Biospecimen label de-identification is the removal of all 18 HIPAA Safe Harbor IDs (45 CFR §164.514(b)) from the printed tag. anonym.plus reads it on your device. The sample code can stay; the donor's name and dates go.
When this applies
A biobank ships samples to a partner lab. The tag photo still shows a person's name, a birth date, and a collection date.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the image or sheet in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads the printed text on the tag or photo.
- The tool flags the donor name, birth date, and collection date.
- Confirm the flags and keep the neutral sample code.
- Black out the personal fields, or swap them for a code.
- Save the cleaned image locally with no upload.
What you need to provide
- The tag (image scan, photo, PDF, or sheet).
- An operator: Redact the name, Replace the date with a code.
- Optional: a code map if you re-link samples later.
PHI entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Donor | PERSON | donor Yusuf Demir → [DONOR] |
| Birth date | DATE_TIME | DOB 30/11/1971 → [DOB] |
| Collection | DATE_TIME | drawn 06/06/2026 → [DATE] |
| Site | LOCATION | Biobank Izmir → [SITE] |
| Sample code | ID | SAMP-7781 (kept) → [SAMPLE_CODE] |
| National ID | NATIONAL_ID | TC 12345678901 → [ID] |
Compliance achieved
- Strips all 18 ID classes for HIPAA Safe Harbor (45 CFR §164.514(b)).
- Runs offline, so the tool itself needs no BAA.
- On-device AES-256-GCM guards the working image.
- Supports GDPR Art. 9 for EU donor data.
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Limitations & cautions
A printed barcode can still encode a name or birth date. The tool blacks out the readable text, but a 2D code may hold hidden fields. Check what your barcode scheme encodes before you treat the tag as safe.
Frequently asked questions
What is a biospecimen label?
It is the tag on a tube or slide that identifies the donor and the sample. It often prints a name and dates. A clean tag lets a partner lab handle the sample without learning who the donor is.
Can it read a tag photo?
Yes. Local OCR reads printed text in a photo or scan, then flags the name and dates for you to redact.
What about the barcode?
The tool removes readable text. A barcode can still encode private fields, so confirm your scheme before you call the tag de-identified.