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Reimagining Hospital Inventory Management with Batch Barcode Scanning
Hospitals and clinics are constantly striving for better accuracy, speed and accountability of care. Yet many still rely on manual barcode scanning to track inventory, medications, lab samples and assets. This one-by-one approach introduces bottlenecks and scope for error. Batch barcode scanning changes this by enabling healthcare teams to scan hundreds of items at once – cutting scan times by up to 80% while boosting accuracy. From medical supplies to lab samples, this technology is quietly transforming how healthcare organizations track and manage vital assets.
What Is Batch Barcode Scanning?
Batch barcode scanning means capturing 100+ barcodes and decoding them in a single pass. It uses advanced multi-frame imaging to take capture several frames, each focusing on different portions of the barcode area from different angles and distances. These are stitched together into a seamless panoramic image of all scanned barcodes. By combining multiple frames, it ensures that barcodes are not blurred and skewed – which is common when trying to fit many barcodes into a single frame. Batch barcode scanning also uses intelligent data validation to cross-validate data from overlapping frames to increase confidence – and achieves near perfect accuracy.
Batch scanning enables the following functions:
- Scan and count multiple items (including duplicates).
- Scan and find a specific item.
- Store a panoramic image of all scanned barcodes for audit purposes.
Where It’s Making an Impact in Healthcare
Receiving Medical Supplies
- Instantly scan shipments with boxes containing hundreds of items upon arrival.
- Verify contents against purchase orders in hospital’s ERP or inventory management system.
- Record quantities, expiration dates, batch/lot numbers automatically.
Supply Room Audits
- Scan full drawers or shelves of boxed items such as gloves, catheters, or syringes.
- Real-time visibility of what’s in stock and what needs reordering.
Medication & Pharmacy Management
- Scan and count medication boxes in bulk.
- Quickly identify expired items.
- Ensure compliance and accurate reconciliation with orders.
Laboratory Sample Tracking
- Scan racks of test tubes or vials for sample intake and entry into Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
- Reduce misidentification and speed up sample workflows.
Clinical & Surgical Asset Management
- Scan devices, surgical kits and instruments during check-in/check-out.
- Enable accurate periodic audits and better traceability.
Key Benefits Across the Hospital Ecosystem
Barcodes were transformational when they were first introduced to healthcare operations. However, scanning barcodes one-by-one with today’s volume of medical supplies and speed of operations is no longer viable. Scanning items individually is creating bottlenecks everywhere from receiving docks to pathology labs. Batch scanning has the power to cut processing time by 80% while achieving near-perfect accuracy. It enables real-time updates to supply chain systems and more accurate record-keeping for the long-term.
- Time Savings: Cut scanning time by 80%.
- Improved Accuracy: Near 100% read rates, even on curved or smudged barcodes.
- Audit & Traceability: Save panoramic image with barcode coordinates for archive.
Real-World Results: Scanning 180 tissue cassettes in 20 seconds
Learn how Sakura Finetek achieved greater than 99.9% accuracy scanning batches of pathology tissue cassettes for lab automation.
How Dynamsoft Can Help
Dynamsoft’s Batch Barcode Scanner achieves near perfect accuracy scans of 100+ items in a single pass and reduces scan time by 80% over manual scanning. It enables precision scanning in high volume scenarios and records the entire scanned area for audit purposes. It is currently available for iOS (JavaScript in beta).