Label Having an Activatable Bar Code

• US 20130177486A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Gelfand, Craig A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,691,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/547
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5453 for test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12

Abstract

A label including a label body having an upper surface and a bottom surface and a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion is disclosed. The label includes an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface for affixing the label body to a portion of a container. An excitation-activatable material arranged to contain machine readable information is disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface of the light-transmissive portion of the label body. The machine readable information is undetected by a detector in ambient light, and detectable by the detector upon application of an excitation wavelength to the excitation-activatable material.

Claims

1. A machine readable label, comprising:

a label body having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the label body comprising a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion;

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface for affixing the label body to a portion of a container;

an excitation-activatable material arranged to contain machine readable information disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface of the light-transmissive portion,

wherein the machine readable information is undetected by a detector in ambient light, and detectable by the detector upon application of an excitation wavelength to the excitation-activatable material.

2. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein opaque portion at least partially surrounds the light-transmissive portion.

3. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the opaque portion is adjacent the light-transmissive portion.

4. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the opaque portion comprises indicia printed thereon.

5. The machine readable label of claim 4, wherein the indicia comprises intended fill volume information.

6. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the label is disposed on a specimen collection container, and wherein a content of the specimen collection container is viewable through the light transmissive portion.

7. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the specimen collection container is a blood collection container.

8. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the machine readable information comprises at least one barcode.

9. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the machine readable information comprises a plurality of barcodes.

10. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a light transmissive adhesive

11. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is disposed at least partially about a perimeter of the label body.

12. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the excitation wavelength is less than about 400 nm.

13. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the excitation wavelength is from about 10 nm to about 400 nm.

14. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the excitation wavelength is greater than about 700 nm.

15. The machine readable label of claim 1, wherein the excitation wavelength is from about 750 nm to about 1 mm.

16. A machine readable label, comprising:

a light-transmissive label body having an upper surface and a bottom surface;

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface for affixing the label body to a portion of a container;

an excitation-activatable material arranged to contain machine readable information disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface,

wherein the machine readable information is undetected by a detector in ambient light, and detectable by the detector upon application of an excitation wavelength to the excitation-activatable material.

17. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the label body further comprises a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion, said opaque portion at least partially surrounding the light-transmissive portion.

18. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the label body further comprises a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion, and wherein the opaque portion is adjacent the light-transmissive portion.

19. The machine readable label of claim 18, wherein the opaque portion comprises indicia printed thereon.

20. The machine readable label of claim 19, wherein the indicia comprises intended fill volume information.

21. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the label is disposed on a specimen collection container, and wherein a content of the specimen collection container is viewable through the light transmissive portion.

22. The machine readable label of claim 21, wherein the specimen collection container is a blood collection container.

23. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the machine readable information comprises at least one barcode.

24. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the machine readable information comprises a plurality of barcodes.

25. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the adhesive is a light transmissive adhesive

26. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the adhesive is disposed at least partially about a perimeter of the label body.

27. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the excitation wavelength is less than about 400 nm.

28. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the excitation wavelength is from about 10 nm to about 400 nm.

29. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the excitation wavelength is greater than about 700 nm.

30. The machine readable label of claim 16, wherein the excitation wavelength is from about 750 nm to about 1 mm.

31. A specimen collection container, comprising:

an open top end, a closed bottom end and a sidewall extending therebetween having an exterior surface and defining a container interior adapted to receive a specimen therein, and

a machine readable label disposed on a portion of the exterior surface, the label comprising;

a label body having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the label body comprising a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion,

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface affixing the label body to a portion of the exterior surface of the sidewall of the container, and

an excitation-activatable material arranged to contain machine readable information disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface of the light-transmissive portion,

wherein the machine readable information is undetected by a detector in ambient light, and detectable by the detector upon application of an excitation wavelength to the excitation-activatable material.

32. The specimen collection container of claim 31, further comprising a closure for covering the open top end of the specimen collection container.

33. The specimen collection container of claim 31, wherein a contents of the specimen collection container is viewable through at least a portion of the label.

34. A specimen collection container, comprising:

an open top end, a closed bottom end and a sidewall extending therebetween having an exterior surface and defining a container interior adapted to receive a specimen therein, and

a machine readable label disposed on a portion of the exterior surface, the label comprising;

a light-transmissive label body having an upper surface and a bottom surface;

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface affixing the label body to a portion of the exterior surface of the sidewall of the container, and

an excitation-activatable material arranged to contain machine readable information disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface,

wherein the machine readable information is undetected by a detector in ambient light, and detectable by the detector upon application of an excitation wavelength to the excitation-activatable material.

35. The specimen collection container of claim 34, further comprising a closure for covering the open top end of the specimen collection container.

36. The specimen collection container of claim 34, wherein a contents of the specimen collection container is viewable through at least a portion of the label.