User Guide: MaxConnect Temperature Monitoring System (v2.0)
Welcome to the user guide for the new Temperature Monitoring, Cooler Inventory Management and overall Quality Improvement System! This comprehensive system is designed to provide accurate information about the temperature of temperature sensitive products (such as blood, vaccines, medication) transported in coolers or qualified shipping containers. The system consists of a wireless digital temperature sensor, an iOS/Android mobile application, and a powerful web application. This guide will walk you through the process of using each component of the system effectively.
1. Introduction
2. Components of the System
- Bluetooth Temperature Sensor
- Mobile Application
- Web Application
3. Getting Started
4. Using the Bluetooth Temperature Sensor
5. Using the Mobile Application
6. Using the Web Application
7. Troubleshooting
8. Conclusion
The MaxConnect Temperature Monitoring, Inventory, and Quality Improvement System is an advanced solution tailored for a wide range of healthcare institutions, including hospital blood banks, blood centers, specialty pharmacies, organ banks, tissue banks, and more. This system provides continuous monitoring, recording, and reporting of temperature compliance for shipments carrying temperature-sensitive biologics. It is designed for use in both shipper qualification or validation activities and continuous monitoring during active shipments.
For Hospital Blood Banks: The MaxConnect system ensures that blood supplies are maintained at optimal temperatures when issued in a cooler, preserving their quality and safety. With this system, you can easily monitor and record the temperature of blood units during transportation, seamlessly retrieve temperature history, generate trip reports, and confidently return more blood units to inventory, minimizing spoilage risk and ensuring the availability of high-quality blood for patients in need.
For Specialty Pharmacies: The MaxConnect system offers a user-friendly interface for measuring temperature and completing the qualification of cold chain and controlled room temperature (CRT) shipping containers. Simply "Start Trip," place the sensor inside your package with the simulated medication, conduct your Performance Qualification (PQ) or Distribution Testing shipment, and generate a detailed report at the destination—all using the MaxConnect mobile app.
The wireless temperature sensor is a small device that monitors and records the temperature of blood products inside a cooler. This IP67 rated digital temperature sensor has 1-year battery life and records accurate temperature reading with a dampened response time similar to a buffered probe sensor. It is designed to be placed directly next to the blood products inside coolers , and continuously measures the temperature at preset intervals. The sensor transmits temperature data to the mobile application on-demand, allowing you to visualize blood temperature data at the end of each trip.
The mobile application, compatible with both iOS and Android devices, provides you with convenient access to the temperature data collected by the wireless sensor. It allows you to monitor the temperature of blood products at the end of each trip, view historical temperature data, generate PDF reports at the end of each trip, and receive notifications when temperature deviations occur. The mobile application is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate and utilize all the features of the system. The mobile application also serves as a gateway uploading the sensor data to MaxConnect's secure cloud storage for easy archival, access, insights and data intelligence at a later time. With subscription to MaxConnect's web application, users receive unlimited data storage for up to 7 years along with a ton of data insights to improve your process efficiencies. The mobile device that is running the application needs to connected to the internet (cellular or WiFi) in order to start and stop trip.
iOS App Store: Max-Connect | Android Play Store: MaxConnect
Note: The app is tested and certified for Apple devices running iOS 11 or above, and Android devices running OS versions 4.4 or above.
The web application is a powerful tool that provides a comprehensive overview of the temperature data collected by the Bluetooth sensor. It offers advanced analytics, customizable reports, and data visualization tools to help you gain valuable insights into the temperature conditions of your blood supplies. The web application can be accessed from any internet-connected device (Recommended browsers: Chrome, Firefox, and Edge), providing flexibility and convenience for monitoring and managing your blood bank operations.
URL: www.app.maxtrace.io
To start using the Blood Temperature Monitoring System, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that the Bluetooth temperature sensor is running. This sensor is designed to run continuously. There is no ON or OFF button. To confirm whether the sensor is running, press the middle of the sensor firmly and you will see a flashing green light. This confirms that the sensor is working properly.
