SmartSense Temperature Monitoring SOP

Article Sections:

• Overview
• New Account Creation
• Updating Account Information
• New Asset Creation
• Asset Alarm Settings
• Alarm Acknowledgment
• Maintenance Mode
• Biofluid Team Asset and User Organization
• Biofluid Team Responder Responsibilities

Overview

SmartSense web app link: https://app.smartsense.co/

SmartSense is a temperature monitoring system that can be accessed via an internet connection (no VPN or dual factor authentication required). It has been used by the Biofluid Team and some other AD program study teams since 2022. The protocols in this article were developed by the Biofluid Team according to its own needs. Other study teams may need to deviate from these protocols to meet their study needs.

The SmartSense help center includes the web app manual, installation guides, and troubleshooting guides. Several articles within the help center are linked throughout this KB article.

The SmartSense status page shows whether SmartSense is functioning normally or experiencing an outage. Check this page if the web app is not working as usual, or if temperature readings are not being reported.

Below are the SmartSense products that the UW AD program has historically used:

1. BZ Gateway:
   1. Transmits temperature readings from multiple nearby Sensors to the cloud via cellular connection.
2. Z Sensor:
   1. Pairs to a single Z Screen.
   2. Transmits temperature readings to Gateways from Sensor's internal room temperature probe and up to 2 external probes.
   3. Requires 2 AA batteries (Energizer Lithium). See battery replacement instruction page for more information.
3. Z Screen:
   1. Pairs to a single Z Sensor.
   2. Displays Sensor's temperature readings, signal strength between Screen and Sensor, Screen battery level, Signal Strength between Gateway and Sensor, and Sensor battery level.
   3. Requires 4 AAA batteries (Energizer Lithium). See battery replacement instruction page for more information.
4. SmartSense Probe:
   1. Attaches to Port 1 or 2 of a Sensor to take temperature readings.

LED Reference Guides

BZ Gateway	Z Sensor
	Note: After installation or reconnecting to a Gateway, sometimes a Sensor will show 1 yellow blink, and may show the temperature of the room on the Screen. It can take a few minutes for the Sensor to recognize that a probe is attached and start reporting the probe temperature.

New Account Creation

New accounts can be made by Administrators and Super Administrators.

1. Navigate to Admin → User Management.
2. Select “Create New User.”
3. Fill in the required fields:
   1. First Name
   2. Last Name
   3. SMS Number/Voice Number (can instruct new user to fill this in if unknown)
   4. Email (use work email)
   5. Preferable Unit of Measure: Metric
   6. Access Level:
      1. Responder+: use for students, this is the minimum required access level to put assets in maintenance mode
      2. Administrator: use for most staff
      3. Super Administrator: use for staff who help manage SmartSense
   7. Username: use NetID if possible
   8. Password: Hello123456!
      1. Password can be updated by the user after they log in.
   9. Location and role: see charts in section "Biofluid Team Asset and User Organization"
      1. For all users who will use freezers in the VA, assign the role of "No Alerts" to the "VA Emergency Freezers" location.
4. Select "Save."
5. Email the user to notify them of account creation. Include their current username and password and a link to this KB article. Ask them to update their contact information and password using the instructions in the next section.

Updating Account Information

1. Navigate to Admin → User Management.
2. Click on your name.
3. Update your phone number and email if needed.
   1. Phone numbers should be able to receive calls and SMS/text messages.
   2. If you are responsible for responding to freezer alerts and emergencies, make sure to list a phone number at which you can be reached after working hours.
   3. Students are not required to list a phone number as they do not receive SmartSense alerts.
4. Update your password.
5. Select "Save."

