Laboratory Labelling System has Clear Advantages for Samples at Clinical Research Facility

The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (CRF) in Birmingham has implemented a Brady IP™ Printing System, saving valuable time and creating clear, durable labels which withstand low-temperature sample storage.

Based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, the Wellcome Trust CRF offers an unrivalled environment for high quality patient-oriented research, carrying out Phase 1 up to Phase 4 clinical trials as well as experimental medicine.

According to Dr Julie Williams, Translational Scientist and Laboratory Manager at the CRF: “Around 5,000 patients pass through our facility each year, generating some 2,000 blood, urine and other samples which have to be accurately labelled in accordance with MHRA regulations governing clinical trials. Once these samples are divided up, as many as 160 tubes require labelling with the date, study number, patient number, sample number and other information.”

A Brady IP™ 300 dpi Printer, together with Brady’s CodeSoft™ label software and innovative FreezerBondz™ labels, was chosen as the ideal solution to the CRF’s labelling requirements.

Designed for high performance on-demand printing, the Brady IP™ Printer automatically recognises the label material and ribbon loaded, checking the correct match and monitoring usage. The latest version of CodeSoft offers multiple wizards, making label design and incorporation of barcodes easier and faster than ever.

Julie Williams commented: “Printing labels saves us so much time compared with hand-writing on tubes and we can now add barcoding. CodeSoft includes a good auto date feature and makes it simple to set up a template for each study, so that every label includes the correct data types in the sequence specified by the study protocol. We use Brady’s Freezerbondz labels in various sizes, for 0.5ml up to 20ml tubes, and the printed information remains clearly readable whether samples are placed in a 37ºC water bath or stored in a –80ºC freezer. The ability of the Freezerbondz material to stick to already frozen tubes is an important advantage.”