Note: If you see a red light or if the green light did not come ON, then please contact our technical support team. Email [email protected] with a subject line "Sensor issue" along with the serial number.
2. Download the mobile application from the App Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device's operating system. The mobile device needs to be connected to internet while using the mobile application.
3. Open the mobile application and login using your credentials.
Note: Account admin will receive login credentials when the sensors are shipped out. The account admin can create and manage users from the MaxConnect web application. It is recommended that a separate user account is created for each individual user. However, it is not mandatory to use the system. Same login credentials can be used from multiple devices. If you need assistance, please contact our technical support team. Email [email protected] with the subject "User account creation".
4. Click 'Scan Data' button in the mobile application. Once inside, click 'Scan' again. List of all nearby Bluetooth sensors will appear on the list. Select each sensor and pair. The passcode for pairing with each sensor is '123456'.
Note: The factory default pairing code for all MaxConnect sensors is '123456'. You will be asked to enter this code every time the sensor is connected to a new mobile device.
5. Once the sensor is successfully paired, you can start monitoring the temperature of your blood during a trip.
Digital Temperature Sensor: The Bluetooth digital temperature sensor is designed to be simple and hassle-free to use. There are no ON/OFF buttons in the sensor - it is always running! The sensor has a minimum 1-year battery life and will be replaced during recalibration. If needed, users can remove the back casing by simply twisting the back cover, and place a new standard CR2042 coin cell battery. Below are some key pointers in the day to day usage of the temperature sensor:
Store the temperature sensor in refrigerator or controlled room temperature or platelet incubator to mitigate the initial stabilization time for the sensor with the product. For instance, the sensor used to measure chilled red blood cell temperature needs to be stored in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. If a sensor from room temperature is placed next to red blood cells for monitoring, the initial data may show higher temperatures until the sensor reaches the colder temperature range.
Each sensor has a unique serial number labeled in the front face of the sensor. (E.g. MCBLELxxxx) This serial number is needed to create a Trip.
Calibration due date for each sensor is labeled in the back of the sensor.
Calibration certificated are accessible from the MaxConnect web application.
The mobile application (MaxConnect) provides a user-friendly interface to monitor the temperature . Use a latest mobile device as much as possible to realize fastest response times while using the mobile application. Keep your mobile operating system up to date to gain access to more and more features from the MaxConnect mobile application. The mobile device needs to have its Bluetooth setting turned ON before paring with the temperature sensor. The mobile device needs to stay connected to internet (WiFi or Cellular) in order to start and stop trips using the mobile application. The set of instructions below helps with the day to day usage of the mobile application.
To log into the MaxConnect mobile app, you will need to have your credentials ready. As an admin user, you will receive these credentials in a welcome email that will be sent to you when the MaxConnect sensors are shipped. Once you have received the welcome email, you can follow these steps to log into the MaxConnect mobile app:
Download and install the MaxConnect mobile app from your device's app store.
Open the app and tap on the "Login" button.
Enter your username and password, which can be found in the welcome email.
Tap on the "Login" button to access the MaxConnect mobile app.
Please note that the credentials provided in the welcome email are unique to each admin user and should be kept secure. If you have any issues logging in or have not received your welcome email, please email [email protected] for assistance.
To add additional users to the organization, please follow the step by step instructions in the section 6.1 below (User Management in the MaxConnect Web Application).
Video tutorial: Click Here
Step by step instructions with screenshots: Click Here
Before starting this procedure, make sure that your mobile device Bluetooth is ON and it is connected to the internet (Wifi or Cellular). The app will show a blank screen if the mobile device is not connected to the internet.
Log into the MaxConnect Mobile application.
Pack your cooler with blood products following your standard procedure.
Retrieve the sensors from its temperature controlled storage.
Pro Tip: Sensors used to record temperature of cold products such as red blood cells or vaccines must be stored in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before the start of a trip. This reduces the time taken by the sensor to acclimatize to the cooler internal temperature.