New Asset Creation

1. Navigate to Admin → System Management → locate Device ID for the sensor you want to use.
   1. Click power button on the Sensor to turn it on(add batteries if needed).
   2. Click on Device ID number.
   3. Make sure the Sensor is showing temperature readings for Port 0 (should be room temperature). It will not show Port 1 or 2 until a temperature probe is attached to the Sensor.
2. Set up the sensor in the asset.
   1. Insert the probe through a port in the back or side of the asset (or the door opening if no ports are available), then put the probe into a tube of glycerol. Cap the tube and use parafilm to seal it closed with the probe inside. 
      1. Encasing the probe in glycerol makes it less sensitive to rushes of warm air that can enter the asset when the door is open for normal use.
   2. Use cotton/putty/the port cap to seal the asset port on at least one side.
   3. Attach the probe to Port 1 or 2 of the Sensor.
3. Navigate to Admin → Organization Management.
   1. Our Organization is the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
      1. Click the "+" symbol next to the Organization to open Locations. Locations should be a specific room or area of a building.
         1. Click the "+" symbol next to a Location to open its Departments. Departments should be a group of assets that belong to a specific study/group.
   2. Click "Add New" to create a new location and/or department if needed.
   3. Find the Location or Department where the new asset is located, click the 3 dots next to its name, and select "+ New Asset."
      1. Enter new asset name.
      2. Select environment type.
      3. Add make/model/year information if available.
      4. Add Sensor:
         1. Name: can match the new asset name or be more general if the same sensor is used for 2 assets
         2. Sensor ID: select same ID from Step 1.2
         3. Reading Type: Temperature
         4. Port: 1 or 2
            1. If only Port 0 is listed, make sure the probe is properly attached to the Sensor, then wait a few minutes before trying again. 
         5. Select "Save."
      5. Select "Save."
4. If a new Location or Department was created for the new asset, navigate to Admin → User Management to assign users to the Location or Department.
   1. Select the name of a user who needs access to the new asset.
   2. Select "+Add location & Role."
      1. Assigned to location: open the Organization/Locations to find and select the Location or Department containing the new asset
      2. Location Role: select the desired responder role
      3. If the asset is within a specific Department, consider adding a “No Alerts” role for the entire Location. This allows the user to access assets in other Departments within the Location, in case they need to use another group’s assets for emergency storage.
5. Navigate to Assets → select the newly created asset.
   1. Scroll down the "Alarms Configured" section.
   2. Select "+ New Alarm" and create alarms according to the next section of this article, or according to the needs of the study.

Asset Alarm Settings

Below are the alarm guidelines and settings used by the Biofluid Team for -80 freezers, -20 freezers, and refrigerators. Any of these can be adjusted to meet a study's needs or according to user preference. It is up to each study team to decide how conservatively to set their alarm thresholds, and how and when they prefer to be alerted.

• Alarm settings can be adjusted according to the asset's tendencies. Examples of adjustments include:
  • Some freezers cycle between lower and higher temperatures every few minutes or hours as the compressors start and stop running. A freezer that cycles between -72°C and -80°C should have the "Freezer Warming Up" threshold increased to slightly higher than -72°C to avoid alerting users every time the freezer cycles. 
  • A refrigerator that is opened often might remain above 10 degrees for longer than 2 intervals (10 minutes) while recovering from usage. The alarm delay for the "Warm Alarm" can be increased to 4 intervals (20 minutes) to avoid alerting users frequently.
• At the bottom of the set up screen for all alarms, select "Stop notifications after incidents have been acknowledged” and “Automatically close incidents after resolving.”
  • "Stop notifications after incidents have been acknowledged" means that after a user logs in and acknowledges the alarm, it will stop sending alerts to all users. If a different alarm is triggered, that alarm will begin sending alerts to users. For example, if the "Freezer Warming Up" alarm is acknowledged but the freezer continues warming to the point of triggering the "Freezer Heating Up" alarm, users will then be alerted by the "Freezer Heating Up" alarm.
  • “Automatically close incidents after resolving” means that once the issue that triggered the alarm has resolved, the alarm will stop sending alerts to users. For example, if a freezer reaches -72°C while someone is using it, the "Freezer Warming Up" alarm will be triggered. If the freezer is then closed and returns to below -73°C within 5 minutes, the alarm will resolve itself and will stop sending alerts to users.
• When entering recipient roles, select "Always" for "Send notification" and do not check the box for "Notify when alarm is closed."
• If two assets share a sensor, only one needs to have low battery and missed report alarms.

