U.S. patent application number 12/545576 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-25 for systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for managing blood processing procedures.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fenwal, Inc.. Invention is credited to Grant Benjamin, Alfons Conley, Urmi Desai, Rebecca Lauseng, Art Marshall, Dale Meixelsperger, Doug Newlin, Jonathan Prendergast.
Application Number | 20100049542 12/545576 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41697181 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100049542 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Benjamin; Grant ; et
al. |
February 25, 2010 |
SYSTEMS, ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE, AND METHODS FOR MANAGING BLOOD
PROCESSING PROCEDURES
Abstract
Systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for managing blood
processing operations and data for one or more blood component
collection facilities are provided. An example system for
networking the blood component collection facility includes a
system computer including a memory and a communication interface.
The system computer is linked to a plurality of input devices for
tracking donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component
collection instruments with respect to one or more blood product
collection procedures. The system computer is also linked to at
least one administrative level computing device to monitor blood
component collection activities throughout the blood component
collection facility and to facilitate decision making with respect
to allocation of at least one of donors, operators, soft goods, and
blood component collection instruments based on information
regarding at least one of donors, operators, soft goods, and blood
component collection instruments.
Inventors: |
Benjamin; Grant; (Ingleside,
IL) ; Conley; Alfons; (Evanston, IL) ;
Marshall; Art; (Lake Zurich, IL) ; Meixelsperger;
Dale; (Gurnee, IL) ; Newlin; Doug; (Wheaton,
IL) ; Desai; Urmi; (Carol Stream, IL) ;
Lauseng; Rebecca; (Lake Zurich, IL) ; Prendergast;
Jonathan; (Chicago, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HANLEY, FLIGHT & ZIMMERMAN, LLC
150 S. WACKER DRIVE, SUITE 2100
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
Fenwal, Inc.
Lake Zurich
IL
|
Family ID: |
41697181 |
Appl. No.: |
12/545576 |
Filed: |
August 21, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61091187 |
Aug 22, 2008 |
|
|
|
61149539 |
Feb 3, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/2 ; 705/28;
705/7.36; 707/E17.032; 715/772 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H 40/20 20180101;
G16H 10/40 20180101; G16H 20/40 20180101; G06Q 10/0637 20130101;
G06Q 10/087 20130101; G16H 10/60 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/2 ; 705/8;
705/9; 705/10; 705/28; 715/772; 707/10; 707/E17.032 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 50/00 20060101
G06Q050/00; G06Q 10/00 20060101 G06Q010/00; G06F 17/40 20060101
G06F017/40; G06F 3/048 20060101 G06F003/048 |
Claims
1. In a blood component collection facility comprising a plurality
of separately operable blood component collection instruments, a
system for networking the blood component collection facility
comprising: a system computer comprising a memory and a
communication interface, the system computer being linked to a
plurality of input devices for tracking donors, operators, soft
goods, and blood component collection instruments with respect to
one or more blood product collection procedures, the system
computer also being linked to at least one administrative level
computing device to monitor blood component collection activities
throughout the blood component collection facility and to
facilitate decision making with respect to allocation of at least
one of donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component
collection instruments based on information regarding at least one
of donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component collection
instruments.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input devices
comprises a donor identifier, an operator identifier, a soft goods
identifier, and a blood component collection instrument identifier
to track location and activity of the donor, operator, soft goods,
and blood component collection instrument.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one administrative
level computing device provides operator-specific prompts based on
the tracking information and monitored blood product collection
activities.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein allocation of at least one of
donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component collection
instruments comprises assigning donors across collection bays of
the blood component collection facility based on the tracking
information and monitored blood product collection activities.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system computer communicates
with a remote information system to transfer information from the
blood component collection facility to the remote information
system for storage and data analysis.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data analysis includes
predicted and actual yield analysis.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the data analysis includes data
analysis to guide donor recruitment for one or more particular
blood products.
8. The system of claim 5, wherein the system computer configures
the blood component collection instrument via download from the
remote information system.
9. The system of claim 5, wherein the information system pools
information from multiple blood component collection facilities
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a smart device to
automatically program the blood component collection instrument by
presenting the smart device to the blood component collection
instrument for uploading of information to the blood component
collection instrument.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the smart device stores donor
information including donor parameters and run parameters to
program the blood component collection instrument.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system computer is to
retrieve prior collection information for the donor for use in
configuring the blood component collection instrument for a blood
component collection procedure.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein an operator selects a donor
from a list of prior donors provided by an information system and
wherein prior collection information for the selected donor is used
to set up the blood component collection instrument for the blood
component collection procedure.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system computer includes a
graphical dashboard for display to and interaction with a user, the
graphical dashboard to provide a graphical depiction of the blood
component collection facility including an arrangement of blood
component collection instruments, soft goods, operators, donors,
and associated status information.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the system computer is networked
with a plurality of computer systems from a plurality of blood
component collection facilities to form an operations and data
management system to monitor the collective activities of the
networked blood component collection facilities.
16. An article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable
storage medium; and executable program instructions embodied in the
computer readable storage medium that when executed by a
programmable system cause the system to implement a graphical user
interface for blood component collection resource management
comprising: a graphical depiction of a plurality of blood component
collection areas in a blood component collection facility, each
depicted area comprising one or more of: a graphical indicator of
blood component collection instrument status; a graphical indicator
of blood component collection kit status; a graphical indicator of
operator status; and a graphical indicator of donor status, the
plurality of graphical indicators to convey at least one of a
progress and alert for a blood component collection procedure
occurring or scheduled to occur in a blood component collection
area of the blood component collection facility.
17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein one or more of
the graphical indicator comprises an alphanumeric indicator related
to at least one of blood component collection instrument status,
blood component collection kit status, operator status, and donor
status.
18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the graphical
depiction generates an alarm for at least one of an administrator
and a blood component collection instrument operator based on a
measure of at least one of monitored blood component collection
instrument status, blood component collection kit status, operator
status, and donor status.
19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the graphical
depiction of the blood component collection facility further
comprises a donor queue to identify one or more donors waiting to
donate at least one blood component, the donor queue indicating a
time and an intended blood component collection.
20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the donor queue
is to indicate a suggested donation location among the blood
component collection areas of the blood component collection
facility for a donor in the donor queue.
21. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the graphical
depiction of the blood component collection facility further
comprises a staff queue to identify one or more blood component
collection facility staff available to assist one or more operators
in the blood component collection areas, the staff queue indicating
one or more blood component collection capabilities of at least one
staff in the staff queue.
22. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the executable
program instructions collect aggregate information of blood
component collection facility operation to route to at least one of
an administrator and an operations and data management system.
