Brother Introduces Laboratory Slide Label Printing Solution

Bridgewater, NJ - According to published work from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Boone, 2003), billions of tests are performed each year in U.S. medical laboratories, affecting more than two-thirds of all medical decisions. Accurately communicating these test results is critical for the medical decisions that affect patient care. In response to this issue, Brother International Corporation, the leading manufacturer of professional labeling systems, has introduced an efficient and cost-effective laboratory slide label printing solution, which includes their new 23mm, DK-1221 slide labels.

"In working with PathLogix Corporation, we learned that there was a need for a legible, cost-effective way to label laboratory slides. Other printing solutions are expensive, and many lab technicians still hand write information on the slide labels. This is an inefficient, unprofessional, and oftentimes illegible way to communicate extremely important information. The Brother QL Series label printers can help to reduce the mistakes that occur when handwritten labels are misread," says John Biancamano, Brother Product Manager.

For Laboratories

Healthcare professionals can now print highly legible, customized 23mm laboratory slide labels, and a wide variety of other label sizes, accurately and efficiently in seconds from the Brother QL Series label printers†. Labels can be printed from a number of applications, including Brother P-touch Editor labeling software, PathLogix Anatomic Pathology software, MS Word, Excel, and Access and more. P-touch Editor is included with every Brother QL Series label printer.

For Application Developers

Developers can enhance their laboratory applications by integrating this cost-effective, labeling printing solution directly into their software using Brother's software development tools.

"We needed to provide our customers with an efficient slide label printing solution that wouldn't take a bite out of their wallets, and Brother came through. Adding the capability to our Surgical Pathology software to print professional-looking, bar-coded slide labels at an affordable price has gotten us new customers as well as made our existing customers very happy. Our customers tell us that their labs now work smarter, with far fewer mistakes, thanks to the Brother slide label printing solution," says Jerry Grayson, Customer Support Manager, PathLogix Corporation.

PathLogix Anatomic Pathology software offers fast, efficient and cost-effective patient data reporting and storage for pathologists and their staffs. PathLogix modules include reports for surgical pathology, cytology, histology, and much more, including on-line reporting and requisition entry. Scalable to accommodate the single practitioner and the large institutional user, PathLogix software offers customization features that meet your AP needs.

The Brother QL Series Label Printers are perfect for a wide variety of printing applications†:

• Laboratories: Pathology, Histology, and Dermatology microscope slide labels, test tubes, Petri dishes, vials, bottles, culture samples, mixtures/preparations, and more.
• Lab Office: Mailing and shipping labels, filing, CD/DVD labels?, banners up to 3 ft long

The Brother QL Series consists of four models which cost little to run and use easy-peel and easy-to-load label rolls†. The Brother QL 500/550/650TD combine a fast print speed of 50-56 labels per minute*, crisp 300 dpi printing, low maintenance, and low cost of ownership. The Brother QL-650TD also features stand-alone printing and Time & Date labels. The Brother QL-1050 offers the same professional print quality on labels up to 4" wide, at a print speed of 69 labels per minute*.

All the Brother QL Series label printers offer Windows and Mac connectivity through a USB interface. The Brother QL-650TD and QL-1050 also offer ESC/P emulation through a serial interface for connecting directly to medical instruments, test equipment, postage scales, handheld terminals, and other stand-alone devices.

The Brother QL-650TD's estimated retail price is $199.99; the Brother QL-550's estimated retail price is $129.99. Every Brother QL Series printer includes P-touch Editor label design software, P-touch Address Book software, Windows and Mac printer drivers, a USB cable and starter label rolls†. Used together with the optional PS-9000 USB print server, the Bother QL series label printers can become a true network solution.

For more information about the Brother QL Series label printers, please call Brother at 866-395-8781. Brother's bPAC labeling software development kit can be downloaded at http://www.brother-usa.com/ptouch/software/bpac/login.aspx. Information on Pathlogix Software is available at www.pathlogix.com.

* Assumes four line address label – text only

^Not full coverage – 2 1/3" diameter

† Brother QL-500 Label Printer includes starter roll of standard address labels. Brother QL-550 Label Printer includes starter roll of standard address labels, plus starter roll of 2-3/7" continuous paper tape. Brother QL-650TD Label Printer includes one starter roll of standard address labels and one starter roll of 1" round labels. Brother QL-1050 Wide Format Label Printer includes one 2 3/7" continuous label starter roll, plus 4"x6" shipping label starter roll. All other tape and label supplies require additional purchase.

SOURCE: Brother International Corporation