Laboratory Specimen Identification
Thermal Printers Deliver Safe & Accurate Specimen Identification
Vertical Market: Laboratories, hospitals, clinics
Application: Printing medical specimen information on a network
Products: Blaster Advantage Ethernet printers
Summary: Printing small barcode labels in an automated blood specimen application
Introduction
Cognitive thermal printers are used in laboratories around the world to print specimen labels for healthcare organizations of all sizes. In this particular case, a laboratory wanted to upgrade to thermal printing technology in order to print very small barcode labels for blood specimens.
Challenge
Blood specimen vials require very small labels that must be read correctly, every time. This particular laboratory uses an automated specimen "library" consisting of a robotic arm and numerous trays of specimen vials. Success depends entirely upon the barcode labels being readable and accurate in order for the robotic library to accurately track and dispense specimens. The failure point for this application is the human factor, for which Cognitive provides the best possible printed barcodes, reducing the chance for scan errors.
Cognitive Solution
Cognitive provided Blaster Advantage Ethernet thermal transfer printers that communicated with the host computer system using built-in Ethernet connections. Labels only half-inch tall by one-inch wide require perfectly legible barcodes and precise label placement. Blaster Advantage superior print quality is due in large part to the thermal transfer print ribbon and high-quality print media. Additionally, these printers do not take up a lot of counter space, saving room in a crowded environment for the laboratory technicians to keep things organized, clean and safe.
Vials are automatically filled and dispensed through automated equipment while lab operators apply labels to specimen vials by hand. Operators then place the vials in trays and insert the trays into the automated specimen library which scans the labels and records the locations. Cognitive printers are an integral part of the laboratory vial tracking system and assure:
Accurate specimen identification
First-pass readability of barcodes
Ease of use
Economical printing solution
Key Considerations
Cognitive Blaster Advantage printers accept standard ASCII commands using serial, parallel or Ethernet communications. Available Data Direct embedded intelligence enables integration with a wide variety of host systems. Small footprints and rugged construction make the Blaster Advantage the highest-quality thermal printer available in its price class. All thermal printers require low maintenance and do not require expensive replacement ink or laser cartridges, reducing ownership costs over the life of the printer. Additionally, thermal transfer printers provide maximum print resolution for small print sizes like specimen labeling and a long print-media life span.