23. A computer-implemented method of soft goods donation resource
and data management for one or more blood collection facilities,
the method comprising: electronically processing available
identification and status information related to one or more
resources including blood collection devices, blood collection
kits, blood donors, and blood collection device operators for one
or more blood collection stations; automatically analyzing each of
the available identification and status information for each of the
one or more resources according to one or more measurement
criteria; transforming the available identification and status
information analyzed for the one or more blood collection stations
into a corresponding graphical indication of each of the available
one or more resources; electronically outputting the corresponding
graphical indication of each of the available one or more resources
for the one or more blood collection stations in a graphical user
interface dashboard for user review; and facilitating resource
allocation and re-allocation based on the graphical user interface
dashboard.
24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising
uploading blood collection procedure information to a data
management system.
25. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising
automatically assigning a donor to a collection station and
configuring a blood collection device at the collection station for
blood collection from the donor.
26. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising
retrieving previous blood collection data for a donor from a data
management system based at least in part on a donor identifier; and
configuring a blood collection device based on the previous blood
collection data.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority to
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/091,187, filed on Aug. 22,
2008, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING BLOOD PROCESSING
PROCEDURES", and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/149,539, filed
on Feb. 3, 2009, each of which is herein incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods
for managing blood processing procedures. More particularly, the
present disclosure is directed to operational and data management
of blood processing procedures in one or more blood collection or
processing facilities, or in the blood collection industry,
generally.
[0003] Blood component therapy is a popular method of treating
certain medical conditions or diseases. Blood components, such as
red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and/or plasma, can be
removed from a patient's blood circulation to eliminate unhealthy
components, or to collect healthy components for later
administration to a further patient or recipient in need of such
components. For instance, rather than transfusing a patient with
whole blood, a patient can be given red cells, platelets, or
plasma, depending on the condition being treated. For example, a
patient suffering from anemia needs red cells, and treating that
same patient with whole blood would be wasteful and could actually
be detrimental to the patient. Plasma is often collected for
further fractionation to obtain certain plasma proteins.
[0004] During a collection procedure, blood components commonly are
removed from a patient's blood circulation by a process called
apheresis. In this setting, it also would be appropriate to refer
to the patient as a "donor". The removal of red cells and white
cells is called cytapheresis or hemapheresis; removal of plasma is
called plasmapheresis; and removal of platelets is called
plateletpheresis.
[0005] During apheresis, intravenous (I.V.) lines are inserted into
a donor's veins. Blood is drawn from the veins and transferred to a
cell separator machine where the blood can be separated into
component parts, such as by the process of spinning the blood in a
centrifuge to collect various components of the blood. The speed of
the centrifuge can be varied to isolate specific components by
their density. Unneeded components can be returned to the
donor/patient.
[0006] There are a number of facilities/organizations that are
specifically set up to collect blood and blood components. Tracking
donors, component handling, donor registrations, and the like are
important aspects of the blood component collection industry.
However, in the blood component collection industry there exist
certain shortcomings in the areas of operational and data
management for collection equipment, processes, collection centers
and companies having a plurality of collection centers.
[0007] For instance, the current blood donation process generally
includes the following steps. A donor arrives at a facility which
typically will have a reception desk, a waiting room, a control
desk, multiple collection bays, each commonly having six (6)
collection instruments and beds operated by a phlebotomist or
"operator", a soft goods or kit inventory storage area, a
laboratory for testing or other treatment of collected products, a
refrigeration area and a packaging and distribution area. The donor
will check in at the reception desk. The donor's paper chart is
pulled, or, if the donor is a new donor, a new chart is created. If
available, the donor's donor management system (DMS) record is
pulled and checked. Next, the donor signs in and is weighed, with
the weight being recorded on the paper chart. A name tag with a
barcode is printed for the donor. The donor proceeds to a screening
area and is asked a series of medical questions. The answers given
by the donor are recorded on the paper chart, with new donors
having additional questions to answer. The donor's vital signs are
checked and recorded on the paper chart. A small blood sample is
taken from the donor and the protein level is measured, with the
results entered on the donor's chart.
[0008] Next, the donor proceeds to the waiting room to wait to be
called to the control desk. At this time, the donor's DMS record is
updated with information from the paper chart. The collection
facility designates for the donor a blood collection container and
a blood collection kit, or other suitable collection device. A
specific reference number to be associated with the particular
donor's procedure, or "bleed number", is taken from a roll of
preprinted barcode labels. There can be, for instance, three rolls
of labels, each having different number ranges representing
different blood types. The donor's name, donor number, and the date
are printed on the appropriate label. Many labels are produced for
each donor. One label goes on the donor's chart and several labels
are applied to the collection kit and collection container. Some of
the labels can later be removed and applied to smaller sample
containers for testing or other purposes.
[0009] The donor then is escorted with the donor's chart,
collection kit and container to an assigned bed in a collection bay
where the donor's blood will be drawn. An operator sets up the
donor with an instrument, collection kit and container and
initiates the collection procedure. Upon completion of the
collection, the actual volume of blood drawn from the donor is
manually recorded on the collection container. After the donation
is completed, the donor's chart and the container are transported
to a processing desk. The collected blood can then be processed,
such as for the removal of particular components, with the final
product moving on to the refrigeration area to be placed in a
freezer for preservation purposes. Eventually, the final product is
moved to the packaging and distribution area for further handling,
such as in the manner of packaging and shipment. This process is
repeated dozens if not hundreds of times within any given blood
collection facility which, depending on factors such as size,
number of instruments and staffing, for example, can accommodate
dozens of donors at a time.
[0010] There are blood centers that have managed to automate some
of the common processes, such as donor registration, blood
sampling, and product handling. There also have been some teachings
with respect to the inclusion of healthcare devices in computer
networks. For instance, U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2003/0069480 (Kok-Hwee et al.) is directed to a system and method
for networking blood collection instruments within a blood
collection facility, and is incorporated herein by reference. Also
incorporated by reference herein is U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,769
(Fletcher-Haynes et al.), which is directed to an extracorporeal
blood processing information management system. U.S. Pat. No.
5,857,967 (Frid et al.) is directed to a healthcare device which
includes a web server and medical information thereon, and which
generates hypertext markup language (HTML) files on the fly for
providing such information to a client at a remote location using a
standard browser interface. Another example is provided by U.S.
Pat. No. 5,891,035 (Wood et al.), which is directed to an
ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system. The imaging system is capable
of accessing images and information from internal and external
databases by means of a web browser. Access to the images or
information can be over a local network or over the Internet, and
the browser can be used to pull in system preset data or reference
images from a reference image library. However, prior suggestions
tend to relate to automating some rudimentary record keeping and
tracking of the blood collection process and resulting collected
products.
[0011] Unfortunately, blood centers have lacked innovative methods
of managing operations and data, and have failed to discover or
implement ways to drive further enhancements in areas such as
efficiency, productivity, recruitment of donors, and safety.
SUMMARY
[0012] The present disclosure is directed to systems, articles of
manufacture, and methods for managing blood processing operations
and data for one or more blood component collection facilities.
