Laboratory use of the personal computer: a program in MS-DOS BASIC, for generating specimen labels and data sheets for electron microscopy.

Conventionally, all specimen vial and block labels are handwritten or typed, a labor-intensive process open to human error, particularly in a lab that processes large numbers of samples. The computer program described in this report was developed to reduce or eliminate this problem. The program is menu-driven, asking specific information from the user, and runs on an IBM PC (or compatible). It is designed to accurately produce specimen collection vial labels, resin block labels, and data sheets for inclusion in a research notebook. A task that in the past may have required much time at the typewriter can now be accomplished without error in a few minutes. Although designed to fit the needs of a pathology laboratory, the program (written in BASIC) can be easily modified to fit other applications.