and confidence in its thorough development process.  

With VTB, the volume and buffer material used are no longer concerns. This method empowers consumers to standardize a virtual buffer tailored for each application. Standard constants can be generated for the general case, and specific constants can represent specialty materials. This flexibility puts the control in the hands of the user, allowing them to customize their buffering needs as per their specific requirements, instilling a sense of empowerment and control.