What is TubeScan and how do I use it? - LabCollector

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What is TubeScan and how do I use it?

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LabCollector TubeScan App

If you’ve arrived here from TubeScan then welcome to the KnowledgeBase!

If you don’t know about our TubeScan App yet then here’s a short description:
TubeScan is designed for the easy removal of volume and tubes from LabCollector records. It can also be used simply to get the storage information of a tube. You can scan tubes with the camera of your Android phone or even more efficiently using an Android device with a built-in scanner (check out these devices on Storage Accessories).

TubeScan is available for Android devices on the Google Play Store.

Please note
If you have LabCollector v5.31 or lower then contact us to get the correct API configuration that is compatible with the app.

Setting up your API

Set up your API in Admin > Setup > Web Services API.

1. Give the Application a name

2. Select the modules you want to include for scanning.

3. Assign a default operator

4. Click on Add

 

  • 5. The API token is a long one, so if you have LabCollector v5.31 or below it is easier to send it to yourself in an email along with the URL of your LabCollector instance so you can simply copy and paste it.

    Otherwise with LabCollector v5.4or above there is a handy barcode feature that allows you to print a barcode with this API key. Then all you have to do is scan it with your device in step 3 of the next section.

     

     

    Getting started with TubeScan:

    When you first install TubeScan you need do some configuration. On the top left corner of the home page you can find the Menu bar and follow steps 1-3 below.

     

      1. Enable/Disable camera

      • : By default the camera function is turned off. If you don’t have a built-in scanner in your device you can enable the camera to scan barcodes. You may then have to grant permission to the app to use the camera function.

     

    2. LC URL: Enter the URL of your LabCollector instance.

    3. API token: Add the API token that you generated above in the previous section.

    Now you’re ready to start scanning!

    Barcodes to scan in TubeScan:

    1.  LabCollector barcode
    This contains the ID that is assigned to your records automatically by LabCollector and is assigned to tubes in Main Storage.
    The barcode consists of this ID ending with a forward slash and the initials of the module that it comes from.
    For instance, if you scan a tube with a LabCollector barcode that comes from the Samples module, the ID of your record will appear followed by “/SP” e.g. 7308/SP.

    2.  Optional unique code
    This is a code that you can assign to a LabCollector record in the default field “Optional Unique Code”. You can then choose to use this in your barcodes instead of the default LabCollector one.
    If you have added an optional unique code to your record and you printed a label using that barcode then you need to select this option before scanning your tube.

    3.  Aliquot
    Aliquots are the tubes that have been assigned as Secondary Storage in a LabCollector record.
    An aliquot code starts with an “A”.
    If you have chosen to use a Unique Code for your aliquot barcode please use the function Optional unique code (2) instead of the Aliquot function.

    Note:
    TubeScan only works in cases where there is separate storage for each tube i.e. for Main Storage you have one tube and for Secondary Storage one aliquot must have only one tube assigned to its record in order for the Remove Tube and Remove Volume to work. This is something that is being worked on for the next version of the app.

     

    Feedback

    If you have any suggestions for improvements for TubeScan we’d really appreciate your feedback via our support ticket system.
    Don’t forget to Rate this App on the TubeScan menu!