Patent attributes
A bar code reader (2) for a medical device (3) is configured to be attached to a central communication device (1) to which at least one medical device (3) is attachable. The bar code reader (2) comprises a bar code scanning device (21) for scanning a bar code (4), a processing device (22) for decoding the scanned bar code (4) to obtain decoded bar code data which is contained in the scanned bar code (4), and a connection line (24) for outputting the decoded bar code data to the central communication device (1). The processing device (22) herein is operative to decode bar codes (4) of different bar code types. Furthermore, the processing device (22) is configured to map the decoded bar code data to a predefined standardized output format and to output the decoded bar code data in the predefined standardized output format via the connection line (24). Thus, a bar code reader and a method for processing a bar code scanned by a bar code reader are provided which are capable of reading and interpreting bar codes of a variety of different types and allow for outputting the data contained in a bar code in a manner such that a central communication device to which the bar code reader is attached may easily interpret the data.