From the Control Center, click the "Start Trip" Button.
In the "Trip Name" text box, enter a custom name that you can use to identify this specific trip at a later name. E.g. If you are sending cooler full of RBC units to OR, then you may enter "OR - RBC". Or If you are shipping a 3L shipper with CRT products for testing during summer, then you may enter "3L-Summer PQ".
Use the dropdown to select the name of the Cooler that you are about to pack.
Once the cooler is selected, then scan for sensors by clicking the "Scan Sensor" button. If you are not using the cooler management module, then just skip to "Scan Sensor".
Select the name of the Sensor that you want to use in this trip. The sensor name is same as the serial number printed in the front of the sensor. (e.g. MCBLELxxxx)
In the next screen, users can change the "Recording Interval". Default (and minimum) recording interval is 5 minutes - temperature will be measured and recorded every 5 minutes during this trip. Users can increase the recording interval as preferred.
Pro Tip: At 5 minutes recording interval, the sensor can continuously record data for up to 3-days. At 10 minutes, the sensor can record data for up to 6-days. When the memory runs out, the sensor will delete the oldest data point to make room for new entries. Make sure to get the cooler back before you run out of memory.
Next, users can change the "Delayed Start Time" setting by using the "+" or "-" buttons. This setting allows the users to delay the sensor recording time, giving sufficient time for the sensor to equilibrate with the cooler/blood product. The default is "0". It is not recommended to set a delay time if the cooler validation does not call for it.
Optionally, you can enter a "Sensor name", by using a custom name for this spefic sensor to make data analysis easier. For example, if you are using two separate sensors in a trip to monitor two different temperatures, then you may enter different names for each sensor to make the data analysis easier.
Press the "Start" button. The display will change to "Current Temperature" of the sensor. Press "Done" button to complete trip creation.
If you would like to add more sensors to this trip (as in the case of the MaxPlus MTP Cooler), then press the "Add Sensor" button. This will return you to Step 6 of this instructions.
Pro Tip 1: It is recommended to strictly start one trip per cooler/shipper.
Pro Tip 2: It is recommend to not add more than 3 sensors per trip. The system will allow the user to add up to 5 sensors. However, the data transfer will be significantly longer and may cause loss of some data points.
Video tutorial: Link
Step by step instructions with screenshots: Click Here
Before starting this procedure, make sure that your mobile device Bluetooth is ON and it is connected to the internet (Wifi or Cellular).
Log into the MaxConnect Mobile application.
In the Control Center, click "Stop Trip".
Select the trip that you are wanting to stop.
Pro Tip: If you have multiple trips running at the same time, it is easy to locate the trip that you are trying to stop using the Trip Name, Cooler ID or Sensor ID. You will only be able to stop a trip when the sensor is within 20 feet of the mobile device. This prevents someone accidentally stopping a trip.
The display will populate the sensors that are attached to the trip. Click the "Stop Trip" button that is below the Trip ID.
The system will automatically download the data from all associated sensors, upload to the cloud storage, analyze and generate a PDF report for the trip.
The next screen will automatically take you to the PDF report. The report summarizes the trip, shows graph of temperature history of the sensor during the trip, and finally tabulates raw data from all the sensors sequentially.
Using the share button on the top right corner, users can share this PDF report with any other team members. With your MaxConnect web application subscription, there is no need to share PDF files. All users can access the data for any of the trip using the advanced web app for up to 7-years. This helps tremendously to demonstrate a quality operations to AABB assessors, URAC/ACHC and other auditors.
Video tutorial: Link
Before starting this procedure, make sure that your mobile device is connected to the internet (Wifi or Cellular).
The MaxConnect mobile application can be used to get a quick visibility into your cooler and sensor inventory. From the control center, click the "Coolers" button. This will take you to a table with a list of all Coolers associated with the organization. The table provides additional details such as the current status of the cooler, ID of the trip where it was last used, and the total number of trips that the cooler has been used. Similarly, when you click the "Sensors" button, a summary of all sensors will be displayed. With this inventory visibility, user can get a quick snapshot of their cooler and sensor statuses.
