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The QR Code was invented in 1994 by Denso (now Denso Wave), one of Toyota Motor Corporation's group
companies. It was approved as an ISO international standard symbol (ISO/IEC 18004) in June 2000. Prior to this,
QR Codes had already been acknowledged by the AIM and JIS standards. This two-dimensional symbol was
initially created for the production control of automotive parts. However, as the specification has been made
available for use by any person or organization, QR Codes are widely used now. Most mobile phones in Japan
feature a camera with software that can read and decode information contained in a QR Code, which has literally
made the symbol ubiquitous in Japanese daily life. QR Codes are not only visible everywhere and every
day in Japan, but they are also scanned by many people in Japan simply by using their cell phones.
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Characteristics of QR Codes are
- Much higher data density than a linear symbol
- Fits in smaller space
- Damage-resistant and quick-to-read
- User selectable error correction level (7, 15, 25, 30% of code words) |
Fig. 1.5.1-1 QR Code
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The most popular use of QR Codes in Japan is to carry the encoded URL of a mobile
website (see 4.3 for Mobile Applications). Almost 90% of Japanese mobile phones are equipped with a QR
Code decoder, a higher percentage than phones with EAN-8/13 decoders. Many companies use the QR Code
as a means to connect and communicate with their customers (see 4.3).
The QR Code is considered to be "the 2-D Symbol" by most
Japanese. It is now used to encode information related to traceability
in various supply chains. Within the food supply chain, an
increasing number of manufacturers are using QR Codes to trace
raw ingredients from the supplier through the manufacturing
processes by encoding GS1 Application Identifiers (see 1.5.2 and
4.2).
Government organizations recommending traceability clearly
acknowledge the QR Code as an optional data carrier for implementing
a traceability system. QR Codes are typically used in
labels too small for GS1-128. |
Fig. 1.5.1-3 GS1 AI in QR Code
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The QR Code presently finds a wide range of applications in various industries.
(1)Prescription for dispensing pharmacies |
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A new service has started in which prescription data is encoded
into QR Codes and printed on prescriptions. The specifications
for recording the data are standardized by the Japanese
Association of Healthcare Information System Industry (JAHIS).
In this service, users read prescription data with a scanner,
which enters patient and prescription data quickly and accurately
into the computer, preventing input errors and alterations
of prescriptions. Because the service reduces time
required for data input, waiting time becomes shorter for
patients while pharmacists can spend longer time giving
instructions on dosage and administration.
Data to be encoded include information on the medical institution,
diagnosis and treatment department, physician's name,
patient's name, health insurance information, and drug information.
Coded information complies with the data exchange
standard of HL7 with which GS1 concludes a Memorandum of
Understanding for collaboration. |
(2) Standardization at the Japan Association of Medical Equipment Industries |
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GTIN and serial numbers are coded into QR Code and directly
marked on steel surgical instruments. (For more details, see
4.1.2.3) |
(3) Test System for Blood Specimens |
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Medical laboratories analyze and test medical specimens such
as blood as commissioned by medical institutions. These specimens
must be accurately managed and identified individually
because a great number of specimens are handled every day
for individual hospitals, test types, and test times.
At some laboratories QR code labels are automatically printed
marked and attached by labeling equipment. Data include
acceptance date, medical institution name (in Chinese characters),
analysis/test item code, test site code, and identification
number. |
(4)Sales Management of Glasses and Contact Lenses |
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QR Codes are used for the sales management of contact lenses
and glasses. For a contact lens, the product code, product
name, degree of correction, base curve, and other information
are encoded into a QR Code of about 8 square mm size. The
code is printed on the lens container, and the information is
used for point-of-sales or inventory management. |
(5)Visitor Management System |
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At various exhibitions, seminars, and receptions QR codes on
the ID badges of visitors and/or event staff are scanned when
they enter and exit the venue, and used for various purposes
such as on-site security management, marketing management,
and customer management. For example, QR code was
used in the Expo 2005 Aichi Japan for the staff/vehicle entry
control. |
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