Half a million readings, zero guesswork: How 500,000 measurements per year secure critical hospital operations
- jillaineuk
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
In high-dependency healthcare environments, temperature and humidity aren’t just parameters—they are prerequisites. With over half a million measurements annually, wireless sensors help clinical teams stay ahead of deviations, avoid disruptions, and meet strict regulatory demands and secure critical hospital operations. All without touching existing infrastructure.
In sensitive hospital environments such as sterile storage areas and operating theatres, climate control is not just a matter of comfort - it’s a question of quality and patient safety. Temperature and humidity must remain within strict limits to ensure safe conditions for instruments, medications, and, ultimately, human lives.
In some hospitals, the indoor climate is managed by an outsourced vendor—one that relies on its own systems, often with little or no transparency for the organisation actually responsible for clinical operations.
Sterile and compliant through real-time data
To understand the situation and minimise risk, where disruptions or data gaps can pose serious problems, a healthcare provider at a large Swedish hospital needed better visibility into real conditions. They simply needed a more reliable way to monitor climate conditions across two clinical departments, each with rooms spread over multiple floors.
In these environments, even minor temperature or humidity deviations can force staff to discard sterilised instruments or sensitive medications—resulting in both cost and disruption. In more severe cases, an operating theatre may need to shut down temporarily for sanitation or revalidation, delaying care and creating ripple effects across the entire hospital schedule.
The solution
A set of twenty pre-calibrated sensors—measuring both temperature and relative humidity—was installed in key rooms. The solution, based on AKKR8’s wireless sensors, Tele2 SIMs, and the ThingsBoard IoT platform, was deployed to ensure complete coverage with minimal intrusion or infrastructure changes.
Connecting directly to the mobile network, each sensor transmits data four times per hour, providing near real-time insight. Thanks to an external probe design, the sensors offered enhanced accuracy while enabling discreet installation. Units were mounted on walls in some rooms, and in others above the inner ceiling.
All measurements are visualised on top of a floor-level blueprint, presented in a format familiar to the customer, and made available to both facility teams and department leadership. Alerts are automatically triggered via email and SMS if readings drift beyond critical thresholds, or if a sensor unexpectedly goes silent.
Tailored thresholds. Smarter response.
Drawing on prior experience in healthcare environments, alert thresholds were customised to match operational norms and regulatory standards. Over time, climate deviations became less frequent, as staff were able to raise timely questions with their subcontractor responsible for climate control. Data-led insights led to updated procedures and smarter day-to-day operations.
The system also supports full data export, aiding documentation and compliance. Each department has its own live dashboard, helping local teams take ownership of their contribution to the hospital’s overall climate integrity.
Built-in resilience for uninterrupted care
One insight that stood out was the importance of power resilience. During temporary shutdowns and construction work, the sensors remained fully operational—thanks to built-in battery backup. Some units stayed online for weeks without mains power, continuously transmitting encrypted telemetry over the mobile network.
Secure data handling is also critical: the solution ensures end-to-end encrypted transmission, protecting both clinical operations and patient privacy.
Scaling where it matters
The solution remains fully operational, and discussions are ongoing to scale to additional sites. As the demand for high-precision environmental monitoring grows in healthcare, the sensors are ready to deliver robust, secure, and flexible solutions that quietly support the highest standard of care—500,000 readings at a time.
