The VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on allows users to integrate their VisionMate™ HSX High Speed Barcode Reader with eLabInventory and update the positional data of their samples with a single scan. Additionally, users can create new racks or sample records and perform actions on the rack’s contents as part of the add-on workflow.
Note: this add-on has been developed and validated with files generated from the VisionMate™ HSX High Speed Barcode Reader. Customers are responsible for setup and configuration of the VisionMate™ HSX High Speed Barcode Reader and associated software drivers prior to using the add-on. Please contact the Thermo Scientific team for support with operating the scanner.
File configuration
The VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on accepts scan files generated by the VisionMate™ HSX High Speed Barcode Reader and imports the contents into eLabInventory. Scan files must be generated in XML-format and contain a rack ID in order to be processed by the add-on. For more information on file configuration settings, please refer to the VisionMate™ HSX High Speed Barcode Reader user manual or contact the Thermo Scientific support team.
Uploading a scan file
To add the vials scanned with the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on to eLabJournal, navigate to Sample List in the Inventory Browser page under the Inventory tab and click the VisionMate button under the Add Samples dropdown.
In the pop-up window, click the Upload button to select a scan file from the desktop.
Note: if eLabConnect has been configured with the add-on, all newly-scanned files will automatically be listed. For more information on configuring eLabConnect, please refer to the RackScan installation instructions.
The window categorizes uploaded files according to 2 tabs: New Scans and Processed Scans. Files in both tabs can either be loaded into eLabNext or removed from the list by clicking the corresponding icon. Click the Load Samples icon to process the file.
As the file is processed, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on will perform the following validation steps:
- Check for the existence of the rack barcode in eLabInventory
- Check for the existence of all vial barcodes in eLabInventory
- Verify if the positions of the vial in eLabInventory are in sync with positions of the vials in the scanned rack
If any of this information is missing or doesn’t match the records in eLabInventory, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on will prompt the user to 1) identify the rack, 2) identify the vials and import the vial contents, and 3) sync the positions of the rack prior to enabling the sample actions.
1 - Rack Identification
If the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on cannot identify an existing rack whose associated barcode matches the scanned rack, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on will prompt the user to create a new rack. Click the Browse for location button to open the Inventory Browser and select a storage location where the rack will be stored.
The rack’s dimensions are automatically detected and set by the add-on. Users can customize the rack’s settings by updating the Compartment Type Name and Compartment Orientation fields. Click the Proceed button to create the rack.
Note: if the user wants to use a rack that was created in eLabInventory without the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on, they can manually associate the prelabeled barcode with the rack using the Compartment Barcode add-on available in the Marketplace.
2 - Vial identification and linking of sample information
Once the rack has been identified in eLabJournal, yet one or more CryoVials in the scanned rack are not yet identified, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on displays a list of all rack positions with the corresponding vial barcodes. If one or more vial barcodes does not match with an existing sample in eLabInventory, then the add-on will require the user to create corresponding sample records.
To import the new samples, select the desired rack positions from the list and a sample type template from the Sample type to import dropdown. Users can select which fields they want to include in the import template, as well as whether to also assign the barcode as the sample’s name. Click the Start Import from VisionMate button to begin the import.
On the next page, insert the sample details into the table and click the Import button to generate the sample records.
Note: for more information on inputting data into the import template, refer to the Sample Batch Import add-on instructions.
The samples will be automatically uploaded to the corresponding rack positions within the Inventory Browser.
3 - Syncing rack
When the scan file is initially uploaded, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on will check to see if there are any existing records that correspond to the rack and vials barcodes in eLabInventory. For any existing samples, the add-on will verify whether their positions in eLabInventory match those listed in the uploaded scan file. If not, then the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on will request to update the sample positions to match the scan file’s information. Click the Ok button to confirm the action and automatically sync the sample positions with the scan file.
Note: if a sample that was previously stored in the rack has been removed in the most recent scan, eLabInventory will assign the sample record's position as "Unspecified."
Performing Sample Actions
Once the rack and barcodes samples have all been identified in eLabInventory and the contents of the scanned rack are in-sync, the VisionMate™ Barcode Reader add-on allows users to perform sample actions on the samples stored in the rack.
The following actions are supported:
- Sample Check-out – Samples are marked as checked out from the box (i.e to indicate that the samples were taken from the freezer). This action is automatically logged in the sample log.
- Sample Check-in – Samples marked as checked in can be returned to the freezer. This action is automatically logged in the sample log.
- Archive Samples – Samples are moved to the sample archive. Note: for archived samples, the vial barcode remains stored in eLabInventory and cannot be reused for new samples in accordance with GLP compliance.
- Sample quantity - sample quantity can be updated
- Sample parent - sample parent field can be updated