A Disposable Array Chip Using Temperature-Responsive Color Change to Record Temperature History in Terminal Cold Chain Transportation

We present a low-cost disposable array chip, which can reflect and record the history of temperature change in the terminal cold chain transportation. A novel approach, temperature-responsive color change, utilizing the frozen layer of mixed water and ethanol with different ratios to control the temperature of color -change reaction, has been proposed to achieve irreversible temperature recording. With a calculated ratio, this chip has four detection intervals, indicated by three signal point (-8 °C, -4 °C, 0 °C). Besides, this portable chip is non-toxic, small in size and ease-to-use, thaus it can be packaged with frozen food and cold fresh agricultural products. It has potential to be used in the terminal cold chain transportation as a low-cost qualitative detection method for retail industry.