Brady Provides Universal 2D Bar Code Labeling Program

Background
This research laboratory offers a variety of contract research services in molecular biology, cell biology and immunology to governmental agencies, diagnostic test kit manufacturers and biomedical researchers.

Since 1983, they have provided blood processing and repository services for the National Cancer Institute. The repository stores more than 2 million specimens and processes or ships up to several thousand specimens per week in support of NIH cancer and virus research programs.

In addition, this company tests new medicines or coordinates disease research programs for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the Division of AIDS, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Digestible and Kidney Disorders.

Challenge
As a wholly owned subsidiary of the world leader in infectious disease management, this research laboratory houses 7.7 million vials of samples that it stores and sends out for testing. This makes an efficient labeling process an important element in inventorying and tracking the samples.

In the past, they have used hand-written labels that smeared and contained limited information. As a result, it wanted to automate its inventorying system by implementing a bar coding system.

Solution
Based on a referral of another Brady customer, this company turned to Brady for help in automating its labeling system. To allow the research laboratory to create bar codes that would hold a large amount of information in a small area the size of a pencil eraser, Brady implemented 2D bar code technology using six of its THT 600X-Plus benchtop thermal transfer printers, along with six scanners. In addition, Brady provided matte finish, easily conformable labels that would stay on and stand up to the temperature variations used to test the samples, which ranged from -196°C to 95°C.

Results
Using labels with bar codes cuts the company's time for one box containing 81 vials from a half hour to seven minutes. This is a big time savings, especially since about 50,000 vials need to be inventoried each month.

Now 50 percent of all their study vials carry a bar code label. The five-year goal is to integrate the new bar code labels onto all samples. All new studies now are given a bar code label and gradually all of the vials with handwritten labels will be converted to bar code labels. Brady looks forward to being part of the process.

For more information on Brady's Laboratory products, please contact our Lab Solutions Center at 1-888-311-0775.