Idea for data logger capsule to monitor solution/reaction parameters

[johnscott4]

Hi All,

I’ve been thinking about this idea for a data logging capsule for a while and wanted to bounce it off someone and get some feedback etc.

I’m really more of an electrical/embedded engineer not a chemist although I do enjoy really chemistry content on YouTube.

To be completely transparent I would like to turn this into something comercial eventually. If this isn’t the right place to discuss product ideas apologies in advance. I had a look through the forum rules and there didn’t seem to be anything about it. I’m not trying to sell anything, I’m just looking for feedback on my idea which might be useful in some chemistry applications.

Basically my idea is a data logging capsule which is similar to some of the sensor stirrer bars which have been getting attention lately. So from that perspective this is not a unique idea.

It would be wireless, probably Bluetooth Low Energy and be able to log data or stream it to a phone. It would be about 10x30mm in the same of a capsule/pill. I haven’t really figured out what sensors would be in it but I think I could put PH, Temperature, Pressure (maybe to infer liquid height or density etc), and turbidity.

Battery could probably last up to a year depending on how often it needs to be connected and how often it’s taking measurements.

I could posibly make a variant of it that can withstand boiling up to 125c.

My question sort of is: is there any need for this? Does this excite anyone?

I’ve thought of a few applications. I have a few biologists in the family who think it might be useful in cell culturing to count cell density (OD) in real time to figure out the stage of growth.

In addition to that it seems like a lot of data loggers are clunky devices that take up a to of space for no real good reason. I’m kind of imagining this cool little AirPods like device that you can throw in a vessel (even if it’s moving like a rotovap etc) and it can measure several different parameters.

Another pain point in traditional data loggers seems to be the data can be hard to get too often involving hard to use desktop software. I’m kind of imagining the phone talks to a server and there is a web dashboard with a modern API as well as the ability to export data easily in whatever format you wanted. So it would be easily to integrate the data into an existing process / program. For example you’d be able to write a python script to very quickly get the data for analysis.

Anyway just wanted to get everyones first thoughts on this? Is this a completely terrible idea or does anyone think it might be useful? Can you think of any applications where this can make measurements that can’t be made currently?

Thanks.

[studiot]

13 hours ago, johnscott4 said:

Hi All,

I’ve been thinking about this idea for a data logging capsule for a while and wanted to bounce it off someone and get some feedback etc.

I’m really more of an electrical/embedded engineer not a chemist although I do enjoy really chemistry content on YouTube.

To be completely transparent I would like to turn this into something comercial eventually. If this isn’t the right place to discuss product ideas apologies in advance. I had a look through the forum rules and there didn’t seem to be anything about it. I’m not trying to sell anything, I’m just looking for feedback on my idea which might be useful in some chemistry applications.

Basically my idea is a data logging capsule which is similar to some of the sensor stirrer bars which have been getting attention lately. So from that perspective this is not a unique idea.

It would be wireless, probably Bluetooth Low Energy and be able to log data or stream it to a phone. It would be about 10x30mm in the same of a capsule/pill. I haven’t really figured out what sensors would be in it but I think I could put PH, Temperature, Pressure (maybe to infer liquid height or density etc), and turbidity.

Battery could probably last up to a year depending on how often it needs to be connected and how often it’s taking measurements.

I could posibly make a variant of it that can withstand boiling up to 125c.

My question sort of is: is there any need for this? Does this excite anyone?

I’ve thought of a few applications. I have a few biologists in the family who think it might be useful in cell culturing to count cell density (OD) in real time to figure out the stage of growth.

In addition to that it seems like a lot of data loggers are clunky devices that take up a to of space for no real good reason. I’m kind of imagining this cool little AirPods like device that you can throw in a vessel (even if it’s moving like a rotovap etc) and it can measure several different parameters.

Another pain point in traditional data loggers seems to be the data can be hard to get too often involving hard to use desktop software. I’m kind of imagining the phone talks to a server and there is a web dashboard with a modern API as well as the ability to export data easily in whatever format you wanted. So it would be easily to integrate the data into an existing process / program. For example you’d be able to write a python script to very quickly get the data for analysis.

Anyway just wanted to get everyones first thoughts on this? Is this a completely terrible idea or does anyone think it might be useful? Can you think of any applications where this can make measurements that can’t be made currently?

Thanks.

 

Data logging has been around almost since as long as computers.
So clearly it was and still is a desirable objective.

I remember constructing  data loggers (for chemistry and other purposes) for my Commodore Pet and I still have the interfacing manual - it is a valuable source of information.
When the small microcomputers (pic, arduino etc etc) came out, there were a number of projects in schools for single board loggers connected to all sorts of input sensors, including wet chemistry ones. I'm sure I still have many of those articles from elctronics mags before they stopped publication.

So yes it can be done, it has been done but there is still plenty of demand out there so go for it.