[0013] In some examples, in a blood component collection facility
comprising a plurality of separately operable blood component
collection instruments, a system for networking the blood component
collection facility includes a system computer including a memory
and a communication interface. The system computer is linked to a
plurality of input devices for tracking donors, operators, soft
goods, and blood component collection instruments with respect to
one or more blood product collection procedures. The system
computer is also linked to at least one administrative level
computing device to monitor blood component collection activities
throughout the blood component collection facility and to
facilitate decision making with respect to allocation of at least
one of donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component
collection instruments based on information regarding at least one
of donors, operators, soft goods, and blood component collection
instruments.
[0014] In some example, an article of manufacture includes a
computer readable storage medium, and executable program
instructions embodied in the computer readable storage medium that
when executed by a programmable system cause the system to
implement a graphical user interface for blood component collection
resource management. The interface includes a graphical depiction
of a plurality of blood component collection areas in a blood
component collection facility. Each depicted area includes one or
more of a graphical indicator of blood component collection
instrument status, a graphical indicator of blood component
collection kit status, a graphical indicator of operator status,
and a graphical indicator of donor status. The plurality of
graphical indicators is to convey at least one of a progress and
alert for a blood component collection procedure occurring or
scheduled to occur in a blood component collection area of the
blood component collection facility.
[0015] In some examples, a computer-implemented method of soft
goods donation resource and data management for one or more blood
collection facilities includes electronically processing available
identification and status information related to one or more
resources including blood collection devices, blood collection
kits, blood donors, and blood collection device operators for one
or more blood collection stations. The method also includes
automatically analyzing each of the available identification and
status information for each of the one or more resources according
to one or more measurement criteria. The method further includes
transforming the available identification and status information
analyzed for the one or more blood collection stations into a
corresponding graphical indication of each of the available one or
more resources. Additionally, the method includes electronically
outputting the corresponding graphical indication of each of the
available one or more resources for the one or more blood
collection stations in a graphical user interface dashboard for
user review. The method includes facilitating resource allocation
and re-allocation based on the graphical user interface
dashboard.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an example system
for managing blood processing procedures at a single collection
facility;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an example system
involving an entity that includes a plurality of collection
facilities of the example type represented in FIG. 1; and
[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a portion of an
example system that includes the example entity having a plurality
of collection facilities, such as that shown in FIG. 2, while also
including an example link from a collection facility to a third
party.
[0019] FIGS. 4-8 depict an example operations dashboards for a
blood collection facility
[0020] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram for an example method of donor
blood product collection scheduling and configuration based on
prior donor collection data.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram for an example method of donor
registration and blood collection technician bay allocation for
blood product collection.
[0022] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example processor system
that can be used to implement systems, articles of manufacture, and
methods described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The following description discloses examples of systems,
articles of manufacture, and methods for managing blood processing
procedures, which are susceptible of embodiments in many different
forms. The present disclosures are not intended to limit the broad
aspects of the invention.
[0024] Although the following discloses example methods, systems,
articles of manufacture, and apparatus including, among other
components, software executed on hardware, it should be noted that
such methods and apparatus are merely illustrative and should not
be considered as limiting. For example, it is contemplated that any
or all of these hardware and software components could be embodied
exclusively in hardware, exclusively in software, exclusively in
firmware, or in any combination of hardware, software, and/or
firmware. Accordingly, while the following describes example
methods, systems, articles of manufacture, and apparatus, the
examples provided are not the only way to implement such methods,
systems, articles of manufacture, and apparatus.
[0025] When any of the appended claims are read to cover a purely
software and/or firmware implementation, at least one of the
elements is hereby expressly defined to include a tangible medium
such as a memory, a digital video disc (DVD), compact disc (CD),
etc. storing the software and/or firmware.
[0026] The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods
for managing blood processing procedures. This is stated in a broad
sense which is intended to include further use and manipulation of
data associated with blood processing procedures and the
instruments, soft goods, donors, collected products,
administrators, operators and facilities related to such
procedures. For purposes of the present disclosure, the term
"facility" or "center" will be used to refer to a location capable
of biological fluid collection and/or processing via one or more
collection or processing instruments. The facility and/or center
can be a fixed and/or mobile facility/center, for example. Also, as
used herein, the term "blood processing procedures" is intended to
refer to any type of biological fluid collection, regardless of
whether it includes the collection of blood or blood
components.
[0027] In some examples, each blood component collection facility
includes a plurality of separately operable blood component
collection instruments, a facility administrator and a plurality of
facility operators for administration of one or more blood
component collection procedures involving one or more donors. The
system generally includes a system server linked to the collection
instruments.
[0028] The system server can include a communication protocol that
facilitates communication between the system server and each of the
plurality of blood collection instruments, and further can be
linked to a headquarters (HQ) server, for an organization having
more than one collection facility, as well as to a system of an
outside entity, such as Fenwal, Inc., of Lake Zurich, Ill., the
supplier of instruments and soft goods, such as the collection kits
used in the collection procedures.
[0029] The system server receives information or data, generally
referred to hereafter collectively as "data", relating to blood
component collections from one or more of the plurality of blood
component collection instruments. The system server also can
receive data associated with the placement, maintenance and status
or other issues relating to the collection instruments. Data also
can be received with respect to donors, administrators, operators,
products collected, or related information, from mobile data
transmission devices in the form of personal digital assistants
(PDA's), such as a Palm Pilot.TM. by Palm, a PPT 2800 mobile
computer by Symbol Technologies, or other handheld devices having
scanning, bar code reading and/or key entry capability, or via
"smart" devices, such as an RFID tag, smart card or comparable
device to which data can be written and from which such data can be
retrieved, or from input terminals, such as in the form of a desk
top computer. The system server is adapted to store data in the
system server memory and can be adapted to interact with outside
network systems, such as a corporate system that is capable of
pooling data from multiple collection facilities, systems of
suppliers, such as Fenwal, Inc., or a system associated with other
entities with which it can be desirable to link the system
server.
[0030] The disclosed systems, articles of manufacture, and methods
can be incorporated into an existing facility's system via an
upgrade to existing hardware and software, or can be implemented in
an entirely new facility that is equipped with devices more
particularly designed for compatibility with the disclosed systems
and methods. The present system provides a data connection between
a collection facility's data management system, laboratory
instruments, including, but not limited to, existing blood and
blood component collection instruments, such as for example the
Autopheresis-C.RTM. instrument which is supplied by Fenwal, Inc.,
the Fenwal CS-3000.RTM., Amicus.RTM., and/or Alyx.RTM. separators,
also from Fenwal, Inc., and the instruments generally described in
PCT Publication No. WO 01/17584, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,581,687,
5,956,023, and 6,256,643, and biological treatment instruments,
such as for example the pathogen inactivation instruments described
in U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,877, which are all incorporated herein by
reference.
[0031] Some example systems described herein lend themselves to
automated tracing and/or tracking of several aspects of
interactions with donors and utilization of a facility's assets.
Numerous high level manipulations and uses of data are provided via
integration of data from facility instruments, donors,
administrators, operators, soft goods, and collected products.
