Varo is a mobile app that enables Android phone users to collect and transmit the performance data that is recorded and stored by 30-day temperature and alarm recording (30DTR) devices that are currently widely deployed in the vaccine cold chain. Users can also create a manual performance report if a 30DTR is not available at the facility.

Healthcare workers who have access to mobile phones can now build a bridge between their facilities and the regional and national locations where the data can be monitored for maintenance and performance.

Once the app is installed, the local healthcare worker connects their smartphone to the refrigerator’s temperature logger via a small USB adapter. Varo then collects the stored 30DTR report and attaches it to an email report with a photo of the fridge, manufacturer/model information, a timestamp, and the GPS location of the facility, and transmits that data via the mobile data network or WiFi to an authorized recipient at an email address selected by the user.

Originally developed for use in the vaccine cold chain, Varo can be used in any system that deploys refrigeration units on a local or global scale for any purpose. It operates on a wide assortment of Android smartphones that are currently in use across the world.

The developers of Varo do not receive the reports or any other data from the application.