Versatile code reader from Absolute Vision

The AV2 Phasor extends Absolute Vision's range into RSS, which is finding increasing use in the pharmaceutical industry as drug companies need to place a considerable amount of information in a small label space.

This new code, which is smaller than the traditional bar code … is being widely adopted by a number of key players in the pharmaceutical market, initially in the US, but now increasingly in Europe, according to Charlie Plain-Jones, sales manager at Absolute Vision.

However, in addition to its ability to read conventional barcodes, the AV2 Phasor is specifically designed to handle 2D Data Matrix marking, which takes the form of a series of dots on a tiny grid. Absolute Vision The company believes that this code is particularly suited for the labelling of the tiny vessels used in high-throughput screening (HTS) of drugs, which are used on tubes compatible with 384 racks developed by Abgene and The Automation Partnership.

"The AV2 Phasor is based around a mega-pixel recognition system. This ensures not only high speed reading but also an improved image resolution, which delivers the highest level of first-time reads on these new, ultra dense codes," he said.​

This multi reading capability is an obvious business benefit for any company that may be handling products with a mix of marks, according to Absolute Vision.​

The AV2 Phasor is available as either a palm-held reader, a detachable pistol grip, or in a fixed head configuration. Users can also choose between using RS-232 or USB serial cable or cordless Bluetooth communications with a 90 metre operating range. It runs on a Li-ION battery that allows more than 4,000 reads before requiring recharging and features a timestamp for logging data in either real-time or batch mode.​