Recordation of data and event reporting can be further automated
for strategic purposes, such as for enhanced safety, efficiency,
productivity, profitability, value analysis, regulatory compliance,
and the like, as discussed below in greater detail.
[0032] Some example systems are designed for a biological fluid
collection and/or processing facility as an accessory to enhance
the value and usefulness of the assets of such facilities, such as
the instruments and personnel. The system can provide enhanced
value at multiple levels within the blood collection business,
based on improved operational and data management, with reduced
manual data collection, and/or improved data manipulation.
[0033] Turning to FIG. 1, a schematic representation of an example
collection facility 10 is shown as including a donor processing
area 12 that includes a plurality of donor processing instruments
14, a soft goods inventory area 16, a testing and laboratory area
18, a refrigeration or freezer area 20, and a packing and
distribution area or dock 22. The facility 10 further includes
reception staff 24, operators 26, at least one administrator 28,
and a first network 40. The first network 40 includes a system
server 42 including a memory and a communication interface adapted
to communicate with at least one wireless data interface,
preferably a PDA 44, to accommodate several facility operators 26
and/or donors 50 at one time via wireless access. The first network
40 further includes data interface/computing devices 46, such as
for running individual facility-level data analysis or quality
assurance processing. The collection facility 10 is equipped to
collect biological fluids, such as blood and/or blood components,
from one or more donors 50, to generate collected products 52.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that a plurality of
collection facilities 10 can be linked within a second network 60,
as can occur with an entity that operates multiple collection
facilities. Thus, the system can operate with a distributed set of
databases. The second network 60 includes an HQ server 62 which is
linked to each respective server 42 of the facilities 10, and to at
least one HQ data interface/computing device 64 which can be used
to conduct business analysis or other functions at an entity-wide
level. The HQ server 62 generally can be located at a remote site
from the collection facilities and/or the offices having the at
least one HQ computing device, and can communicate with a first
network at each respective facility and with the HQ computing
device(s), such as via the Internet using a communication link such
as a modem, digital subscriber line, or the like with a network
switch, or as otherwise desired. The HQ server 62 can be configured
to include storage of each respective facility's data 66, an
aggregation of the facilities' data and any additional entity-wide
data 68, which can for instance also include business records and
the like, or other suitable data, as desired.
[0035] As represented in FIG. 3, the system server 42 of each
respective collection facility 10 can be further linked to provide
an interface with systems of third parties, such as is shown with
respect to a computing system 70 of Fenwal, Inc. This linking can
be at the level between the system server 42 of each respective
collection facility 10 and the third party system 70, or can be
between the HQ server 62 of an entity having multiple facilities
and the third party system 70. Linking to one or more third parties
can be particularly advantageous, as will be discussed below in
more detail.
[0036] The first network 40 of a facility 10 includes hardware and
software components and provides for inter-process communications.
For instance, the reception staff 24 can intake information or data
from donors 50 and upload that data via a computing device to the
system server 42 directly, or to another device, such as a smart
device, i.e. an RFID tag or other suitable medium which can travel
with the donor 50. Additional data also can be uploaded, such as
programming data for the instrument to be used, collection kit and
container data, etc. The first network 40 also can communicate
directly with the instruments 14, such as to program an instrument
to run a selected procedure, and/or to receive data generated
during a collection procedure. The operators 24 also can
communicate data to the system server 42 via fixed computing
devices and/or PDA's 44. This ability to link the facility
personnel, instruments and data generated during procedures permits
unique and highly useful operations and data management
opportunities.
[0037] For instance, each operator 24 and instrument 14 is given a
unique data identifier (ID). The unique data ID for each operator
24 permits accurate real-time tracking of an operator's location
and activities. In addition, the operator ID can be used to link
data with a given operator, such as relating to the operator's
performance, certification for certain procedures, training or need
for particular further training, ability to independently manage
multiple collection procedures or to deal with particular alarm
conditions, etc. The operator's data ID can be used to generate
operator-specific prompts, based on skill or training levels, to
better utilize the time of the operator. Additionally, other less
technical data can be associated with an operator's ID, such as
ability level to handle donors having difficult veins,
compatibility with particular donors, etc. The operator's data ID
also can be used to permit an appropriate access level to the
facility's data for the individual operator. Such an operator-view
of data can be customized for the particular type of display device
to be used by the operator, such as for the screen of a selected
PDA device.
[0038] The flow of information is transparent to the operator. The
operator scans bar codes to receive the data ID's for the donor,
collection kit and container, as well as for the apheresis
instrument to set up the apheresis instrument for the collection
procedure. The system server associates this data and creates a
record for the donor bleed number and other respective data ID's
associated with the procedure.
[0039] A unique data ID and tracking of events for each instrument
14 also can facilitate greater asset management. For instance,
utilization data for each instrument can indicate greater use of
particular bays or instruments relative to others, prompting a
redistribution of procedures to maximize the life cycle of the
facility's equipment. Instrument data associated with distinct data
ID's also can be of assistance with respect to tracking problems or
alarms associated with particular operating parameters, or
scheduling for maintenance procedures or the like.
[0040] By utilizing unique operator and instrument data ID's, a
facility administrator 46 can improve real-time asset utilization
by optimally assigning donors across a facility's collection bays,
while still appropriately stocking and staffing the bays with
suitable instruments, collection kits and containers, and
operators. Thus, the administrator can be proactive with respect to
removing bottlenecks in the system that previously would have
slowed the movement of donors and products through the facility.
Further, such data can be used to better allocate particular
instruments, operators or soft goods among different bays within a
given facility or among multiple facilities. The data also can be
used proactively to match staff and donor scheduling to better
accommodate or eliminate peaks, and can be used to better select
times for scheduled training of operators or maintenance of
instruments.
[0041] An administrator 46 also will have an enhanced ability to
strategically deploy operators to better balance the operator skill
sets throughout the collection bays of a facility. The
administrator further is better equipped to utilize the real-time
data generated throughout the activities of the various areas
within a facility 10 to move operators/personnel to those areas
having the greatest immediate service needs, while also being able
to select individuals that are qualified to render such services,
or to be able to page the nearest qualified operator to respond to
a given event, such as an instrument alarm mode. To facilitate such
coordinated higher value decision making efforts, the administrator
46 can be permitted a manager-level view of the facility's data.
The administrator-view of the data also can be customized for
prompt access to different types of data, and for the particular
type of display device to be used by the administrator, such as the
screen of a stand alone computing device. An administrator can also
configure operator view(s) for use in operator-specific task(s) and
the computing device(s) and display(s) used for those tasks.
[0042] In addition to the unique operator and instrument data ID's,
each donor 50 and each of the collection kits and containers, and
the finished product containers 18 can receive a unique data ID.
