I am an engineer working for a company that is developing an embedding
cassette storage and retrieval computer system. This is your chance to
develop a product the way you want it to work. I would like to get some
feedback in order to fine-tune our initial assumptions about the way labs
handle these cassettes and slides. We have noticed that many labs and
hospitals do not have a standardized method for marking, storing, tracking
and retrieving the cassettes and slides. We are developing a computer
program that will tell you exactly where a specific cassette or slide is
being kept, when it was put there, and by whom.

If you could please take some time to answer some of my questions:

1. What kind of numbers/letters do you use to label cassettes and slides?
a. Is it a 6-digit number with postfix letters?
b. Does it include the initials of the writer?
c. Any other data?
d. Are the numbers/letters labelled all in one line? Or do you have so much
information you need two lines?
2. How is this number marked on the cassette?
a. With a labelling machine (like Shurmark or microwriter)?
b. By hand (pen or pencil)?
3. How are the cassette numbers entered into the computer system?
a. Before or after processing?
b. Manually typed in?
c. Would it be beneficial to enter these numbers automatically by using a
computer program to scan the numbers on the cassettes?
4. How many levels of cassette location would be needed?
a. Room, Shelf, Cabinet, Drawer, Position...
5. What information would want to be included with the cassette location?
a. Date, user, doctor, the numbers of the slides associated with that
block...
6. What additional equipment would you be willing to purchase?
a. The program can work simply as a stand-alone piece of software. Would you
be willing to purchase an automatic labelling machine? A device to
automatically scan the cassette numbers and input them into the computer
program? A paraffin trimmer to remove excess wax so that the numbers can be
scanned correctly? Plastic cabinets to properly store cassettes and slides?

I think that will be enough for now. Thank you for taking the time to read
and digest all of this. If you have any further comments or questions please
don't hesitate to respond.

Paul Sharman