In healthcare, virtually every workflow has the potential to affect patient outcomes—even processes that take place in areas that aren’t patient-facing, like the lab or back of the pharmacy. The potential impact on patients puts a premium on the performance, accuracy, reliability, and safety of every device, even something that seems as routine as a barcode scanner.

Healthcare providers who are focused on maximizing productivity and effectiveness often choose Zebra DS8100 Series Barcode Scanners. Zebra’s lineup includes two models that are purpose-built for healthcare: the corded DS8108-HC and cordless DS8178-HC. Both models incorporate Zebra’s industry-leading scanning technology and deliver the ability to instantly capture even the most challenging barcodes.

Here’s a brief look at seven built-for-healthcare features that make these scanners the first choice for labs, pharmacies, mobile workstations, and other hospital applications:

Unparalleled barcode scanning performance on virtually any barcode

DS8100-HC healthcare scanners combine a powerful 800 MHz microprocessor, class-leading sensor resolution, and Zebra’s exclusive PRZM Intelligent Imaging technology to instantly capture even troublesome barcodes found in pharmacies, labs and at the point-of-care — including tiny labels, curved barcodes on medicine bottles, IV bags, syringes, specimen trays, and biopsy cassettes.

Purpose-built housing protects against the spread of infection

The DS8100-HC Series uses a specially designed housing and special plastics that allow for frequent cleaning with a wide range of aggressive disinfectants used in today’s hospitals and labs. The housing even features concealed screw holes and seams to reduce the areas where bacteria can hide after a wipe-down.

Flexible feedback modes

Both the corded DS8108-HC and the cordless DS8178-HC offer several easy-to-configure feedback modes that optimize performance in any hospital application. Lab techs can select between haptic/vibration, a visual LED, or a fully adjustable beep tone to confirm each specimen was properly scanned. There’s even a Night Mode that allows users to quickly toggle between an audible beep and vibration with a quick press of the trigger.

Green LED aimer

Thanks to a highly visible and safe green LED aimer, the DS8100-HC Series is safe for use in areas where the use of laser aimers is not advised. And the green aimer and white illumination LEDs reduce the likelihood of triggering PTSD episodes.

Easily capture UDI information and blood bag data

Zebra’s exclusive DataCapture DNA tools make it easy for clinicians to capture data to help protect patient safety and improve inventory management. Their Blood Bag Parse+ feature allows clinicians to capture all the data required on every blood bag — including blood type, date of donation, donation location and expiration date — with a single scan. And their UDI Scan+ feature can automatically parse and format Unique Device Identification (UDI) information on medical device labels.

 Compact USB powered cradles fit crowded workstations

DS8100 series scanners feature a small-footprint presentation cradle that easily fits into the most crowded workstations, whether that’s in the lab, at the nurses’ station, or a mobile workstation-on-wheels.

Double-duty workstation lamp

The DS8100-HC series features a built-in lamp that can deliver spot illumination for any workspace; lab and pharmacy users won’t need additional lighting to read small labels and nurses won’t disturb sleeping patients by turning on the room lights.

Delivering the very best in care every day requires tools you can count on in every area of the hospital from patient admissions to the bedside and in the lab or pharmacy. Contact Tri-State Business Systems to learn more about the benefits of Zebra barcode scanners that are purpose-built for healthcare applications.

It’s hard out there for a barcode label.

That goes double for labels on pallets and packages moving through warehouses, fulfillment centers, and shipping operations that aren’t exactly warm and cozy. Fast-moving conveyors, constant pushing and shoving, the occasional tumble, and a range of other indignities degrade not only their looks but threaten their performance, too. And, if the rough handling doesn’t get them, dust, dirt, condensation, and a host of other bad actors are always lurking, trying to ensure they never scan again.

A trip through the supply chain might leave labels torn, smudged, covered with shrink-wrap or tape, and just generally degraded in ways that your barcode workflows never imagined. So, if you want to keep things moving, you better have barcoding tools that make the most of sub-optimal conditions, i.e., the real world.

Rugged environments require rugged solutions, and one place to start is with the barcode itself. But is one barcode format really more rugged than any other?

In many supply chain applications, the answer is yes, there are certain barcodes that are better suited to deliver results. One of these tougher-than-the-rest barcode formats is PDF417.

PDF417 is a high-density, 2-dimensional barcode format that can store a large amount of data in alpha/numeric, binary, and graphic formats. The name PDF417 is derived from the fact that it’s a portable data file (PDF) made up of four bars where each bar is 17 units long.

Like most 2D barcodes, PDF417 can pack a lot of information into a small space, with a theoretical upper limit equivalent to 1800 ASCII characters. Real-world factors limit data to the practical storage capacity somewhat, but that still allows for plenty of data for just about any distribution or track-and-trace application.