For proper traceability of all aspects of a procedure and resulting
product, all information must be linked or synched with the
apheresis instrument and the "bleed number." For instance, the use
of donor data ID's, in addition to the benefits of automated
association of the donor with the collection kit and container,
also offers a potential to provide targeted donor education, such
as an automated prompt to suggest viewing of an introductory video
for new donors. Post donation education and donor care reminders
also can be provided, such as messages to stay hydrated or take
other actions. In addition, donor data can be used to provide an
indication of whether a donor would be a good candidate to receive
additional recruiting information for other procedures, or has
already received such information. In this manner, effectiveness of
donor messages and success rates of promotions also can be
monitored.
[0043] This additional level of data also permits real-time
tracking of the various processes and needs throughout the
facility. It allows an administrator to better address and
streamline the workflow through the facility to ensure proper
handling of each respective donor, and that the product is being
produced, handled and ultimately shipped in a timely, safe, and
efficient manner. For instance, the viability of certain blood
components can be affected by temperature. Accordingly, the system
can be configured to track when a collection has been completed and
when a container has reached its next stage of processing, and can
provide an automated alarm if a container has not yet reached the
next stage but is approaching a critical time for that next
processing, or for example has reached a time by which it must be
refrigerated. Thus, a container data ID located for instance on a
bar code label, can be used to track the status of the container
with respect to the initiation and completion of the donation, as
well as post-donation status and location, and this information can
be made available to operators or an administrator.
[0044] In other instances, such as with a mobile collection site,
the real-time tracking of collections can facilitate better
coordination and timing of the pickup of collected products, such
as producing automated calls for a pick up of products based on the
actual volume of collections, as opposed to predicted volumes. This
further facilitates configuring the data management to provide
automated soft goods and/or parts ordering.
[0045] At an organizational level, whether it be a stand-alone
facility 10, or an entity operating multiple collection facilities
10, either has a unique opportunity to mine and utilize the data
generated throughout their operations. This new system provides an
opportunity for off-line analysis of utilization and performance
data, measured via numerous parameters for each facility,
instrument, operator, donor, collection kit and container.
[0046] In addition, the data can be analyzed with respect to
yields, both predicted and actual. This can also be used in
decisions with respect to donor recruitment, such as for example
the need to recruit larger donors if yields are low.
[0047] The data can be configured to automatically provide an audit
trail and/or documentary record for compliance purposes. It also
can be configured for other automated functions, such as to trigger
a particular promotion for recruitment of donors, or to flag a
statistically significant issue to be addressed by facility/entity
personnel, or by a third party, such as an unusual lot failure
rate. The automated linking of data with particular collection kits
and containers further removes the need to globally monitor a
facility's use of a given lot of such devices, because all events
associated with each such device now can be automatically tracked
and identified with its original source lot.
[0048] The data analysis permitted with the example system further
facilitates value and economic analysis. Thus, an entity can
evaluate the particular value associated with each facility and
instrument, and then further evaluate the value associated with
each donor and operator. Such data permits analysis and generation
of profit and loss statements on weekly, monthly or other periodic
bases, and at the facility or multi-facility level. This data also
can be used to reveal periodic trending or to predict the need for
adding, removing or relocating particular facilities. Such data can
further be analyzed on a macro level in conjunction with separately
derived data relating to other aspects, for instance to
environmental (weather, etc.) or community (local school schedules,
etc.) aspects that can be affecting donation rates and
recruitment.
[0049] The data can be further analyzed for predictive purposes,
such as with respect to donor schedules, or potential success rates
for targeted promotions relating to procedures needed to support
particular types of therapies. With linking to the federal
biovigilance system, the data would be useful to help in decision
making with respect to how to target particular donors.
[0050] The link to third parties can be for supply ordering
purposes, or can be related to substantive performance issues.
Thus, a facility or multi-facility entity can find it beneficial to
be linked to an organization, such as Fenwal, Inc., to provide
information, analysis or consulting services. For instance, a
facility could be linked to a third party instrument supplier
system to receive service diagnostics reports, or automated
real-time pop-ups in response to alarms. The link to the third
party system also can be configured to download software updates
for instruments, or the like. Statistical data could be gathered
and shared with the third party to gain assistance in analyses,
such as discussed above with respect to being otherwise undertaken
at an entity level. Alarms or ongoing procedure data can be
transmitted as well, to permit reduction in paper communications
and the time required to receive an acknowledgment and suggested
corrective action. This can be particularly helpful with respect to
providing more immediate intervention, such as when a specific lot
has been identified for discontinued use. Some of these benefits of
providing a link to a third party will be experienced at an
intermediate level where an entity operating multiple facilities is
at least equipped to push information, updates or other data out to
the individual facilities.
[0051] By use of smart devices, such as an RFID tag or
preprogrammed smart card, an operator can be permitted to have an
instrument be self-programming by merely presenting the smart
device to the instrument for uploading of information. This can be
useful for issuing software updates, or with respect to confirming
that the correct collection kit and container and procedure have
been uploaded for a specific donation.
[0052] In some examples, one or more integrated circuit card, smart
card, and/or other portable processing device can be used to
maintain donor parameters and run parameters and to program such
information on one or more blood processing devices. For example,
an integrated circuit card, smart card, and/or other portable
processing device can be used to store and maintain donor
information related to the physical characteristics of a given
donor. The integrated circuit cards can also be used to store
procedure parameters for a given donor. The integrated circuit card
can then be used to program a blood processing device with the
information stored on the integrated circuit card.
[0053] Certain examples lessen an operator's intervention with an
apheresis device and allow for an enhanced data management and
donor management system for blood collection facilities. By using
an integrated circuit card and/or other portable processing device
to program and maintain donor information, the burden on a blood
processing device operator can be lessened. The operator can
eliminate manual entry of each donor parameter or run parameter
into the blood processing device and can instead use the integrated
circuit card to program the blood processing device for operation.
In addition, the operator and/or administrator can establish
procedure criteria prior to the donor's arrival at a site and
better allot for and maximize or optimize use of available blood
processing device(s).
[0054] Integrated circuit cards, smart cards, and/or other portable
processing devices can be used in different circumstances.
Electronic cards can be used to program donor parameter(s) and also
to store completed procedure parameters, for example. Smart cards
can be single use or can be maintained such that each donor at a
center has a smart card on which his or her donation history is
stored.
[0055] An integrated circuit card, also referred to as a smart
card, is a device containing an embedded integrated circuit wherein
the card has the ability to process and store data. This technology
can be applied to apheresis and blood processing devices to lessen
the amount of interaction required by an operator and to enhance
the data and donor management capabilities of a blood collection
facility. Prior to a donation, a donor must go through a screening
process at a given blood collection facility. At the time of this
screening, as donor information is being recorded, and/or at a time
prior to screening, information can also be stored onto an
integrated circuit card. The integrated circuit card containing
pertinent donor characteristics and procedure parameters can then
be used by a given apheresis or blood processing device to program
donor parameters and procedure parameters for a given procedure.
