Difference between revisions of "Adding racks of specimens"

From Tubetracker
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 4: Line 4:
 
# First, you must tell tube.tracker&#174; where the rack will be stored. Select a destination container from the Container box. If user defaults are enabled, the preferred container will already be selected (your tube.tracker&#174; administrator can change these settings.)[[image:add_rack_main.jpg|left|frame|'''Add rack main screen''']]<br clear="all" />
 
# First, you must tell tube.tracker&#174; where the rack will be stored. Select a destination container from the Container box. If user defaults are enabled, the preferred container will already be selected (your tube.tracker&#174; administrator can change these settings.)[[image:add_rack_main.jpg|left|frame|'''Add rack main screen''']]<br clear="all" />
 
# Next, tube.tracker&#174; needs to know what kind of rack (i.e. 6x12 Standard Rack or 6x20 Long Rack) is going to be entered so it can correctly sort the number and position of the specimens. Select a rack type from the Rack Type drop down box. The system default rack type will be pre-selected.
 
# Next, tube.tracker&#174; needs to know what kind of rack (i.e. 6x12 Standard Rack or 6x20 Long Rack) is going to be entered so it can correctly sort the number and position of the specimens. Select a rack type from the Rack Type drop down box. The system default rack type will be pre-selected.
# Enter the rack's unique ID in the Rack ID box. If the racks are bar-coded, the rack label can be scanned. Every rack must have its own unique ID. However, a rack only needs to be labeled once and can keep its label after old specimens it was holding have been discarded.<br>'''Note''': ''If you supply a Rack ID that has already been recorded in tube.tracker&#174;, the system will return an error and ask for another ID. If you are tying to add additional specimens to an existing rack, see '''[[AddSpecimens][Adding Specimens to an Existing Rack]]'''.''
+
# Enter the rack's unique ID in the Rack ID box. If the racks are bar-coded, the rack label can be scanned. Every rack must have its own unique ID. However, a rack only needs to be labeled once and can keep its label after old specimens it was holding have been discarded.<br>'''Note''': ''If you supply a Rack ID that has already been recorded in tube.tracker&#174;, the system will return an error and ask for another ID. If you are tying to add additional specimens to an existing rack, see '''[[Adding Specimens to an Existing Rack]]'''.''
 
# Once you have filled out the Add New Rack screen, you may begin recording the specimens the rack holds. There are two modes of specimen entry available, Add Specimens and Bulk Add Specimens, with a corresponding button for each on the Add New Rack screen:
 
# Once you have filled out the Add New Rack screen, you may begin recording the specimens the rack holds. There are two modes of specimen entry available, Add Specimens and Bulk Add Specimens, with a corresponding button for each on the Add New Rack screen:
 
## '''Bulk Add Specimens (default)''': This is the fastest and most efficient way of entering specimens into the tube.tracker&#174;. In Bulk Add mode, as the specimens are scanned, the data are not submitted until the user is finished or the rack is filled. Then, all the specimen data are sent to the central server in one exchange. This is best used when a filled rack is being added at once. '''Note:''' ''This feature requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0+ or Netscape 6.0+''<br>''Pros'':  Can scan many tubes very quickly. Requires less network bandwidth.<br>''Cons'': Can potentially loose entered specimens if entry process is interrupted or computer crashes. Requires MS IE 4.0+
 
## '''Bulk Add Specimens (default)''': This is the fastest and most efficient way of entering specimens into the tube.tracker&#174;. In Bulk Add mode, as the specimens are scanned, the data are not submitted until the user is finished or the rack is filled. Then, all the specimen data are sent to the central server in one exchange. This is best used when a filled rack is being added at once. '''Note:''' ''This feature requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0+ or Netscape 6.0+''<br>''Pros'':  Can scan many tubes very quickly. Requires less network bandwidth.<br>''Cons'': Can potentially loose entered specimens if entry process is interrupted or computer crashes. Requires MS IE 4.0+

Revision as of 16:34, 19 December 2007

When a rack is ready for storage, the rack, the specimens it holds, and its destination must be recorded in tube.tracker®. This is a critical but relatively simple process. As an example, we will add a 6x12 rack of specimens coming off of an analyzer ready for storage into a central refrigerator.