The MaxConnect web application is a powerful tool that provides users with a comprehensive view of their temperature management process. Whether you are in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, or any other field that requires temperature-sensitive products, this platform offers valuable insights and features to enhance your operations.
Inventory Visibility: One of the key features of the MaxConnect web application is its ability to provide users with visibility into their inventory of coolers, shippers, containers and sensors. This means that you can easily track and monitor the status of all your temperature-sensitive equipment. With this information at your fingertips, you can ensure that your inventory is properly managed and that any issues or discrepancies are quickly addressed.
Actionable Insights: In addition to inventory visibility, the MaxConnect web app also offers users actionable insights. These insights are derived from the data collected by the coolers and sensors in your inventory. For example, the platform can provide sensor calibration certification, reminding you when calibration is due. This helps to ensure the accuracy and reliability of your temperature data. The web application also provides usage metrics and other data-driven insights that can help you optimize your temperature management process.
Comprehensive Trip View: The MaxConnect web app boasts an industry-first trip sorting and searching capability, allowing users to easily access trip data for up to 7 years in the past. This means that you can review and analyze historical trip information, which can be invaluable for regulatory compliance, audits, and process improvement.
By subscribing to the MaxConnect web app, users can enhance their overall temperature management process and have peace of mind when it comes to product safety, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and audits. The platform's comprehensive features and actionable insights enable users to proactively manage their temperature-sensitive inventory and ensure that it is always stored and transported under the right conditions.
With the MaxConnect web application subscription, you can streamline your temperature management process, make data-driven decisions, and ultimately improve the safety and quality of your products.
Video demonstration of the entire Webapp: Link
The following sections outline the basic capabilities of the web application with step by step instructions.
To log into the MaxConnect web app, you will need to have your credentials ready. As an admin user, you will receive these credentials in a welcome email that will be sent to you when the MaxConnect sensors are shipped. Once you have received the welcome email, you can follow these steps to log into the MaxConnect mobile app:
Visit the web app at the following URL: https://app.maxtrace.io/
Enter with your login credentials. See the next section for help with credentials.
Users will be directed to the Dashboard page.
Use the left menu panel to navigate to different pages
To log out of the web app, please click logout in the left bottom corner of the menu bar.
As an admin user, you have the ability to create and manage other organizational users through the User Management function in the MaxConnect web application. This feature allows you to grant different levels of access and permissions to other users within your organization.
Log into the MaxConnect web application using your admin credentials.
Navigate to the "Team" section, which can be found in the left side main menu bar.
Click on the "Add User" button to add a new user to your organization.
Fill in the required information for the new user, such as their name, email address, phone number and role.
Pro Tip: There are two default user roles. Admin and User. "Admin" role have access to user management function, i.e. add and update other organization users, where as the "User" role does have the user management ability.
Save the changes and the new user will receive an email with their login credentials.
In addition to creating new users, the User Management function also allows you to modify existing user profiles, reset passwords, and deactivate user accounts when necessary. By utilizing the User Management function in the MaxConnect web application, you can efficiently manage and control access to the MaxConnect system for all users within your organization.
The MaxConnect web app allows users to view a quick summary of all temperature sensors that are currently owned and used by the organization. By clicking the "Sensors" menu item on the left panel, users can view a summary view of all sensors. The columns listed in this page include:
Sensor Name: Same as the sensor serial number that is labeled with the bar code in the front of the sensor.
Status: The current use status of the sensor. There are 5 standard statuses available:
Active - The sensor is working fine and it is active to monitor trips. This is the sensor factory default status.
Inactive - The sensor is not active for trip at this time due to missing, not working properly, etc. The admin user can move any sensor to Inactive status at any given time.
Archived - The sensor is no longer available for use by the organization. The admin user can archive any sensor at any given time.
Calibration due - The sensor NIST calibration is going to expire in less than 60 days.
