Data loggers for drug development in the biomedical industry
For over a decade Star-Oddi has developed small data loggers for various industries and research applications. Data Storage Tags (DSTs) are unique probes that were originally developed as implants for marine animals to study their behavioral patterns. The DST loggers have been used in the biomedical industry for several years. Star-Oddi temperature probes are a great asset to researchers in various stages of drug developement because of their small size, high accuracy and biocompatibility.
Star-Oddi DST product family features three different sizes: centi, milli and micro. The DST loggers vary also in memory size, battery life and sensors. Most commonly used logger in the biomedical industry are the ultra small thermo loggers DST micro-T and DST nano-T.
The DST housing is made of alumina, a biocompatible ceramic material that is not recognized as a foreign body by the recieving organism when implanted. DST loggers do not affect animals‘ health in any way when implanted. The loggers can be sterilized in a gas sterilizer or e.g. 70-80% ethanol. The same logger can be reused as long as the battery last assuring dependability of the obtained measurements. All Star-Oddi probes are delivered with an individual calibration certificate, verifying temperature accuracy in each temperature calibration point.
Advantages at a glance
- Improved data collection
- Dependability and repeatability of measurements
- Stabile calibration
- Precision
- Biocompatibility
- Compact and practical
- Small size
Applications
DSTs can be used in researches where exact and accurate measurements are required such as in animal science, packaging, logistics and many more.
Preclinical studies
Altough suitable for many fields, in biomedical industry Star-Oddi DST loggers have mainly been used during preclinical studies.
Safety Studies
The DST micro-T thermo logger has proven to be a valuable research tool in toxicology and safety studies for collecting temperature data from test animals. Researchers appreciate the logger's extremely small size, stable accuracy and biocompatible material suitable for implantation in animals. When implanted, the subject accepts it as an organ, forming tissue around the completely closed ceramic housing. The DST stores recorded data in its internal memory. Using an implanted data logger enhances the quality of measurements. The studied subject does not have to be handled in order to take measurements and you can obtain data 24 hours a day up to once a second as long as the memory lasts. When enough information has been gathered the logger is retrieved and the data is uploaded in the supporting software Mercury. Each measurement is displayed along with date and time in a graph and a table. The loggers can be easily sterilized in a gas sterilizer and reused as long as the battery lasts.
Star-Oddi encourages its users to participate in the 3Rs principle in laboratories (reduce, refine, replace) all over the world by bringing new improved research equipement on the market.
Stability Studies
Due to the DSTs small size and practical shape, it can be applied in narrow and small spaces for temperature monitoring. The DST loggers are being used in heat studies of medicine packaging, during stability studies where they can be fitted inside medicine packages close to the examined samples providing more accurate measurements.
Packaging and logistics
The Star-Oddi loggers are battery powered and store data in their internal memory, therefore shipping a DST temperature recorder without an attendance and additional equipment is possible. The recorded data can be retrieved when the logger arrives at its final destination.
Easy to use
Using the DST loggers is quick and simple. Star-Oddi probes are supported by Mercury software and the Communication Box, which works as an interface between the logger and the computer. Logger is started after the user has selected the start time and sampling interval through the Mercury software. Then the logger is ready to be implanted or deployed. Implantation of the probe requires minor surgery. When the probe is retrieved the recorded data is uploaded in the software, where the results can be analyzed in graphic and tabular form. When data has been retrieved the logger can easily be sterilized and reset for new recordings.