Alarms for all assets:

• If set up as described in the table above, the Missed Report alarm will only alert users if SmartSense has not received a temperature reading from the Sensor for 3 hours, and will continue to alert users every 3 hours until the Sensor successfully sends a temperature reading. 
• To remedy a missed report, follow SmartSense's missed report management article. You can also press the power button on the Sensor to force it to attempt to reconnect to a Gateway. Refer to the LED Reference Guide in this article for the meanings of light colors and patterns.

• The Low Battery alarm refers to the batteries in the Sensor. See the battery replacement instruction page for information on replacing batteries in the Sensor and the Screen.

-80 Freezer Alarms:

-20 Freezer Alarms:

Refrigerator Alarms:

Alarm Acknowledgment

Acknowledging an alarm stops it from alerting users again. Only acknowledge an alarm if you are prepared to take action to fix the problem that triggered the alarm, or have already communicated with someone else who has confirmed they are able to take action. For temperature alarms, these actions may include coming into the lab to power cycle the asset or transfer its contents.

1. Navigate to Assets → select the asset with an active alarm.
   1. Names of active alarms are listed in the "Active Alarms" column.
2. Active alarms will appear in a box underneath the asset name. Click the box to open the alarm.
   1. Select "Acknowledge" to stop the alarm from sending more alerts.
   2. The "History" section shows what time the alarm was triggered and which phone numbers and emails were sent alerts.

Maintenance Mode

Putting an asset in Maintenance Mode will prevent all of the asset's alarms from being triggered. This is useful when working in an asset for long periods of time or thawing an asset due to a failure or for maintenance purposes. 

1. Navigate to Assets → select the asset that will be put in Maintenance Mode.
2. Select the gear symbol in the top right area of the screen. 
   1. Select "Maintenance Mode." All fields are required:
      1. Start Date: use the calendar to select a date and time, or select "Now."
      2. End Date: use the calendar to select a date and time.
      3. Reason: fill in a brief description of the reason (e.g., thawing freezer)
      4. Select "Turn On."
3. Keep in mind:
   1. If a temperature alarm is triggered while you are working a freezer, let your team know you triggered the alarm so they can disregard the alert. Acknowledge the alarm and ensure the asset is cooling before putting it in Maintenance Mode, then inform your team that you have done so.
   2. Do not leave an asset in Maintenance Mode after working hours unless thawing an asset.
   3. When thawing an asset, set Maintenance Mode to end the morning after the asset will be returned to service to give it enough time to cool down. Even if it is unknown when the asset will be turned on again, do not set Maintenance Mode to last several weeks in case no one remembers to turn it off when the asset is eventually returned to service.

Biofluid Team Asset and User Organization

The charts below show the asset organization for assets managed by the Biofluid Team. The Biofluid Team consists of two groups, Biorepository and Sample Analysis, each of which employs several coordinators and one manager. 

Biofluid Team Responder Responsibilities

Each group will create a rotating schedule with 1 primary responder being "on call" at a time. The expectations of being on call are as follows:

1. You are on call during off-work hours and weekends during your scheduled time. If you cannot meet the expectations of being on call during part or all of your scheduled time, ask if someone else in your group can cover or switch with you.
2. Ensure that you will receive and hear any alerts from SmartSense. You can set up your phone to allow texts/calls from SmartSense even when on Do Not Disturb, silent, or vibrate. We can also look into getting a pager or cell phone through the university.
3. Ensure that you have access to the SmartSense website. It requires an internet connection but not a VPN, so it can be accessed from a smart phone but is difficult to navigate on a small screen.
4. Ensure that you can get to the lab quickly (within an hour? We didn't set a time frame) during your scheduled time.
5. If a SmartSense alert occurs, log in to investigate the problem and acknowledge the alarm so that SmartSense will not continue sending alerts to others. Determine the severity of the problem based on the asset type and the graph of the asset's temperature reports, and determine if someone needs to physically check on the asset and how quickly. Some things can wait until the morning of the next business day.
6. Update your group via Teams and if needed, discuss who can come in to address the problem. Being on call does not necessarily mean you are the only person who will come in if a problem needs to be addressed in person. Others can offer to help even if they are not on call.