Evaluating scannability of slides with laser-printed barcodes

In pathology laboratories, the adoption and integration of digital slide scanners into the pathology workflow is becoming increasingly prevalent.¹ A factor that can impact workflow efficiencies within the digital pathology system is barcode quality and placement on the slide tab. Studies have shown the highest error rate on a whole slide imager can come from the inability to scan the barcode on the slide.²

Inadequate barcode printing or slide label quality can lead to workflow interruptions caused by barcode reading issues. Barcodes that are smudged, printed poorly, or misaligned may not be readable by the scanner and barcodes must be placed in specific areas of the slide for scanners to capture them correctly. If a label is misplaced, partially covered, or not in the designated area, the scanner may not be able to read it and as a result manual intervention may be required. 

This can cause increased downtime, increased staff costs associated with handling and rescanning slides and delays in diagnostic reporting.³