Lab-scale long-term operation of passive multivariable RFID temperature sensors integrated into single-use bioprocess components

We address the significant need for the monitoring of critical manufacturing parameters in single-use biopharmaceutical manufacturing by developing passive radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based sensors and their integration into single use bioprocess components. Our sensor development approach converts ubiquitous passive 13.56 MHz RFID tags into inductively coupled sensors. In this work, we integrated RFID sensors into single-use bioprocess bags and have tested these sensors for over 570 h for measurements of temperature. The achieved performance accuracy was 0.1 °C when measurements were performed over the 32 - 48 °C temperature range. Developed RFID sensors provide several important features previously unavailable from other single-use sensing technologies such as the same sensor platform for measurements of physical, chemical, and biological parameters; multi-parameter monitoring with individual sensors; and simultaneous digital identification.