Most importantly, the PDF417 format uses built-in error correction that allows the barcode to endure a level of damage without causing data loss or impacting scanability. The level of error correction built into a specific PDF417 barcode can be varied depending on the amount of damage the label is expected to receive, giving users the ability to build additional damage tolerance into their solutions.

These capabilities create such a robust barcode format that major shippers like the US Postal Service and FedEx have adopted the PDF417 format for their postage and shipping labels.

But, even when you’re using a robust barcode format, you’re going to need ultra-rugged scanners that can withstand the same challenging conditions.

That’s where Zebra’s DS3600 Ultra-Rugged Barcode Scanners come into play.

The DS3600 series includes seven ultra-rugged scanners that are built to withstand the unique conditions and rough handling that are routinely encountered in industrial environments. Drops to concrete, spills, dust, heat, cold, rain, snow, and more — Zebra understands your scanners must survive them all. That’s why DS3600 scanners are the only devices in this class that are dust-tight, spray-proof, and waterproofed to IP68. Cordless models even include an IP65-sealed cradle for a complete rugged cordless solution.

The lineup includes corded and cordless models, plus models for standard or extended range, high-density barcodes, direct part marks, and just about any other warehouse application.

Zebra packed the DS3600 Series with the PRZM Intelligent Imaging Technology that has made their barcode technology the industry leader. Virtually any barcode format can be scanned in almost any condition — scratched, dirty, poorly printed, direct part marks, high density, and even under shrink-wrap or frosted condensation. The result is first-time, every time scanning performance that eliminates rescanning and other barcode-related slowdowns.

From robust barcodes to ultra-rugged scanners, Tri-State Business Systems can help you build a barcoding solution that can stand up to the toughest conditions.

As a long-time Zebra partner, we’ve seen customer after customer benefit from the value, performance and reliability of Zebra’s industry-leading industrial label printers. If you need 4- or 6-inch labels for shipping, product identification, RFID or just about any other application, Zebra’s lineup of ZT400, ZT500 and ZT600 Series printers deliver proven performance and lasting durability in just about any application, from the manufacturing floor throughout the entire supply chain.

But what if your label printing requirements run a little bigger? What if you need a full 8.5-inch print width or a printer than can handle a roll of 8-inch-wide labels for chemical drums, large-format product identification or other applications where the typical 4- or 6-inch label just isn’t large enough?

That’s where Zebra’s 220Xi4 Industrial Label Printer shines.

The 220Xi4 offers crisp, high-resolution thermal-transfer or direct-thermal printing that can accommodate 8-inch labels for a variety of industry-compliant large-format labeling requirements.

Most importantly, the 220Xi4 is all-Zebra right to the core. Like every other Zebra Industrial Printer, it is built to support mission-critical labeling requirements day after day and year after year under the toughest conditions. The 220Xi4 features rugged, all-metal construction. This includes a durable metal printhead mechanism that’s engineered to deliver outstanding print quality over the long haul, reducing or eliminating downtime associated with other printers that require more frequent printhead replacement.

All of the 220Xi4 printer’s operating mechanisms are designed to block out dust and dirt that are the bane of lesser printers, but all-to-common in the industrial environments for which the 220Xi4 is designed. It even features a clear bi-fold media door that gives you a clear view of remaining labels while allowing for a narrower opening radius that makes it a better fit for tight spaces.

Easy to Integrate

Like every Zebra printer, the 220Xi4 large-format label printer is designed to be easy to integrate into your operations, requiring minimal IT support. In addition to heavy-duty construction that reduces downtime, it ships with a variety of ZebraLink™ software tools that make it a snap to configure, use and maintain, including:

• Zebra Setup Utilities — A Windows application that makes it quick and easy to set up and configure the printer right out of the box.
• ZebraDesigner and ZebraDesigner Pro — Simple Windows WYSIWYG label design applications with basic and advanced features for virtually any label application.
• ZebraNet™ Bridge Enterprise — Centrally manage Zebra printers from a single PC screen anywhere on your global network.
• ZebraNet Utilities — Provides enhanced printing, conversion and administration capabilities; message management; and more.

Other features that streamline integration include a large, easy-to-read front panel that simplifies setup, a variety of network connectivity options, and built-in support for a wide range of barcode symbology’s.

The220Xi4 even offers a wireless connectivity option that frees users up from the expenses and headaches of running new wired connections to each installation.

If your label printing requirements run a little bigger than the usual shipping labels, contact Tri-State Business Systems to learn more about Zebra’s 220Xi4 8-inch Industrial Label Printer.