  1. Click Add under the menu heading Racks. The Add New Rack Screen will appear.
    Add rack menu

  2. First, you must tell tube.tracker® where the rack will be stored. Select a destination container from the Container box. If user defaults are enabled, the preferred container will already be selected (your tube.tracker® administrator can change these settings.)
    Add rack main screen

  3. Next, tube.tracker® needs to know what kind of rack (i.e. 6x12 Standard Rack or 6x20 Long Rack) is going to be entered so it can correctly sort the number and position of the specimens. Select a rack type from the Rack Type drop down box. The system default rack type will be pre-selected.
  4. Enter the rack's unique ID in the Rack ID box. If the racks are bar-coded, the rack label can be scanned. Every rack must have its own unique ID. However, a rack only needs to be labeled once and can keep its label after old specimens it was holding have been discarded.
    Note: If you supply a Rack ID that has already been recorded in tube.tracker®, the system will return an error and ask for another ID. If you are tying to add additional specimens to an existing rack, see Adding Specimens to an Existing Rack.
  5. Once you have filled out the Add New Rack screen, you may begin recording the specimens the rack holds. There are two modes of specimen entry available, Add Specimens and Bulk Add Specimens, with a corresponding button for each on the Add New Rack screen:
    1. Bulk Add Specimens (default): This is the fastest and most efficient way of entering specimens into the tube.tracker®. In Bulk Add mode, as the specimens are scanned, the data are not submitted until the user is finished or the rack is filled. Then, all the specimen data are sent to the central server in one exchange. This is best used when a filled rack is being added at once. Note: This feature requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0+ or Netscape 6.0+
      Pros: Can scan many tubes very quickly. Requires less network bandwidth.
      Cons: Can potentially loose entered specimens if entry process is interrupted or computer crashes. Requires MS IE 4.0+
    2. Add Specimens (conventional): This is the most reliable mode of specimen entry. In this method, as each specimen is scanned, its information is transmitted immediately to the tube.tracker® database. Depending on computer speed, system load, and network conditions, there may be a slight delay between when a tube is scanned and when the system is ready to read the next one. This is best used when tubes are being added to a rack a few at a time over a longer period.
      Pros: Each tube is stored immediately as it is scanned. A crash while entering specimens will only require unscanned tubes to be entered. Available to any browser or platform.
      Cons: Can be significantly slower than the Bulk Add method (depending on aforementioned conditions). Increased risk of misreading specimen labels if tube is scanned before page reloads.
  6. Pressing Enter or scanning a rack label will automatically select the preferred method for the browser (Typically, Bulk Add). Otherwise, click on the Add Specimens button for conventional mode or the Bulk Add Specimens button for Bulk mode.
  7. After selecting a specimen input method, you will be presented with the specimen input screen. The look and function of both input methods are very similar, differing in only a couple key ways.

Bulk Add Method

Bulk specimen entry screen

  1. The first item to note in the Bulk Add Specimens screen is the top lines confirming the current entry method, rack ID, and destination container. Users should confirm these details before scanning tubes
    Bulk specimen entry denote lines

  2. Next, let's examine the graphical representation of the rack located on the left side of the screen. If the correct rack type was specified in the previous screen, the picture should correspond to the rack being entered. In this case, we asked for a 6x12 rack, so the results we obtained match.
    Notice that the rows and columns are labeled. With this, each position in the rack can be identified using two numbers. Position 2-3 refers to the second column, third row. Notice row numbers increase from bottom to top and column number increase from left to right.
    Each square in this grid represents a specimen, or an open space where a specimen tube can be stored in the rack. Different colors represent the following:
    • The blue square (1-1 in this figure) indicates the current position of specimen input. It will start in position 1-1 and will increment one space every time a specimen tube is scanned.
    • Red circles indicate previously scanned specimens.
    • Green circles represent specimens that have been added but not saved yet.
    • White squares show unscanned or open positions on the rack. These are only found using Bulk Add.
  3. Holding the mouse pointer over a specimen will reveal a popup window containing the specimen's ID. This is quick and easy method of verifying previously scanned specimens. Since this is a new rack, all of the spaces are empty
    Graphical representation of rack

