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Barcode Labels for Slides: How to Choose the Right Labels

Barcode labels for slides allow researchers to use an electronic bar code system to track the movement of slides through the laboratory. For large laboratories that process a high volume of medical tests, efficiently tracking slides is essential for ensuring that tests are performed on the right slides, preventing slides from getting lost, and supporting a quick turnaround time. If you need barcode labels for slides, below are four considerations for selecting the right product.

  1. Lifespan of Slides

How long slides are kept after tests are performed impacts the characteristics that bar code labels should possess. For example, if slides will be kept for years, opting for high-grade labels that are comprised of materials which are slow to deteriorate is the ideal choice. Even when slides are vigilantly inventoried, the data can still become lost, if labeling is not done properly. Choosing bar code labels for slides that are made for long-term storage helps to prevent this situation.

  1. Frequency of Use

When you shop for bar code labels for slides, you find that they are available in various quantities, from label rolls that contain just a few labels to label rolls that contain thousands.  If your laboratory uses bar code labels for slides as a part of its daily business process, choosing to print on roll form, with a thermal printer will help eliminate waste and save money.

  1. Storage Temperature

Most slide labels adhere to slides through the use of adhesives, some of which are more temperature resistant than others. Consequently, it is important to determine the temperature at which slides will be stored. Because most slides are stored in a cold environment (e.g., a cryogenic chamber), the main concern is whether adhesives will lose adhesiveness at low temperatures. When the right adhesive is used, labels remain in place under cold temperatures.

  1. Reagent Exposure

Laboratory slides are routinely exposed to a variety of reagents that assist with preparing slides and processing test results, including: alcohols, xylene, toluene, acetone, and DMSO, just to name a few. Consequently, it is essential to choose bar code labels for slides that are created to withstand the reagents that your laboratory applies to slides. Choosing a product that is not designed for reagents you use can result in damaged labels and misidentified specimen slides.

Need Barcode Labels for Slides?
If so, Shamrock Labels is here to provide the products you need. We have over four decades of experience in creating ready-made slide labels and custom slide labels that feature a variety of conditions in the larger operating environment and the specific slide storage environment. Moreover, we will supply the perfect product for your slide labeling needs and bar code system. Examples of bar code labels for laboratory slides that we currently have in stock include:

●     Roll form slide labels, for thermal direct and thermal transfer printers
●     Sheet form slide labels, for laser printers
-Blank or pre-printed slide labels for handwritten notations
-Consecutively numbered slide labels

For additional assistance with choosing bar code labels for slides that meet the needs of your laboratory, give us a call today at (800) 323-0249, or fill out the contact form on our website.

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