Henke Sass Wolf (HSW), a specialist in medical technology, has developed a vaccination device for pigs in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The product is available as an “EPIG” vaccination device (HSW branding) and as a “FreVAX” vaccination device (Boehringer Ingelheim). IoT specialist Tresmo supports data transmission with an app. This makes the entire vaccination process easier – for the animals, but also for doctors and farm managers.
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EPIG vaccinator: high-pressure technology ensures stress-free process
The EPIG vaccinator does not require a needle at all. High-pressure technology is used to deliver the vaccines into the circuit via the skin. This makes the vaccination process fast and stress-free for the pigs, while also benefiting veterinarians and farm managers. The smart devices can be connected to mobile devices via Bluetooth. This enables the collection of valuable health data.
App from Tresmo helps with data transfer
HSW needed an app to transfer the health data. Function: retrieve the collected data from the vaccination devices, send it to a cloud for further processing, and display it in a visible and usable way. For the implementation, the Baden-Württemberg-based company worked with Tresmo, a specialist in IoT. Planning and execution of the project led the team to some challenges regarding app connectivity as well as application scenarios.
How does data transfer work with the EPIG app?
During their use, EPIG vaccination devices collect data, firstly about the vaccination process and secondly about the state of the device. These are equally relevant for the animal industry and the pharmaceutical industry. Via Bluetooth, the collected data is sent to mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones running the EPIG app.
The information is then stored by the app and forwarded to the cloud via mobile or an alternative data connection. Thanks to a close exchange between the embedded software development team on the HSW side and Tresmo’s mobile app specialists, fast and reliable data exchange is now possible. Necessary firmware updates can also be made available via the app.
International deployment of the EPIG inoculation device
The EPIG inoculation device is used worldwide. When designing the app, it was therefore important to take into account country-specific conditions under which the devices are used. The focus was therefore on the user experience from the very beginning. For the development of the functionalities, this meant that the use of the device should be intuitive, simple, fast and adapted to everyday work for users all over the world. On the one hand, HSW placed great emphasis on usability.
Depending on the country, different professional groups work with the product and the associated application. While veterinarians are mainly responsible for animal vaccination in Germany, helpers and farmers take on this task in other countries. Another point: localization and translation – both the app and the display integrated into the vaccination device are shown in the language of the country in which the EPIG vaccination device is currently being used.
Support during use – even without cellular reception.
During field use in remote regions, users of the EPIG inoculation device may not be able to connect to the Internet while working. If malfunctions occur, it is not possible to contact the manufacturer’s support. For this case, HSW has integrated an automatic error diagnosis as well as advisors for immediate help measures into the app. The user can thus access immediate service and support even without a connection to the mobile network.
