Questions |
How
the answers might
affect your system design |
| Your Lab Today |
| Do
you have or are you planning to make use of Automated Screening Devices like those from
Neopath® and PapNet®? |
You will want to be sure to match their required bar code types. |
| Are
you using Lab Management Software that expects a bar code? |
If importing data from or sending data to this system, you will want
to watch the structure of the data and the size of the bar code data to ensure
compatibility. |
| Can
your current lab information system print bar codes? |
If
your current system prints labels with bar codes, EIMINC can make labels to fit into the
printing device of your system. |
| Is
your volume Low (Under 10,000 samples processed per year)? |
Often,
preprinted labels with or without bar codes are the best answer for a small lab. You will
not be able to get patient name or SSN on the labels unless you write them. |
| Is
your volume Moderate to High (10,000+ samples processed per year)? |
Printing
labels in your own lab allows you greater flexibility and lower cost of supplies. |
Do you have a widely fluctuating number of slides per case? |
If
the number of slides per case has great range (example 2 to 20), then you might want to
consider printing the labels in your lab. |
Do you use xylene when staining the slides? |
Only
a limited number of label types can withstand the chemistry in staining slides. You will
need to test these products thoroughly. The level of the chemicals in the staining unit is
also a significant factor. |
Goals for Your Lab |
| Do you want to identify your slides with information particular to
the patient (SSN or name, etc.)? |
This
need is best addressed with an in-lab printing system. Other methods are available, but
typically have high cost or more labor in sample prep. |
| Do
you want to import or export data from or to another system? |
Due
to the great variation in lab information system design, an off-the-shelf package will
have to be modified slightly to give you these capabilities.* |
| Do
you want to report on your workflow? |
You
might already have some capability built into your information system. If not, then the
data entered into a printing system might be exported for external analysis in a package
like MS Excel. The off-the-shelf package will have to be modified slightly to give you
these capabilities.* Optionally... |
| Do
you want to improve your locating of slides? |
By
scanning slides into the system at different points in the lab and archiving area, you can
quickly locate a slide or determine who has the slide in their possession.The
off-the-shelf package will have to be modified slightly to give you these capabilities.* |
