|
|
|
► Did You Know?
1. The first recorded plant collectors were the soldiers in the army of Thothmes III, Pharaoh
of Egypt, 3500 years ago. In the Temple of Karnak these soldiers are shown bringing back
300 plants as booty from Syria.
2. The Titan Arum is not only the world's largest flower it is also the world's smelliest.
3. Women prefer pastel colored roses; men on the other hand prefer red.
4. In 1986 Congress voted to make the rose America's national flower.
5. California is the source for nearly 60% of all USA-grown fresh cut flowers.
6. Americans bought more than 1.2 BILLION fresh cut roses in the year 1996. That's
4.67 roses for every man, woman, and child nationwide.
7. Mother’s Day accounts for 20% of annual flower sales in the U.S and is the biggest
flower holiday; Valentine is next high flower sales holiday followed by Christmas and Easter.
Freshly cut flowers are highly perishable and deteriorate quickly when exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions such as adverse temperatures, humidity and the effects of naturally occurring plant ethylene gas. To preserve the shelf-life of cut flowers, growers, florists and consumers alike need to keep the following environmental requirements in check:
Temperature: Reducing ambient temperature dramatically reduces respiration, growth and aging that are detrimental to the aesthetics and economic value of cut flowers. The optimum storage temperature range for most commonly cut flowers is 32° - 38°F (0° - 3.3°C). However, chilling sensitive crops such as anthuriums, tropical orchids and ginger flowers cannot be kept below 50° - 54°F (10° - 12.2°C).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethylene Gas: Ethylene gas is a naturally-occurring plant growth regulator produced in high concentration by ripening fruits, vehicle exhausts, and cigarette smoke. Ethylene reduces the longevity of flowers and foliage by causing rapid wilting of petals, shedding or shattering of petals or other changes to petal tissues, such as loss or change of color. Furthermore, certain flower crops, especially carnations, die rapidly if they are exposed to minute concentrations of ethylene gas. Locating flowers away from ethylene source, holding the product at low temperatures and by packaging the product with ethylene absorbers during storage and transport are several ways to minimize, if not eliminate, ethylene exposure.
Humidity: Cut flowers have a high surface-to-volume ratio. As such, they lose moisture much more readily than many other perishable commodities. Since both high relative humidity (RH) and low temperature are important in reducing moisture loss from foliage, keeping flowers at a relative humidity above 95% and, simultaneously, maintaining the ambient temperature close to 32°F (0°C) will minimize water evaporation. A short-term micro-climate can be maintained by applying a fine mist manually and keeping flowers away from heated surfaces or open lights.
|
"DeltaTRAK FlashLink Wireless System allows us to easily display temperature information for internal quality management that is routinely audited by top-level JCAHO inspectors and State auditors."
– Brian Wong, Pharm.D., Director of QuadraCare, LLC.
Headquartered in Alhambra, California, QuadraCare, LLC is a provider of specialty pharmacy services, including home infusion, USP 797-compliant IV compounding and non-commercial, physician-authorized pharmaceutical compounding services. QuadraCare is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), an independent organization established more than 50 years ago to assure standards compliance by healthcare facilities nationwide. QuadraCare, LLC is a member of Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA).
|
|
|
|
QuadraCare, LLC, Alhambra, California
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Wong, Pharm.D. and Director of QuadraCare, was looking for an alternative to a wireless temperature monitoring system, made by a well-known data logger vendor, which had serious reliability issues that led to costly and troublesome maintenance and unsupportive of QuadraCare’s regulatory requirements. Brian searched online with the expectation that the replacement wireless temperature monitoring system should be affordable, dependable, quick to install, easy to use, met FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements and would aid in QuadraCare’s regulatory audits.
Brian chose DeltaTRAK’s FlashLink Wireless System. After investigating several other wireless monitoring products that failed to meet the selection criteria, Brian worked with DeltaTRAK to determine the best solution for meeting QuadraCare’s regulatory, technical and financial requirements. QuadraCare bought the FlashLink Wireless System in January 2006 to record temperature in medication refrigerators, clean room and a temperature-controlled warehouse. The FlashLink Wireless System installed by Brian included one 900 MHz receiver with PC interface unit and server software, one repeater and four wireless temperature sensors.
"Helping QuadraCare pass regulatory audits, especially JCAHO, is the primary objective for us to acquire and use the DeltaTRAK FlashLink Wireless System. Secondary concerns were cost and the simplification of temperature monitoring…DeltaTRAK offered me the option of a trial system before use and helped me work out any operational issue prior to purchase…The FlashLink Wireless System helped us pass the JCAHO inspection with flying colors..."
Since installation, the 21 CFR Part 11 compliant FlashLink Wireless System has performed, 24 x 7, to Brian’s environmental monitoring specifications. QuadraCare is planning to build a second production area and expand the use of the FlashLink Wireless System to this facility. The FlashLink Wireless System manages up to 100 temperature and/or humidity sensors and, with the addition of the new Wireless SP Manager software, provides users with 24 x 7 information accessible from any offsite location.
Established in 1989, DeltaTRAK, Inc. is a California-based leading manufacturer and marketer of cold chain management solutions and portable environmental test instruments used in healthcare, food and other major industries.
|
Example of a temperature-sensitive infusion therapy ingredient used by QuadraCare
|
|
|
FlashLink wireless sensor monitors temperature in QuadraCare’s clean room
|
|
|
|
|
|
