Barcode Scanning

Healthcare Supply Manager uses ZXing as its primary scanner with ML Kit as a backup, optimized for the stacked GS1 barcodes that healthcare products use. This guide covers all scanning features and modes.

Scanner screen with camera viewfinder and reticle overlay — The scanner screen with the alignment reticle and location selector at the top.

Supported Barcode Types

Barcode Type	Description	Data Extracted
GS1-128	Healthcare standard barcode	GTIN, Lot, Expiration, Serial
GS1 DataMatrix	2D matrix code (common on small items)	GTIN, Lot, Expiration, Serial
HIBC	Health Industry Bar Code	Product ID, Lot, Expiration
UPC/EAN	Standard retail barcodes	Product ID only
QR Code	Quick Response code	Varies by content

Basic Scanning

Tap the Scan button on the bottom navigation bar
Point your camera at the barcode
Hold steady - the app will automatically detect and scan
A success sound/vibration indicates successful scan
Review the extracted information in the bottom sheet

Scanning Tips:

Ensure adequate lighting - avoid shadows on the barcode
Hold the camera 4-8 inches from the barcode
Keep the camera steady while scanning
For small barcodes, tap to focus on the area

Understanding GS1 Barcodes

GS1 healthcare barcodes contain Application Identifiers (AIs) that encode specific data:

AI Code	Data Type	Example
(01)	GTIN (Product ID)	00312345678901
(10)	Lot/Batch Number	ABC123
(17)	Expiration Date	251231 (Dec 31, 2025)
(21)	Serial Number	XYZ789

Stacked UDI Barcode Support

Healthcare products often use stacked barcodes (two separate barcodes on the same label):

Primary Barcode: Contains GTIN (product identifier)
Secondary Barcode: Contains lot number, expiration, and serial

The app automatically handles these in two ways:

Same-frame detection: Both barcodes detected simultaneously and merged
Two-scan fallback: Scan one barcode, then scan the second within 5 seconds - they'll be combined automatically

Tip: When scanning stacked barcodes, you'll see a "Partial Barcode Detected" prompt if only one barcode is found. Simply scan the second barcode to complete.

Batch Scanning Mode

Scan multiple items rapidly with continuous scanning:

From the scanner screen, tap "Batch Mode"
Each detected barcode is added to a queue automatically
Visual and audio feedback confirms each scan
Review all scanned items before adding to inventory
Tap "Complete Batch" when finished

Shelf Scan Mode

Use Shelf Scan mode to capture every barcode visible on a shelf in a single high-resolution still:

From the scanner screen, tap the mode selector at the top.
Select Shelf Scan.
Frame the entire shelf in the viewfinder and tap the capture button.
The app captures a 4K still and runs barcode detection across the whole frame.
Detected items appear as a list with thumbnails of where each barcode was found.
Review the detections, adjust quantities if needed, and tap Save All.

Duplicate protection: Shelf Scan automatically deduplicates results by GTIN within a single capture, so a barcode that appears on three boxes of the same product is only counted once.

3D AR Shelf Overlay

While in Shelf Scan mode, the app can display detected barcodes as 3D-anchored markers that stay locked to physical positions as you move the device. Unlike traditional ARKit / ARCore experiences, this overlay uses depth-from-size estimation, so it works on every iOS and Android device with a camera — no LiDAR or special AR hardware required.

How it works

For each detected barcode, the app compares its pixel size against the expected physical size from the product catalog.
This gives an estimated distance, producing a 3D anchor in camera space.
As you move the device, the overlay re-projects the markers so they appear to "stick" to the real shelf.
Each marker shows the product name, lot, and expiration confidence at a glance.
Tap a marker to open the product details and add it to inventory.

Best results: Hold the device roughly parallel to the shelf face and avoid extreme angles. The overlay is most accurate within 30° of straight-on.

Compatibility: The 3D AR overlay is available on all Android and iOS devices that support the Healthcare Supply Manager scanner. There are no special hardware requirements — the same camera the app uses for barcode detection drives the AR view.

AI Label Reader

When a scanned barcode is missing lot number or expiration — or when you scan a brand-new product the app doesn't recognize — the AI Label Reader can extract those fields directly from a photo of the product label.

The reader is fully integrated into the scan flow:

Scan a barcode that's missing data.
The bottom sheet opens and the AI Label Reader card appears at the top, with a thumbnail of the photo it just captured.
If you have an AI provider configured, the reader runs automatically and fills in the missing fields.
If the captured photo isn't clear, tap Retake photo, frame the label, and try again.
Review the extracted values and accept them, or edit them by hand.

See the AI Features page for setup instructions, supported providers, and a tour of the reader UI.

FDA UDI Lookup

When scanning unknown products, the app can look up information from the FDA's GUDID database:

Scan a barcode that's not in your catalog
Tap "Look up in FDA Database"
The app queries the FDA GUDID API
If found, product information is pre-filled
Review and edit as needed, then save

Information retrieved includes:

Brand name and manufacturer
Device description
Product classification
Company contact information

Manual Barcode Entry

If a barcode won't scan, you can enter it manually:

Tap the keyboard icon on the scanner screen
Enter the barcode number
Select the barcode format if known
Tap "Submit"

Scan History

View your recent scans:

From the scanner screen, tap the history icon
See a list of recent scans with timestamps
Tap any item to view details or add to inventory
Swipe to delete individual history items