Types of Scanners
Cost is a key consideration when making a decision about what type of scanners you are going to implement. But don’t forget that cost is only one factor. There are other issues to think about that will have a definite impact on your success in improving patient safety through up-to-date patient ID products and applications. Aside from evaluating the type of product you are going to buy, consider:
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- Tethered or wireless devices – How will caregivers interact with the devices? Will one type be better accepted than the other? What about loss or theft? Are these concerns serious enough that they should inform your decision?
- Standard or ruggedized products – Unfortunately, accidents happen and scanners can fall and break. Are there ruggedized products that may cost more but will save you in repair fees?
- Form-factor – there are devices in a variety of sizes. What would work well in your facility? Are there different styles of product (same technology inside) that could be introduced in locations throughout your facility?
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Laser scanners
The most common type of portable scanners used today, these tend to be quick and precise and can often read more condensed barcodes than other technologies. A primary advantage of a laser scanner is depth of focus - these scanners generally have a greater range of distance in which they’re successful. Since the laser beam is swept horizontally at a fixed angle, the length of the scan line on the target increases as the distance increases; if a barcode is too wide for the laser beam, you can just back up a bit.
“Charge-Coupled Devices”
Also known as CCD, this device sees a cross-section of the whole barcode at once. CCD scanners with 2-dimensional arrays are available for use with some 2D barcodes. One potential drawback of this technology is the while CCD scanners do not have to be in direct contact with the surface of the barcode, their depth of focus is limited - so you have to be very close to the barcode to read it. Also, the width of the CCD sensor array limits the maximum width of a barcode that can be scanned; barcodes wider than the scanner cannot be read.
Imagers
These devices capture an image like a digital camera does, and then decode the image internally to report the barcode data . . . it’s almost like a digital photo that is decoded and translated to usable data. These devices have become more affordable, and today linear and 2D imagers compete head-to-head with laser scanners on price and performance. |