Currently, apheresis and blood processing devices require an
operator to enter the donor characteristics along with procedure
parameters manually, often times through the use of a touch panel
display. Using integrated circuit card technologies expedites
pre-procedure setup on a given apheresis or blood processing
device, in turn lessening the amount of time a donor waits and the
burden on an operator. By lessening the burden on an operator, an
opportunity to reduce the chances for human error is presented. The
donor experience can also be heightened through the application of
integrated circuit cards technology, as the time for the blood
donation process can potentially be lessened, thus enhancing a
donor's experience.
[0056] Integrated circuit cards can also be used to track and
maintain information related to prior donations from a given donor.
This information, stored on an integrated circuit card, can allow
for a blood center administrator to set up devices with the
expected procedure parameters prior to the donor's arrival at the
center, thus allowing for more thorough planning of instrument
utilization and optimization of collections form a given set of
instruments. By storing donor information and procedure information
onto an integrated circuit card, a blood center has an opportunity
to track a donor's records and procedure history with greater
ease.
[0057] Certain examples provide an "intelligent" dashboard for
improving operational performance at and/or across blood collection
facilities. An example system can include instruments providing
procedure data, a donor management system providing donor data
& characteristics, an operations database providing operator
characteristics, and a dashboard with business logic to recommend
operations actions. The system can be used, for example, in a donor
center that manages multiple instruments that collect and/or
process blood components. The dashboard uses information provided
from the instruments, the donor management system, and
characteristics about the operator to make recommendations to
various staff members to improve operational efficiency in a donor
center. The dashboard provides tools and guidance for a donor
center to operate more efficiently by utilizing information
available from instrumentation that collects and/or processes blood
components.
[0058] Current practices in the field are based on human knowledge
and observation, which can be error-prone and inaccurate, resulting
in inefficient usage of the donor floor. Using the dashboard,
communication and dissemination of information, as well as
real-time calculation of key operational parameters, can be
automated to help provide a more efficient operation. Donor centers
process blood component donations by bringing donors into the donor
center, screening the donor to ensure the safety of the collected
component, assign the donor to a donation location, process the
donation, including inserting a needle (or multiple needles, if
applicable) into the donor's arm (a process called venipuncture)
and completing the donation by removing the needle and providing
the collected component(s) to another area for further processing.
Using the dashboard, donor assignment and processing can be
automatically facilitated in a more efficient manner based on
available information and operational parameters, for example.
[0059] As an example, FIG. 4 depicts an example operations
dashboard 400. The dashboard 400 can be implemented, for example,
at a control desk in a donor center or as a screen readable to the
entire operations floor, such as on a large television in the donor
area, on a portable computer carried by an operator, etc. The
dashboard 400 provides information on the status of any donations
in process, any donors waiting for donation (donor queue) and any
staff available to assist any of the current staff (staff queue),
for example.
[0060] As shown, for example, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the dashboard 400
can be organized into virtual bays 401-405, which can or can not
reflect the physical layout in the donor center. These virtual bays
401-405 illustrate the actual donations that are managed by an
individual instrument operator or phlebotomist as well as an
identifier 420 for the phlebotomist and an identification 430 of
that phlebotomist's capabilities.
[0061] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, each bay 401-405 includes one
or more virtual beds 440-445 which represent a donation in
progress. Each virtual bed 440-445 identifies the following
characteristics: 1) a donation bed 450; 2) a donor presence 451; 3)
a collection volume for the donor 452; 4) presence of an installed
soft good set 453; 5) progress of the donation 454; and/or 6) a
status of the donation 455, including any alarms or alerts, for
example. For example, a number and/or other identifier can be used
to indicate the donation bed 450 within a bay 401-405. A number
and/or other identifier can be used to identify a collection volume
for the donor 452. An alphanumeric and/or graphical indicator can
identify the presence of an installed soft good set 453 (e.g.,
tubing, filter(s), collection bag(s), etc. for a machine such as a
Fenwal Alyx, an Amicus, etc.) in a blood processing/collection
system at the bed 440-445. A progress bar and/or other alphanumeric
and/or graphical indicator can be used to represent the progress of
a donation 454, and a graphical indicator (e.g., a color) and/or
other representation can be used alone and/or in conjunction with
the progress indicator 454 to provide a donation status 455, for
example. An "X" and/or other similar indicator 456, for example,
can indicate an unavailable bed.
[0062] The dashboard 400 also includes a queue of donors 460
waiting to donate (see FIGS. 1 and 7). The donor queue 460
identifies a current time 461, the donor 462, the intended
collection volume 463, the time that the donor arrived 464, and a
suggested donation location 465. The queue 460 can also include an
intended collection type 466, for example.
[0063] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, a staff queue 470 identifies
which staff are available to assist the current donor floor staff.
The staff queue 470 identifies the available staff 471, 472 as well
as any specific capabilities 475, including specialized
venipuncture skills and skills for handling first time donors, for
example. The staff queue 470 can also highlight and/or otherwise
identify 476 supervisory and/or other staff, for example.
[0064] This dashboard and associated data can also be used to
collect aggregate information about the center operations and
present the information to supervisory staff to improve operations.
For example, real-time average collected component yield can be
displayed to alert the supervisory staff to areas needing
additional assistance to improve yield. The dashboard and
associated data can be used to facilitate dynamic, real time
(including substantially real time) allocation, reallocation, and
maintenance of blood collection facilities and resources.
[0065] In some examples, pre-programmed collections are provided.
Pre-programmed collections can be applied to any apheresis machine.
For example, for return donors, all previous collection information
can be pre-programmed into the apheresis device based on donor ID
prior to a collection. All previous donations can be stored in a
data management system, and when a donor has scheduled a donation,
the donor information from prior donation can be downloaded onto
the apheresis device including total blood loss for the year.
[0066] By pre-programming past collection information into a blood
processing devices, operator input of incorrect donor information
(e.g., height, weight, hematocrit, sex, etc.) on the day of
collection can be reduced. An operator can pull up the donor's ID,
and all prior entered donor information (e.g., sex, height, weight,
hematocrit, etc.) and collection target information (if available)
is then set for the blood processing device.
[0067] A verification can be shown with information such as donor's
name, birth date, and picture, to help ensure that the operator
entered the correct donor ID. An operator can make adjustments to
parameters, such as weight, etc., and collection targets, if needed
or desired.
[0068] The apheresis device tracks blood loss, components
collected, etc., and at the end of a specified period (e.g., the
day, the procedure, a certain amount of idle time, etc.), the data
is uploaded into a data management system. Target or predicted
collection volume (e.g., of whole blood cells, red blood cells,
platelets, plasma, etc.) and actual collection volume can be
collected and compared, for example. Thus, information can be
shared between a data management system and the apheresis device
through an interface.
[0069] In some examples, apheresis device collection information is
automatically recorded and transmitted to a connected information
system. The information system can be used to determine eligibility
of a donor to donate various blood components based on donor
history and donation guidelines for a particular donor and/or
procedure.
