Abstract

In the near future, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and robotics of analytical procedures will make their entry in the laboratory. The first steps in this field have already been made. For both systems, the major objective is to acquire sample data in an accurate, fast and reliable way. This report will describe in what way rapid and efficient data acquisition can be performed. Obviously, barcode technology is the method preferred for a rapid and reliable input of data from samples in a computer system. Before implementing barcode technology in a laboratory, a suitable logisitic organisation has to be chosen. For an analytical laboratory like the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry (LAC) and the Laboratory of Organic-analytical Chemistry (LOC), the follow/correlation method would be the method of choice, although the correlation method is preferable for mechanical processes. From a comparison of five different barcode symbologies ("languages"), code 128 seems to be most suitable, because it is compact and it uses a large characterset. The choice of barcode reading facility is dependent on the type of barcode symbology and the density of the barcode label. A full integration of barcode technology in the laboratory can only be achieved if a profound study is performed on the production/organisation.