Machine readable labels in the blood transfusion service

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-v

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • J Jenkins

   Pages 1-2

3. Technical Aspects of Bar Coding

   • S Jackson

   Pages 3-10

4. Proposed Changes to Blood Pack Labels in the UK

   • A Wild

   Pages 11-19

5. Experience with Machine Readable Labels at the New York Blood Center

   • E Brodeim

   Pages 20-35

6. Questions to Dr BRODHEIM

   • John Jenkins

   Pages 36-40

7. Regional Transfusion Directors’ Committee

   • H H Gunson

   Pages 41-50

8. Discussion

   • John Jenkins

   Pages 51-54

9. Proposal for the Introduction of Bar Coded Labels and Data Processing in Regional Transfusion Centres in UK

   • G Williams

   Pages 55-66

10. Discussion

    • John Jenkins

    Pages 67-68

11. Implications for Hospital Transfusion Departments

    • R Fewell

    Pages 69-78

12. General Discussion

    • J Jenkins

    Pages 79-99

13. Back Matter

    Pages 100-100

    PDF

Dr W J Jenkins In 1977 when the Sheffield Transfusion Centre took delivery of the first GROUPAMATIC blood grouping machine in the UK it was equipped with a sample identification system involving complicated and expensive disposable punched cards. In fact, the cards were so expensive that Dr Wagstaff was unable to find the revenue to support the system. A year later, when Brentwood took delivery of a GROUPAMATIC, we were faced with the same problem, but by chance we heard that KONTRON was developing a laser scanning system for bar code labels and we were able to have our machine modified. Subsequently the Sheffield machine was altered to take the bar code scanner. At about the same time the Bristol Centre was helping TECHNICON with the development of the AUTO GROUPER C-16, and fortunately they decided on a laser reader of the same type for bar code identification. Thus there were three centres with the capability for reading bar codes on blood grouping machines and it became necessary to find someone to produce the bar code labels. There was only on~ printer in the UK who could produce labels to the required specification. To cut the costs of printing, and in the hope of avoiding a wide variation in codes, I invited representatives of centres interested in the problem to a meeting, where we set up what we called the Group of Six. This later became an official Working Party of the Regional Transfusion Directors.

• blood
• data processing
• development
• hospital
• laser

• North East Thames, Regional Transfusion Centre, UK

  John Jenkins

Policies and ethics