Thin Film Electronics (Thinfilm) has announced a partnership with PST Sensors (PST) to jointly develop a printed temperature sensor system that will monitor the temperature of perishable goods such as food and pharmaceuticals.

The printed sensor system will be able to monitor individual packages to ensure that their contents have been kept at a safe or optimal temperature. The first demonstration prototype is expected this year.

PST has recently demonstrated a portfolio of prototypes including decorative large area temperature sensors and thermal imaging arrays. PST's temperature sensors are based around a core technology of a printed silicon NTC thermistor - a device whose electrical resistance decreases when it is heated. Being both printable and electronic, the sensors can be fully integrated with Thinfilm's memory and with complementary organic circuits.

Davor Sutija, CEO, Thinfilm, said, “The combination of our printed addressable memory and a PST temperature sensor creates a new category of integrated system - inexpensive, intelligent and able to offer information on temperature on a per item basis - something not currently possible due to manufacturing and material cost restrictions.” Davor added, “These systems, as thin as a strand of hair, will let health care professionals know that a drug has been kept at the right temperature. Participants across the perishable food chain will also know that a piece of meat or carton of eggs has been correctly refrigerated. Ultimately these devices may even tell consumers how fresh their food is.”

Margit Härting, founder and CSO of PST Sensors, said, “Our work with Thinfilm has the potential to unlock significant new market opportunities, and is an excellent example of the transformative impact that printed electronics will have on the entire supply chain." Margit added, “We are definitely looking forward to working with Thinfilm on the development of this integrated system.”

Christer Karlsson, CTO, Thinfilm, said, “The team behind PST has been working with the printed silicon technology over the last decade, and PST Sensors is the leading company in its field.” Christer added, “Its printed silicon sensor technology is uniquely easy to manufacture and offers a low cost point.”

According to Pharmaceutical Commerce, 7 of the top 10 global pharma products in 2014 will require cold-chain handling. This market - which requires storage and distribution that maintains a given temperature range - is estimated to grow to $6.9 billion in 2012 according to Pharmaceutical Commerce's Biopharma Sourcebook. Typical alarm sensors for this market cost between $15 and $25, while the integrated devices developed by Thinfilm and PST will have a price of less than 1/100 of current systems.

The monitoring of food will enable consumers to have more insight into the freshness of their food and potentially reduce the 1.27 billion tons of food wasted globally. A 2008 report from the U.K.-government group called WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, estimated that 20 percent of food waste is linked to date labelling confusion and lack of information on its safety or freshness. According to a recent report compiled for the United Nations FAO this corresponds to 6.6% of all food produced, or about 85,625 tons a year.

www.thinfilm.se www.pstsensors.com