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Game-Changing Scanning Device for Tracking Sample Tubes Eliminates Critical Misplacement Errors

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 13 Apr 2023

Image: ScanID takes sample traceability to the next level (Photo courtesy of Flow Robotics)

Laboratory errors can significantly impact overall patient care, potentially leading to misdiagnosis and mismanagement. Studies have shown that 24% to 30% of laboratory errors influence patient care, with patient harm occurring in 3% to 12% of cases. Approximately 70% of lab errors occur during the pre-analytical phase, making it the most error-prone part of laboratory testing due to its complex nature and heavy reliance on manual tasks such as pipetting and tracking. Now, a game-changing scanning device for tracking sample tubes aims to resolve this real-life laboratory challenge.

Flow Robotics (Copenhagen, Denmark), the company behind the innovative pipetting robot flowbot ONE, has introduced ScanID, an ultra-efficient scanning device for labs handling barcoded sample tubes. ScanID's patent-pending technology offers both 1D and 2D scanning capabilities in a single device and can scan an entire rack of sample tubes simultaneously in seconds. Once scanned, the racks are placed in the flowbot ONE, which holds all the sample IDs for further processing. ScanID is compatible with a wide range of test tube sizes, ranging from Ø:9mm to Ø:16mm, and fits most SLAS formats.

Manual pre-analytical processes always carry the risk of sample switching and misplacement errors. ScanID can eliminate critical sample misplacement errors and ensure full traceability and documentation with minimal effort. Additionally, ScanID serves as an error control measure by alerting users if two barcodes are similar, providing extra assurance that sample tubes are handled correctly and accurately.

“Our vision with ScanID is to optimize sample traceability. Most labs spend a lot of time and energy on tracking their samples. Whether they are doing the entire thing manually or using a handheld barcode scanner, ScanID will make the process more secure and ensure full traceability with minimum effort,” said Kjetil Kræmer, CTO at Flow Robotics. “Errors due to poor tracking can result in sample switching lead to false outcomes, which can obscure your research and be very difficult to trace. That’s one of the reasons why we believe it’s well worth the effort to automate the process in a secure scanning solution.”

Related Links:
Flow Robotics