Calibration expired - The sensor calibration has expired. The sensor can no longer be used in creating a trip. Contact [email protected] to request assistance with sensor recalibration.
Next Calibration Due Date: The next expected NIST traceable calibration due date.
Last Trip: ID of the trip that this particular sensor was last used.
Trip status: Status of the last trip that this sensor was issued.
Trip Count: Total number of trips that the sensor has been used so far.
Action: Click the button to download the NIST traceable calibration certificate.
The "Refresh" button on the top right corner of this page is used to refresh the sensor data that is currently displayed. The page will not automatically update.
The MaxConnect web app allows users to view a quick summary of all the coolers that are currently owned and used by the organization. By clicking the "Coolers" menu item on the left panel, users can view a summary view of all cooler data. The columns listed in this page include:
Cooler ID: The ID of each individual cooler that the organization user added to the organization tenant. This is the sensor factory default status.
Cooler Status: The current use state of the cooler. There are 3 standard statuses:
Active - The cooler is working fine and it is ready to be issued for a trip.
Inactive - The cooler is not active for trip at this time due to damage, not working properly, etc. The admin user can move any cooler to Inactive status at any given time.
Archived - The admin user has removed this cooler from service.
The MaxConnect web app allows users to view a quick summary of all the trips that are conducted by the organization. In addition, by selecting a specific trip, the web app can deliver a comprehensive data view for that particular trip allowing users to gain trip specific insights, view temperature history, and generate reports.
6.4.1 Trip Summary View
By clicking the "Trips" button in the left panel, the users can view a summary of all trips conducted by the organization. The trip summary table has 8 columns:
Trip ID: ID of the trip that was autogenerated by the mobile app while starting the trip.
Start date: Trip start date.
Cooler: ID of the cooler that is used in a trip.
Sensors: ID(s) of the sensor that is used in a trip.
Status: Trip status. There are two possible statuses for each trip.
Completed: The trip has been completed by a user and the data is downloaded to cloud storage.
Incomplete: The trip is still running.
Elapsed Time: The time
Stop date: Trip stop date.
Actions: Click the View button to get more details about the specific shipment.
User friendly trip search features are on the top left corner of the page. Users can either filter the trips by start date, stop date, cooler ID or sensor ID using the dropdown under "Filter By" and entering the search parameter under "Value". To reset the filter, select "Show All" under "Filter By". The "Refresh" button on the top right corner of this page is used to refresh the trip data that is currently displayed. The page will not automatically update.
6.4.2 Trip Detailed View
When a user clicks the "View" button under the "Actions" column in the Trip Summary page, a detailed Trip view for that particular trip is generated in the next screen. For trips that are still in progress (Status: "Incomplete"), the "View" button will be grayed out since there is no data to display.
The detailed Trip View page is self explanatory. The view is broken into several easy-to-read panels. Going from top down the page:
The first panel summarizes all the trip details including start date, ID of the cooler used, number of sensors used in the trip, ID(s) of the sensors, stop date, the user that issued and received the cooler.
The second panel shows three different aggregated values: Elapsed time, Last known temperature for each of the sensor, and any system generated "Recommended Action" for the trip.
The next panel summarizes the sensor temperature data (minimum, maximum and average temperature) along with a time vs. temperature graph of historical temperature data for that specific trip.
The top right corner of the page has a "Download" button. When clicked, the system will automatically generate a quick PDF report for the particular trip.
The last and the most exciting component of the MaxConnect web application is the first-of-its-kind dashboard which summarizes all the information needed to run a smooth and efficient transfusion service operation. The dashboard has three segments, namely:
Trip Overview:
Active - Number of active trips
Needs Attention - Number of trips that are currently running, but have elapsed for more than 4 hours.
Completed - Number of completed trips in the history of the organization.
Coolers:
On trip - Number of coolers that are currently on a trip at this time.
Not in Use - Number of coolers that are currently not in a trip.
Total - Total number of coolers in service.
