TEMP-1 General Tips

The TEMP-1 has an optional Dallas temperature probe (long or short variants) and an optional food-safe probe.

Physical Buffered Temperature

For accurate vaccine storage monitoring, the CDC recommends using buffered temperature probes—a principle the Dallas temperature probe can follow using a glycol or glass bead vial. Buffering mimics the thermal behavior of stored vaccines, filtering out brief air temp fluctuations (e.g., door openings) that don’t reflect true vaccine exposure. This results in more reliable, regulation-aligned readings when using Dallas sensors like the DS18B20 in a buffered medium. You can also achieve better results by just placing the probe inside a bottle of water (for the fridge not freezer).

Virtual Temperature Buffering

Instead of placing your Dallas temperature probe (like a DS18B20) in a vial of glycol or glass beads to mimic how vaccines warm up or cool down, you can use a software method called Virtual Temperature Buffering. It filters out quick air temperature changes—like when you open the fridge door—and gives a more stable, realistic reading similar to a physical buffer. This means you get accurate, regulation-friendly temps without needing messy liquids or bulky containers.