Custom label printer
First Claim
1. A portable label printer for printing custom sized labels on site from a continuous label paper tape roll, said printer comprising:
- a) a microprocessor means for receiving and storing a library of label information including label formats, label contents, and label sizes;
b) scanner means for scanning external machine readable indicia, said scanner means being operably connected to said microprocessor means for enabling said microprocessor means to identify selected label information in said stored library which selected label information comprises label format, label content, and label size, all of which are identified by said scanned external machine readable indicia for each label to be printed;
c) printing means connected to said microprocessor means, said printing means being operable by said microprocessor means to print, upon command, labels defined by said selected label information;
d) means for holding said roll of label paper tape;
e) perforating means connected to said microprocessor means, and operable upon command from said microprocessor means to form rupturable tear lines across the label paper tape at preselected locations dictated by said microprocessor means; and
f) drive means connected to said microprocessor means, and operable upon command from said microprocessor means to move the label paper tape through said printing means and through said perforating means, to produce a series of labels each being separated from the next by perforated tear lines, which labels may be of the same or different lengths, and which labels have separate selected label information printed thereon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The label printer uses a continuous strip of label paper on which customized size labels are printed. The printer is operated by a microprocessor into which label criteria, such as size, print content, type, and the like are inputted. Specimen tubes having machine readable labels on them are scanned by a scanner connected to the microprocessor so as to identify the respective sizes of the specimen tubes, and type of label desired. The printer has a label paper strip perforator which is controlled by the microprocessor so as to produce properly sized labels for affixation to the specimen tubes. The printed labels can be used for different lab labeling requirements such as slides or other tubes for aliquots of the original specimen sample.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A portable label printer for printing custom sized labels on site from a continuous label paper tape roll, said printer comprising:
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a) a microprocessor means for receiving and storing a library of label information including label formats, label contents, and label sizes; b) scanner means for scanning external machine readable indicia, said scanner means being operably connected to said microprocessor means for enabling said microprocessor means to identify selected label information in said stored library which selected label information comprises label format, label content, and label size, all of which are identified by said scanned external machine readable indicia for each label to be printed; c) printing means connected to said microprocessor means, said printing means being operable by said microprocessor means to print, upon command, labels defined by said selected label information; d) means for holding said roll of label paper tape; e) perforating means connected to said microprocessor means, and operable upon command from said microprocessor means to form rupturable tear lines across the label paper tape at preselected locations dictated by said microprocessor means; and f) drive means connected to said microprocessor means, and operable upon command from said microprocessor means to move the label paper tape through said printing means and through said perforating means, to produce a series of labels each being separated from the next by perforated tear lines, which labels may be of the same or different lengths, and which labels have separate selected label information printed thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of forming a series of adjacent medical patient specimen testing labels from a supply strip of label tape, which adjacent labels are customized for affixation to different specimen carriers;
- and which adjacent labels display specimen testing instructions for performing different specimen tests, said method comprising the steps of;
a) providing a source of specimen testing information and specimen tube type information; b) providing a supply of said label tape; c) printing a series of adjacent labels on said tape, with different specimen testing instructions on at least two of said adjacent labels; and d) forming perforated tear lines in said tape between each of the adjacent labels in said series, to form at least two different separable labels in said series. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
- and which adjacent labels display specimen testing instructions for performing different specimen tests, said method comprising the steps of;
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9. A method for forming a series of adjacent medical patient specimen testing labels from a supply strip of label tape, which adjacent labels are customized for affixation to different specimen carriers, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a source of specimen testing information and specimen tube type information; b) providing a source of patient identification information which is correlated to said testing and tube type information; c) printing a series of adjacent labels on said tape, at least two of said adjacent labels having different specimen testing instructions printed thereon, and each of the labels in said series having the same patient identification information printed thereon; and d) forming perforated lines in said tape between each of the adjacent labels in said series to form at least two of the adjacent labels with different sizes from each other.
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Specification