[0070] Using the information system, a blood center can process a
donor from initial check-in through completion of a blood
collection procedure. Donor information and history is reviewed to
determine that the donor is eligible to donate desired blood
products based on donor information, donor history, and blood
center policies. The information center can also help determine
desired procedure and blood product(s) to be collected based on
blood center needs, donor information, and donor history. An
apheresis device can be programmed based on this information by
downloading of configuration information from the information
system to the apheresis device, transmission of instructions to a
technician, programming of a smart card and/or other device for
insertion in and/or other connection to the apheresis device, etc.
The information center can store and update donor information,
donation history, procedure data, laboratory data, and/or
configuration settings, for example, to facilitate blood collection
device programming and blood collection from a donor.
[0071] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram for an example method 900 of donor
blood product collection scheduling and configuration based on
prior donor collection data.
[0072] At block 910, a collection is scheduled. The collection can
be scheduled via phone registration, in-person appointment, and/or
electronic scheduling, for example.
[0073] At block 920, a data management system receives the
collection schedule. The data management system records the
scheduled collection and updates a collection facility calendar,
for example.
[0074] At block 930, the data management system extracts previous
collection data based on one or more parameters, such as a donor
ID. The data management system can retrieve one or more stored
records of past donor activity, including donor physical
information (height, weight, blood type, gender, age, etc.),
donation habits, donation dates, preferences, etc. In some
examples, previous donor collection data can be correlated and/or
compared to current donation need(s), want(s), and/or other
constraints, for example.
[0075] At block 940, the extracted previous collection data is
downloaded to a blood processing device. For example, the data
management system, directly and/or through a local computer system,
can download configuration information to an apheresis device, such
as an Autopheresis-C.RTM. instrument, CS-3000.RTM., Amicus.RTM.,
and/or Alyx.RTM. separator, to set up a blood collection for the
donor.
[0076] At block 950, if a blood collection is a mobile collection,
the mobile blood processing device is setup. For example, a mobile
apheresis unit may require setup and installation at the collection
site after being removed from its transportation packaging.
[0077] At block 960, an operator selects a donor from a list of
downloaded donors at the blood processing device, and prior
collection information is used to set up the collection. For
example, the operator can be presented with a list of donors
scheduled for the facility and can select the appropriate donor to
configure the operator's machine for donation by that selected
donor. Note that a single donor can be presented for machine
configuration rather than selection from a list.
[0078] At block 970, after a blood collection and/or blood drive
has been completed, procedure summaries are uploaded to the data
management system. For example, actual yield, donor vitals,
predicted yield, RBC/plasma loss, monitored device operation log
information, etc. can be uploaded to the data management system for
storage and/or analysis. Analysis can be used to drive future blood
collection for this and/or other donors, resource reallocation,
equipment modification, etc.
[0079] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram for an example method 1000 of
donor registration and blood collection technician bay allocation
for blood product collection.
[0080] At block 1010, the donor checks in. For example, the donor
can sign in electronically and/or via paper-based form. The donor's
chart can be retrieved electronically and/or physically pulled from
a file cabinet or shelf, for example. Donor identification, such as
a card, badge, name tag, etc., can be generated. The identification
can include a donor photograph, bar code, radio frequency
identifier, and/or other identifier to identify the donor to the
blood collection technician and/or blood collection machine, for
example.
[0081] At block 1020, the donor is screened. Donor information,
such as weight, temperature, protein level, other vital sign, etc.,
can be updated and/or otherwise recorded on the donor's chart.
[0082] At block 1030, a collection kit is selected for the donor.
In some examples, the collection kit can have been previously
selected and used to configure a blood collection device ahead of
the donor's scheduled appointment. In some examples, the donor and
the collection kit are taken to an assigned station for blood
collection.
[0083] At block 1040, the donor is assigned to a collection station
for blood collection. In some examples, assignment of a donor to a
station is done in advance. In some examples, assignment of a donor
to a station is done in real time after donor check in. Donor
assignment to a station can be based on donor information and
available station information, such as described above with respect
to FIGS. 4-8.
[0084] At block 1050, a blood processing machine is configured for
blood collection from the donor. The machine can be configured
manually by an operator, via remote download from an external
computer system, and/or locally via smart device, for example.
Configuration can be based on graphical information such as the
dashboards described in FIGS. 4-8 above, previous collection
information, donor information, standard procedure configuration
information, and/or other operating parameters, for example.
[0085] At block 1060, blood is collected from the donor. For
example, based on a selected procedure (e.g., whole blood, plasma,
platelets, red blood, etc.) one or more desired blood product(s)
are collected based on a desired yield.
[0086] At block 1070, the collected blood volume is stored and
processed. For example, an actual volume of blood product collected
is noted (e.g., in writing and/or via electronic data input). The
collected blood volume can be further processed for blood bank
storage.
[0087] In some examples, alarms and/or alerts can be provided
throughout the donor registration, blood processing device
configuration, and blood collection process. An alert/alarm,
collection machine status, donor status, etc., can be visually
depicted on a dashboard, such as the dashboard of FIGS. 4-8, to
indicate a state and/or level of concern. For example, a blue
background can indicate that a machine is running. A gray
background indicates that a machine is ready and available for a
donor to occupy, for example. A red background indicates a highest
level of alert/alarm, for example. A yellow background indicates a
medium level of alert/alarm, for example. An orange background can
indicate that a donor has been sent to a blood collection machine
and has been waiting longer than the allotted time. A white
background indicates that the machine is off and not ready to be
used for a donor.
[0088] In some examples, an icon or representation (e.g., donor
representation 451) of a person can be shown in a collection bay to
indicate the presence of a donor. A color and/or other indicator
associated with the representation can indicate a state of the
donor (waiting, collecting, in trouble, etc.). Alternatively or in
addition, an icon or representation of a blood collection kit
(e.g., soft goods kit 453) can be displayed via a dashboard (e.g.,
the dashboard 400) to indicate a kit status (e.g., installed, used,
none installed, etc.). In some examples, a combination of donor 451
and kit 453 representations can together indicate the status of a
collection bay 401-405. Additionally, a status bar (e.g., status of
the donation 455) can be provided for a bay (e.g., 401-405) to
indicate blood collection type, progress, alert/alarm, etc., based
on color, pattern, and/or progress (e.g., progress of the donation
454) in the indicator bar, for example.
[0089] In some examples, data to be collected and stored,
alerts/alarms, and/or other parameters can be predefined and loaded
for an apheresis device and/or particular blood collection product.
In some examples, data to be collected and stored, alerts/alarms,
and/or other parameters can be defined and/or modified dynamically
by a blood collection operator and/or apheresis device program.
Alerts/alarms can be triggered for apheresis device--collection kit
incompatibility, donor--blood collection procedure incompatibility,
information system--apheresis device incompatibility, communication
error, hardware error, software error, lack of operator
responsiveness, lack of donor responsiveness, etc.
