Multi-format Barcode Label for Orientation-Independent Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sample collection containers with barcodes face issues of manual orientation difficulties, costly and cumbersome mechanical devices, and incompatibility with different barcode formats, leading to inaccurate readings when barcodes are partially or totally obscured.
Innovation Solution
A label with multiple barcodes of different formats, where at least one barcode is positioned to ensure accurate reading regardless of orientation, including an alignment area for proper positioning, allowing for scanning of identical information from either barcode if one is obscured.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single barcode is applied to the blood collection tube, then the labeling is simple and cost-effective, but manual rotation is required to ensure the barcode is readable by the scanner
Solution Approach 1:
The single barcode is divided into multiple segments arranged in a circular pattern around the tube. Each segment contains a portion of the barcode information, and when scanned together, they reconstruct the complete barcode data, eliminating the need for manual rotation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The barcode is transformed from a linear one-dimensional format into a circular two-dimensional arrangement. This dimensional change allows the barcode to be read from any rotational position, as the scanner can capture segments from different angular positions and reconstruct the complete information
2Ease of operation
If the bar code is applied continuously around the circumference of the tube, then the bar code can be read regardless of rotational orientation, but the label size increases and reduces space for additional information
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying a continuous barcode around the tube, the barcode is segmented into discrete portions distributed around the circumference. This segmentation reduces the continuous label area requirement while enabling rotation-independent reading through selective scanning of available segments
Solution Approach 2:
The system requires only partial scanning of the circular barcode segments rather than reading the entire continuous barcode. The scanner captures enough segments to reconstruct the complete information, reducing the effective label area needed while maintaining rotation-independent functionality
3Loss of information
If dual barcodes with data storage cartridges are used, then more information can be stored, but additional software is required to stitch the barcodes together and conventional barcode readers cannot read them
Solution Approach 1:
The circular barcode design maintains compatibility with conventional barcode readers by using standard barcode formats distributed in a circular pattern. The existing scanner hardware and software can read the segments and reconstruct the complete information, eliminating the need for specialized stitching software while preserving information storage capacity
4Measurement precision
If mechanical devices are used to lift and rotate the tube for barcode alignment, then accurate reading can be achieved, but the devices are cumbersome and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The circular barcode design makes the system self-aligning. The barcode automatically adapts to any rotational position of the tube, eliminating the need for external mechanical devices to perform alignment. The scanning system simply reads the segments in their current positions and reconstructs the complete information
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical alignment system is replaced with an optical/software-based solution. Instead of using mechanical devices to physically rotate and position the tube, the system uses software algorithms to reconstruct the complete barcode information from segments captured at different angular positions by a stationary scanner
Data Source
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AI summary
A label comprises a first area having a first barcode printed thereon and a second area having a second barcode printed thereon. The first barcode is of a first format, the second barcode is of a second format and each barcode encodes at least a subset of identical information. The subset of identical information encoded in the first barcode and the second barcode may include information identifying the patient, the type of sample, or date or time of sampling, or any combination thereof.