Sensors:
On trip - Number of sensors that are currently on a trip at this time.
Not in Use - Number of sensors that have their NIST traceable calibration expiring in less than 60 days.
Total - Total number of sensors in service.
All numbers listed in the dashboard are hyperlinked with a HOT FILTER. When clicked on the number, the user will be directed to the corresponding view page (Trips, sensors or coolers) with the filter applied to the table view.
This concludes all the basic features of the MaxConnect web application subscription system. Our dedicated support team is available to help you resolve any technical difficulties and ensure the smooth operation of the system. Please contact us at [email protected] with a subject line "MaxConnect Support".
Below are list of frequently asked questions for the MaxConnect system.
How do I create an account on this website or mobile app?
The organization account and the admin user account will be created by MaxQ when we ship the MaxConnect wireless temperature sensors. The admin user will receive an email with the login credentials. Same credentials will be used for both the mobile and web application.
My mobile device is connected to the internet, but the app is still showing a blank screen?
It is likely that your organization IT team is blocking the application. Please share this document with your IT team to whitelist our servers so the app can receive the data it needs to display in the app.
How can I reset my password?
If you forget your password, please email [email protected] to request a new password. Typical response time for password reset is 4 hours.
How can I place an order for the MaxConnect system?
Please contact [email protected] to request a quote or to place an order. Our sales team is standing by to help answer any product questions, schedule a virtual demonstration, send you a quote and process your order.
Can I create trips using the web portal?
Not at this time.
What mobile platforms are supported by the MaxConnect mobile app?
Both iOS and Android version. No windows app support available at this time.
What is the recommended trip duration?
The recommended trip duration is 48 hours. The sensors have a memory capacity to store up to 3-days worth of data at a 5 minute recording interval. If the recording interval is increased to 15 minutes, then the trip duration can be extended to 6-days. Please note that when the memory capacity runs out, the sensor will start erasing the oldest data points.
How do I turn on/off the sensor?
There is no power button in the digital temperature sensor. It is running all the time.!
What is the battery life of the sensor?
The sensor battery is good for a minimum of 2-years. The battery will be changed during annual recalibration.
I have trouble connecting the sensor to the mobile app. What do I do?
Basic troubleshooting steps:
Check if the Bluetooth setting is turned ON in your mobile app.
Check if the internet connection (WiFi or Cellular) is working properly.
Press firmly the middle of the sensor. A green LED light should flicker on the sensor. If the LED light does not come on, it is likely the sensor needs a new battery. Remove the battery cover in the back and replace with a new CR2477 coin cell battery. If the lED blinks in red, please stop and contact MaxQ.
Go to "Scan Data" function from the control center in the mobile app.
Press "Scan Sensor" button.
Find the sensor name/ID number and select it.
Pair with the sensor. If the app asks for pairing code, use "123456" to pair to the sensor.
If the system still could not pair with the sensor, please email [email protected] to get more assistance.
What is your return policy?
We have a flexible return policy. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can initiate a return within 7 days of receiving the item. Please refer to our Policies page for detailed instructions on how to proceed with a return.
How long does shipping take?
Shipping times may vary depending on your location and the shipping method chosen. Typically, orders are processed within 3-5 business days, and standard shipping takes an additional 3-5 business days. For more specific information, please contact our sales team at [email protected]
Do you offer international shipping?
Yes, we offer international shipping to select countries.
How can I contact customer support?
Our dedicated support team is available to help you resolve any technical difficulties and ensure the smooth operation of the system. Please contact us at [email protected] with a subject line "MaxConnect Support".
These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Congratulations on acquiring the new MaxConnect - Temperature Monitoring System! With the Bluetooth temperature sensor, mobile application, and web application, you can now effectively monitor and manage the temperature of blood supplies in your blood bank. This user guide has provided you with an overview of the system's components and instructions on how to use them. We hope you find this system invaluable in maintaining the quality and safety of your blood supplies. Thank you for allowing us to help with your blood bank needs!