EBME Forums Forums Management Equipment Libraries Bar code labels

Like your style dunk - interesting marketing ploy..

We use Bartender Software printing to Zebra printers, the 3d barcode and readable number lables are then attached to our MEMS labels which in turn are sealed with the clear window.

We also use a Brother P-Touch series for our labels.

Is there any specific barcode protocol in use?

Ah yes, barcodes (more interesting stuff)!

Our P-Touch 2100 boasts of nine barcode protocols:-

1) Code 39
2) Code 128
3) EAN-8
4) EAN-13
5) EAN-128
6) UPC-A
7) UPC-E
8) I-2/5
9) Codabar

... I also would be interested to hear which format is the one in popular usage!

We use the Dymo labelwriter 400 series with Dymo software. Nice and compact and you can import a series of info from excel if you want to print continuous labels. The software allows import of images for logo design etc

We use metalised polyester for the barcode and inv nr and standard thermal paper for the service dates and details.

The standard thermal paper fades after approximately 1 year which is a good service indicator

I'm glad Jandre has mentioned the Dymo. I've no idea how it comforms to medical requirements, but I used to work for an aviation supply company where we used the Dymo 400 system. It's very flexible offering label sizes from around 15mm x 45mm all the way up to something like 60mm x 110mm, possibly larger.

Can vouch for the above 1 year fade.

The logo studio for the Dymo system is intuitive, and produces good results.

Commercial printer can print you off reels of sequential numbers with bar codes. These are usually more durable than Dymo/Brother labels and can have more information such as contact phone numbers in a neat small space. I used to use Sessions of York but these are others available. The good thing about having the labels preprinted is that you only have one label of each number so you cannot accidentally get duplicate numbers. The down side is that if someone picks off the label (Bored anaesthetists seem to be the worst culprits) or the case is replaced you have to change the asset number of the item.
RoJo

Assuming that we are talking about equipment "asset labeling" here, I’m wondering what actual use is made of the coded labels?

At least one hospital I know has bar codes alongside the "human readable" number on their asset labels, but (as far as I am aware) do not make any use of them at all.

By the way those same guys have all the clever stuff available to them (eg, bar-code wand on the electrical safety tester), but it all seems to have fallen into disuse (once the novelty had worn off, I guess).

Meanwhile, I have found bar-coding to be very useful and efficient in fast-moving retail operations (you know, Morrisons, Tesco et al) and for processing and tracking parcels in transit (eg, by "couriers").

As a secondary to this thread does anyone know of a free or low cost Bar code scanning tracking software.

Cheers Billy

Billy and Geoff,
We used bar code labels in the equipment library it made booking equipment out quick and stopped typos. The equipment asset label had a bar code and we had a list of all the wards with appropriate bar code printed beside them.
The equipment was a scanner which went between the keyboard and PC so you did not need any specialist software, it just imitated the information being typed in. As this was quite a while ago the equipment will be obsolete by now but the idea might not be.
RoJo