  4. The specimen data portion of the screen shows the details of the scanning process.
    • Last ID Entered: displays the most recently scanned Specimen ID. If no specimens have been scanned yet, this line will display N/A.
    • Current Position: indicates the position in the rack where tube.tracker® is expecting the next specimen to be scanned. This should correspond to the blue box in the graphical rack representation to the left.
    • Add Note: Click this checkbox to show the text area in which you can attach a note to the current specimen.
    • Specimen ID: where the current specimen ID is entered or scanned.
      Specimen entry screen portion

  5. To add a specimen:
    1. Make sure the current position (represented by the blue square) matches the actual position of the specimen tube in the rack. When scanning specimens, tube.tracker® automatically moves the current position forward to the next empty space.
      If the current position is not correct, click on the correct position in the grid and tube.tracker® will move the blue marker to the correct position.
    2. Add the Specimen ID in the box labeled Specimen ID. This action is typically performed by a barcode scanner reading the specimen label. However, keyboard input is accepted here too. When using keyboard entry, pressing Enter after inputting the Specimen ID will submit the Specimen ID and advance the current position.
      Bulk entry change position screen

  6. To correct an entered specimen:
    1. If, while entering tubes, you find you have placed an incorrect Specimen ID in one of the spots on the rack, you can change this by clicking on that position.
    2. The blue square will appear over the rack position. Type in a correct Specimen ID for this specimen and press enter. The current ID will be replaced by whatever you type.
      You can use this method to select any position on the rack for specimen entry.
  7. IMPORTANT: When using the Bulk Add method of specimen entry, the user must save the newly added specimens (shown in green) when finished scanning. This can be done in two ways:
    • If the rack is filled by scanning a specimen into the last position, tube.tracker® will automatically save the rack.
    • If the user wishes to save a rack without filling it to capacity, the user should click the Save Rack button. This will submit the specimen data and save the rack. After a rack is saved, the user will be presented with the Add New Rack page.
  8. Add a note to the specimen if applicable. Click on the Add Note checkbox. This will display the note text area in which the note can be typed. One important workflow item to highlight is that if the Add Note checkbox is checked pressing Enter or scanning in a tube will automatically move the cursor into the note text area. If the Add Note box is not checked, pressing Enter or scanning in a tube will add the specimen to the rack.
  9. Add the specimen to the rack. You can do this one of two ways:
    1. Press Enter (or scan a tube).
    2. Use the shortcut key - Ctrl-Q. When the note text area is displayed you will need to use this method or method three.
    3. Click the Add Spec button.
  10. Clicking the Cancel button will cause a confirmation dialog box to appear. Clicking OK will abort the operation and all specimens scanned will be discarded and not stored. Clicking Cancel will allow the user to continue to add specimens.

Conventional Add Method

  1. Appearance and functionality of the Conventional Add Method is very similar to the Bulk Add Method listed above. Please read the above section for basic specimen input information. Differences will be highlighted below.
  2. Similar to the Bulk Add Method, the top lines of the page will display the current entry method, rack ID, and destination container. Users should confirm these details before scanning in specimens
    Conventional entry denote lines

  3. The appearance and functionality of the Conventional Add Method is very similar to the Bulk Add Method described above.
  4. The graphical rack representation is identical in look and feel to the Bulk Entry Method. The red square indicates current position. Red circles represent scanned specimens. Holding the mouse pointer over a red circle will display a popup containing the Specimen ID. Rack positions are represented in X-Y format. Please refer to the Bulk Add section above for more information.
    Conventional specimen entry screen

  5. The entry process is identical to the Bulk Method except for a few minor differences:
    1. When the Add Note box is checked and the note text area is displayed, pressing Enter or scanning in a tube will NOT advance the cursor to the note text area, instead the specimen will be added to the rack.
    2. There is no shortcut key (Ctrl-Q) available in the conventional specimen entry method.
  6. The reasons for these differences can be attributed to older internet browser compatibility.
  7. Unlike the Bulk Add Method, specimens are stored immediately. Since the specimens are stored immediately, there may be a brief delay before the browser is ready to accept the next specimen. The user must be observant of this behavior. A specimen may not get entered correctly if the previous specimen has not had a change to get entered into the rack.
  8. When a rack is filled, the user will be returned to the Add New Rack Screen. If the user is finished adding tubes to a rack before the rack fills, clicking Close Rack will end the adding process.

Back to Online Documentation