Timestrip Plus FAQs

How does Timestrip Plus™ work?

A colored liquid dye housed in a blister is held adjacent to a specialized microporous membrane. Upon squeezing the blister, the dye comes into contact with the membrane. If the temperature of the product is below the stated ‘stop’ temperature, the dye changes state to solid form, and it is unable to move through the membrane. If it rises above the threshold temperature, it changes to liquid form and moves at a precise rate through the membrane. A scale printed on the surface indicates the amount of time above the threshold temperature.

Why do they have a start/threshold temperature and a ‘stop’ temperature?

The freezing point of a liquid is always lower that its melting point. For example, water doesn’t freeze at precisely 0°C (32°F), it freezes when the first ice crystals form, which is typically lower than 0°C. Its melting point is precisely at 0°C however. Timestrip Plus™ works by diffusion of liquids that form crystals and therefore the ‘stop’ temperature is lower than that of the precise starting point. More technically, the behavior of liquids in a membrane is different again to normal freezing due to many other factors, all of which we take into account when defining the products. We offer the best performance in this category of products.

Do I need to condition the products prior to activation?

No. Unlike other threshold temperature products, Timestrip Plus™ does not require pre-conditioning. You need to activate above the product’s threshold temperature, as you cannot squeeze the blister in solid form. Immediately after activation, stop the process by placing below the ‘stop’ temperature. The fastest way to do this is by placing in an environment much colder than the stop temperature for a short period of time.

Do they have any special storage requirements before activation?

No, unlike other threshold temperature products, they can be held at ambient temperatures.

Do they have shelf life?

Timestrip Plus™ shows no degradation in performance over time. We only provide a general guideline of 2 years due to
the pressure sensitive adhesive on the bottom, which allows you to use the product as an adhesive label. All standard
adhesives have such disclaimers regarding their shelf life..

Can Timestrip Plus indicate if a temperature has fallen below a certain point?

Timestrip Plus™ can only show ascending temperature excursions. We have other products that do this type of
descending temperature indication.

How accurate are they?

+/- 1°Celsius for the temperature component and +/- 15% for the time component.

How do they compare with data loggers?

There are several fundamental differences, and in some cases data loggers and Timestrip Plus™ can be used in complementary ways to help monitor cold chain integrity. Timestrip® also sells an exceptional range of data loggers if more appropriate to your requirement. Data loggers are expensive and typically are designed to go on a large shipments, typically need to be returned to be read, and to be used again to justify the expense. Timestrip Plus™ are inexpensive, single use products that can be used on a large shipment, but also on carton or even single dose level. Data loggers provide a full history of temperature from the time of activation. Timestrip Plus™ records how long a product has been above its threshold temperature, but cannot tell you when the breach or breaches occurred. Timestrip Plus™ is most often used to monitor and validate the “last-mile” of the cold chain where the product gets closest to its eventual use. Data loggers and other digital recorders are too expensive, and complicated to read and interpret. Timestrip Plus™ give end users immediate visual messages that can then form the basis of a “use/don’t use” decision for temperature sensitive goods- even by untrained recipients.

What is the accuracy of the hour marks?

Every Timestrip Plus™ product is calibrated to a temperature of 2°C above its stated threshold temperature.
For example, Timestrip Plus™ 12°C is calibrated to a temperature of 14°C. When the product breaches its threshold
temperature and is held at a constant temperature(i.e. isotherm) of 14°C, it will reach the 1 Hour print mark within
1 Hr (+/- 15% in time).

Why is there an activation window and a run-out window?

Timestrip Plus™ products are implemented by activating the product at temperatures above the threshold and
placing them below the stated ‘stop’ temperature, which stops the dye from moving throughout the window. In order
to provide a breach/no-breach indicator there are 3 – 3.5 mm of progress from activation to the run out window. This
distance correlates to roughly 30–60 minutes and is strictly liquid and temperature dependant ( it can change from
product to product). Therefore the run-out window starts showing breaches lasting 30-60 minutes depending on the
product needed.