[0090] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example processor system
1110 that can be used to implement systems, articles of
manufacture, and methods described herein. As shown in FIG. 11, the
processor system 1110 includes a processor 1112 that is coupled to
an interconnection bus 1114. The processor 1112 can be any suitable
processor, processing unit, or microprocessor, for example.
Although not shown in FIG. 11, the system 1110 can be a
multi-processor system and, thus, can include one or more
additional processors that are identical or similar to the
processor 1112 and that are communicatively coupled to the
interconnection bus 1114.
[0091] The processor 1112 of FIG. 11 is coupled to a chipset 1118,
which includes a memory controller 1120 and an input/output ("I/O")
controller 1122. As is well known, a chipset typically provides I/O
and memory management functions as well as a plurality of general
purpose and/or special purpose registers, timers, etc. that are
accessible or used by one or more processors coupled to the chipset
1118. The memory controller 1120 performs functions that enable the
processor 1112 (or processors if there are multiple processors) to
access a system memory 1124 and a mass storage memory 1125.
[0092] The system memory 1124 can include any desired type of
volatile and/or non-volatile memory such as, for example, static
random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM),
flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), etc. The mass storage memory
1125 can include any desired type of mass storage device including
hard disk drives, optical drives, tape storage devices, etc.
[0093] The I/O controller 1122 performs functions that enable the
processor 1112 to communicate with peripheral input/output ("I/O")
devices 1126 and 1128 and a network interface 1130 via an I/O bus
1132. The I/O devices 1126 and 1128 can be any desired type of I/O
device such as, for example, a keyboard, a video display or
monitor, a mouse, etc. The network interface 1130 can be, for
example, an Ethernet device, an asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM")
device, an 802.11 device, a DSL modem, a cable modem, a cellular
modem, etc. that enables the processor system 1110 to communicate
with another processor system.
[0094] While the memory controller 1120 and the I/O controller 1122
are depicted in FIG. 11 as separate blocks within the chipset 1118,
the functions performed by these blocks can be integrated within a
single semiconductor circuit or can be implemented using two or
more separate integrated circuits.
[0095] Certain embodiments contemplate methods, systems and
computer program products on any machine-readable media to
implement functionality described above. Certain embodiments can be
implemented using an existing computer processor, or by a special
purpose computer processor incorporated for this or another purpose
or by a hardwired and/or firmware system, for example.
[0096] Some or all of the system, apparatus, and/or article of
manufacture components described above, or parts thereof, can be
implemented using instructions, code, and/or other software and/or
firmware, etc. stored on a machine accessible or readable medium
and executable by, for example, a processor system (e.g., the
example processor system 1110 of FIG. 11). When any of the appended
claims are read to cover a purely software and/or firmware
implementation, at least one of the components is hereby expressly
defined to include a tangible medium such as a memory, DVD, CD,
etc. storing the software and/or firmware.
[0097] FIGS. 9 and 10 include flow diagrams representative of
machine readable and executable instructions or processes that can
be executed to implement the example systems, apparatus, and
article of manufacture described herein. The example processes of
FIGS. 9 and 10 can be performed using a processor, a controller
and/or any other suitable processing device. For example, the
example processes of FIGS. 9 and 10 can be implemented in coded
instructions stored on a tangible medium such as a flash memory, a
read-only memory (ROM) and/or random-access memory (RAM) associated
with a processor (e.g., the processor 1112 of FIG. 11).
Alternatively, some or all of the example processes of FIGS. 9 and
10 can be implemented using any combination(s) of application
specific integrated circuit(s) (ASIC(s)), programmable logic
device(s) (PLD(s)), field programmable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)),
discrete logic, hardware, firmware, etc. Also, some or all of the
example processes of FIGS. 9 and 10 can be implemented manually or
as any combination(s) of any of the foregoing techniques, for
example, any combination of firmware, software, discrete logic
and/or hardware. Further, although the example processes of FIGS. 9
and 10 are described with reference to the flow diagrams of FIGS. 9
and 10, other methods of implementing the processes of FIGS. 9 and
10 can be employed. For example, the order of execution of the
blocks can be changed, and/or some of the blocks described can be
changed, eliminated, sub-divided, or combined. Additionally, any or
all of the example processes of FIGS. 9 and 10 can be performed
sequentially and/or in parallel by, for example, separate
processing threads, processors, devices, discrete logic, circuits,
etc.
[0098] One or more of the components of the systems and/or steps of
the methods described above can be implemented alone or in
combination in hardware, firmware, and/or as a set of instructions
in software, for example. Certain embodiments can be provided as a
set of instructions residing on a computer-readable medium, such as
a memory, hard disk, DVD, or CD, for execution on a general purpose
computer or other processing device. Certain embodiments of the
present invention can omit one or more of the method steps and/or
perform the steps in a different order than the order listed. For
example, some steps can not be performed in certain embodiments of
the present invention. As a further example, certain steps can be
performed in a different temporal order, including simultaneously,
than listed above.
[0099] Certain embodiments include computer-readable media for
carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data
structures stored thereon. Such computer-readable media can be any
available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or
special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way
of example, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM,
PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage,
magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any
other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program
code in the form of computer-executable instructions or data
structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or
special purpose computer or other machine with a processor.
Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of
computer-readable media. Computer-executable instructions include,
for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose
computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing
machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
[0100] Generally, computer-executable instructions include
routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc.,
that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data
types. Computer-executable instructions, associated data
structures, and program modules represent examples of program code
for executing steps of certain methods and systems disclosed
herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or
associated data structures represent examples of corresponding acts
for implementing the functions described in such steps.
[0101] Embodiments of the present invention can be practiced in a
networked environment using logical connections to one or more
remote computers having processors. Logical connections can include
a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) that are
presented here by way of example and not limitation. Such
networking environments are commonplace in office-wide or
enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet and
can use a wide variety of different communication protocols. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that such network computing
environments will typically encompass many types of computer system
configurations, including personal computers, hand-held devices,
multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable
consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, and the like. Embodiments of the invention can also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are
performed by local and remote processing devices that are linked
(either by hardwired links, wireless links, or by a combination of
hardwired or wireless links) through a communications network. In a
distributed computing environment, program modules can be located
in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0102] An exemplary system for implementing the overall system or
portions of embodiments of the invention might include a general
purpose computing device in the form of a computer, including a
processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus that couples
various system components including the system memory to the
processing unit. The system memory can include read only memory
(ROM) and random access memory (RAM). The computer can also include
a magnetic hard disk drive for reading from and writing to a
magnetic hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from or
writing to a removable magnetic disk, and an optical disk drive for
reading from or writing to a removable optical disk such as a CD
ROM or other optical media. The drives and their associated
computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of
computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules
and other data for the computer.
[0103] While the invention has been described with reference to
certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes can be made and equivalents can be
substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In
addition, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without
departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the
invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed,
but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within
the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *