阅读说明：本技术 用于远程获得捐献者信息的系统和方法 (System and method for remotely obtaining donor information ) 是由 M·谭 于 2019-08-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于远程获得捐献者信息的方法包括在从远程位置处的捐献者接收到特定于捐献者的信息之后识别捐献者,并在血浆中心处至少部分地基于特定于捐献者的信息检索捐献者问卷。然后,该方法可以将问卷中的至少一个问题呈现给远程位置处的捐献者,并从捐献者接收对(一个或多个)问题的至少一个答复。在接收到(一个或多个)答复后,该方法在血浆中心处处理该(一个或多个)答复,并评估处理后的答复的结果,以实现基于至少一个答复的结果评估。评估可以或者是通过评估或者是不通过评估。然后,如果评估是通过评估,那么该方法可以对评估进行编码,并向捐献者提供编码的评估。(A method for remotely obtaining donor information includes identifying a donor after receiving donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location, and retrieving a donor questionnaire at a plasma hub based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The method may then present at least one question in the questionnaire to the donor at the remote location and receive at least one response to the question(s) from the donor. Upon receiving the response(s), the method processes the response(s) at the plasma center and evaluates the results of the processed responses to enable a result evaluation based on at least one response. The evaluation may be either by evaluation or not. The method can then encode the assessment and provide the encoded assessment to the donor if the assessment is a pass assessment.)

1. A method of remotely obtaining donor information, comprising:

identifying a donor after receiving donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location;

retrieving a donor questionnaire at the plasma hub based at least in part on the donor-specific information;

presenting at least one question from a questionnaire to a donor at a remote location;

receiving at least one response to the at least one question from the donor;

processing the at least one answer at a plasma center;

evaluating the results of the processed responses to effect an evaluation of the results based on the at least one response, the evaluation being either by evaluation or not; and

if the assessment is a pass assessment, the assessment is encoded and the encoded assessment is provided to the donor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the donor-specific information is selected from the group consisting of: birth date, social security number, first name, last name, donor number, donor ID.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the donor-specific information is received via biometric techniques.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the biometric technique comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: fingerprint scan, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, facial recognition, and body mass index.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the donor's responses to the questionnaire are valid for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the assessment is a failure assessment, the donor is notified of the failure assessment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the code is at least one selected from the group consisting of a barcode, an RFID, and a confirmation number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the encoding is valid for a predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an assessment of the code at a plasma hub after the donor arrives at the plasma hub; and

based on the received encoded assessment, a completed donor questionnaire is retrieved.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the encoded assessment comprises scanning a barcode at a plasma center.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the encoded assessment comprises receiving the encoded assessment via an electronic kiosk at a plasma center.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an expiration time is created for the evaluation of the encoding.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in a data storage device at least one selected from the group consisting of: said donor-specific information, said at least one answer from the donor, said result and/or said encoded result.

14. A system for remotely obtaining donor information, comprising:

a server configured to receive donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location and retrieve a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information, the server further configured to receive at least one reply to the donor questionnaire from the donor;

a processor in communication with the server and configured to process the at least one reply and evaluate a result of the processed at least one reply to effect a result evaluation, the result evaluation being either by evaluation or not; and

an encoder in communication with the server and the processor, the encoder configured to: encoding at least one selected from the group consisting of: said at least one answer, said donor-specific information and said assessment, said server configured to provide said encoded information to the donor.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a data storage device configured to store at least one selected from the group consisting of: donor-specific information, the at least one response from the donor, the evaluation, and/or the encoded result.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data storage device, the server, and the encoder are located within a plasma center.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the donor-specific information is selected from the group consisting of: birth date, social security number, first name, last name, donor number, donor ID.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one donor device remote from said server, said donor device having an interface configured to allow a donor to enter donor-specific information and said at least one reply.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the interface comprises a biometric reader and the donor-specific information is entered via biometric techniques.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the biometric technique comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: fingerprint scan, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, facial recognition, and body mass index.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one response from a donor to the questionnaire is valid for a predetermined period of time.

22. The system of claim 14, the server further configured to: if the assessment is a failed assessment, the donor is notified.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the encoded information is at least one selected from the group consisting of a barcode, an RFID, and an identification number.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the evaluation of the encoding is valid for a predetermined period of time.

25. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an electronic kiosk located within the plasma hub and configured to receive the encoded information upon arrival of the donor at the plasma hub, the electronic kiosk in communication with the server, the electronic kiosk configured to retrieve a completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded information.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the electronic kiosk includes a barcode scanner configured to scan the encoded information.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to health history information of plasma donors, and more particularly to obtaining demographic and health history information of plasma donors from a remote location and methods thereof.

Background

Plasma donations are based on human donors, where whole blood is drawn from the donor and processed into individual blood components, such as plasma. Donors who are intended to donate plasma are screened by the plasma donation center before being approved for the plasma donation process. Screening is performed based on historical and health information provided by the donor, which is then evaluated by a computer system and/or staff to determine whether the donor is eligible to donate plasma. All donor information needed to assess the eligibility of donors to donate plasma is collected from the donors during their visit to the plasma hub.

As described above, donor information required for screening is collected from donors while they are at the plasma hub. In some cases, the first part of the screening process is performed by the plasma donor at an electronic kiosk (electronic kiosk), where questions are presented to the donor and answers are entered into the electronic kiosk by the donor. Questions may take the form of text, pictures, audio, or video. Once the plasma donor has answered all the necessary questions, the computer kiosk processes the responses to assess the donor's donation eligibility. Alternatively, the kiosk may delegate all or part of this assessment to the plasma center staff. Throughout the process, donors must be physically located in the plasma center to participate in this screening process.

Disclosure of Invention

In some embodiments of the invention, plasma donors may undergo a screening process without visiting a plasma center. Using a plasma donor's computing device, such as a personal computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device, the donor may provide answers to the screening questions from a remote location and submit the answers to the plasma center for pre-processing.

The system may begin the process by first identifying the donor so that the plasma donor may be given appropriate questions. The identification may include one or more unique information known to the donor (e.g., birth date, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name) or information given to the donor (e.g., donor number, donor ID card, social security number). Identification may also include biometric techniques such as fingerprints, palm scans, retina scans, vein scans, facial recognition, body mass index, or similar physiological characterization techniques.

The problem given to the donor may be similar or different in whole or in part to the problem given to the donor when visiting the plasma center. The question response may be in any format, including: a text reply, a multiple choice answer, audio, a picture, a photograph, video, or any form of electronic media or multimedia compatible with the system.

The system may implement time-based constraints to control the elapsed time between answering the screening questions and the appearance of the plasma donors at the plasma hub. For example, the answer to the screening question is only valid for the day before the center closes or before midnight (first-come). In another example, the answer to the screening question is valid up to 24 hours prior to the donation, whether the donor visits the hub on the day or the next day.

The system may transmit the answers of the plasma donors to the plasma hub for pre-processing and evaluation. The results of the assessment of the questionnaire by the plasma center can be provided for return presentation to the donor. Depending on the outcome, the donor may take one or more follow-up actions that are available.

If the system receives a result of a pass assessment from the plasma center, the system encodes the assessment and/or questions and answers collected from the donor into a coding technique, such as a bar code, RFID, confirmation number, or similar passive storage technique. The encoded results are then provided to the plasma donor for printing, storage on their personal computing device, or transmission to the plasma donor's indicated destination.

At any time, if there is any change in the donor information, the donor may re-attend the questionnaire. However, the results for each questionnaire are only valid for one visit within the time limit of the questionnaire.

When a plasma donor visits the plasma hub, the encoded results may be retrieved and scanned or entered at an electronic kiosk or similar entry system provided at the plasma hub to expedite the retrieval of questionnaire responses that the donor has completed. At this point, the plasma donor may not be able to re-attend the questionnaire.

In other embodiments of the invention, the question responses are only recorded and maintained in the system and are not sent to the plasma center for processing. In this approach, no results are returned to the plasma donor, but the system will still encode the questionnaire responses using the methods described above.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method for remotely obtaining donor information includes, after receiving donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location, identifying the donor and retrieving a donor questionnaire at a plasma hub based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The method may then present at least one question in the questionnaire to the donor at the remote location and receive at least one response to the at least one question from the donor. The method may process the at least one response at the plasma center and evaluate results of the processed response to enable result evaluation based on the at least one response. The evaluation may be either by evaluation or not. If the assessment is a pass assessment, the method can encode the assessment and provide the encoded assessment to the donor. If the assessment is a failed (failing) assessment, the method may include notifying the donor of the failed assessment.

Donor-specific information may be selected from the group consisting of birth date, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, and donor ID card. Additionally or alternatively, donor-specific information may be received via biometric techniques. For example, biometric techniques may include fingerprint scans, palm scans, retina scans, vein scans, facial recognition, and body mass index.

In some embodiments, the donor's responses to the questionnaire and/or encoded assessment may be valid for a predetermined period of time. The evaluation of the code may be a bar code, RFID and/or a confirmation number. The donor may bring the encoded assessment to the plasma hub, and the plasma hub may receive the encoded assessment (e.g., via an electronic kiosk at the plasma hub and/or by scanning a barcode at the plasma hub) and retrieve a completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded assessment.

According to further embodiments, a method for remotely obtaining donor information may comprise: the donor is identified after receiving donor-specific information (e.g., birth date, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, donor ID) from the donor at the remote location, and a donor questionnaire is retrieved at the plasma hub based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The method may then present the questions in the questionnaire to the donor at the remote location and receive a response to the at least one question from the donor. Upon receiving the responses, the method may process the responses at the plasma center and evaluate the results of the processed response(s) to enable result evaluation based on at least one response. The evaluation may be either by evaluation or not. If the assessment is passed, the method may then encode the assessment and provide the encoded assessment to the donor. If the assessment is a failed assessment, the method can notify the donor of the failed assessment.

Donor-specific information may be received via biometric techniques. For example, biometric techniques may include fingerprint scans, palm scans, retina scans, vein scans, facial recognition, and body mass index. The donor's response to the questionnaire may be valid for a predetermined period of time. The evaluation of the code may be a bar code, RFID and/or a confirmation number and may be valid for a predetermined period of time. For example, the method may create an expiration time for the evaluation of the code.

In other embodiments, the method may include (1) receiving the encoded assessment at the plasma hub when the donor arrives at the plasma hub, and (2) retrieving a completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded assessment. For example, receiving the encoded assessment may include scanning a barcode at the plasma center and/or receiving the encoded assessment via an electronic kiosk at the plasma center. Additionally or alternatively, the method may store the donor-specific information, the at least one answer from the donor, the results, and/or the encoded results in a data storage device.

According to yet another embodiment, a system for remotely obtaining donor information includes a server, a processor, and an encoder. The server may receive donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location and retrieve a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The server may also receive responses from the donor to the donor questionnaire. The processor may be in communication with the server and may process the response(s) and evaluate the results of the processed response(s) to achieve a result evaluation. The evaluation of the results may be either by evaluation or not. The encoder may be in communication with the server and the processor, and may encode the response(s), the donor-specific information, and/or the assessment if the assessment is a pass assessment. The server may provide the encoded information to the donor and/or provide the failure assessment to the donor.

The system may also include a data storage device that may store donor-specific information, the response(s) from the donor, the assessment, and/or the encoded results. The data storage device, server and encoder may be located in the plasma center. Donor-specific information may include birth date, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, and/or donor ID.

The system may also include a donor device located remotely from the server. The donor device may have an interface that allows the donor to enter donor-specific information and at least one reply. The interface may include a biometric reader and may input donor-specific information via biometric techniques. For example, biometric techniques may include fingerprint scans, palm scans, retina scans, vein scans, facial recognition, and/or body mass indices.

In still other embodiments, the donor's response(s) to the questionnaire may be valid for a predetermined period of time. Additionally or alternatively, the encoded information may be a barcode, an RFID, and a confirmation number, and the evaluation of the encoding may be valid for a predetermined period of time. The system may also include an electronic kiosk located within the plasma center. The electronic kiosk may receive the encoded information when the donor arrives at the plasma center and may communicate with a server. The electronic kiosk may retrieve the completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded information and may include a barcode scanner to scan the encoded information.

Drawings

The foregoing features of the embodiments will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 schematically illustrates a system for remotely obtaining donor information according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flow diagram of an online questionnaire executed from a remote location and having a connection to a plasma center according to some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a flow diagram of an online questionnaire performed from a remote location and without a connection to a plasma center, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, the systems and methods may obtain donor information remotely from a donor before the donor arrives at a donation center and undergoes a donation process (e.g., using a blood processing facility). For example, the systems and methods may use donor-specific information to identify donors and present the donors with questionnaires to be completed. Based on the received donor response, the system/method can process and evaluate the results and provide a coded evaluation in the event that the donor receives a pass evaluation.

As noted above, prior to plasma donation, the donor must be screened to ensure that the donor is the appropriate donor. In addition, the physical characteristics and personal data/information of the donor can determine the volume of plasma (or whole blood or other blood components) that can be collected. For example, the FDA currently issues nomograms (nomograms) that provide guidelines on how much plasma (and perhaps other blood components) can be collected from a given donor based on the weight of the donor. In addition, some plasma collection systems (or similar apheresis systems) determine how much plasma (or other blood component) to collect based on various patient criteria including, but not limited to, height, weight, BMI, hematocrit, total blood volume, and/or total plasma volume. In some cases, all necessary donor information may be collected after the donor arrives at the donor center. However, by collecting this information at the donation center, the donor is required to arrive early/early in the donation in order to complete the necessary questionnaires and information sheets. This in turn increases the total time the donor must be in the donation center and causes greater inconvenience to the donor.

Fig. 1 illustrates a system 10 for remotely obtaining donor information. For example, the system 10 may include a global data communications network 110, such as the internet. The system 10 may also include a server 120 (e.g., in the plasma center computer 115), the server 120 being in communication with the global communication network 110 and possibly located within the plasma center 130. In some embodiments, the server 120 supports a website comprised of multiple web pages designed to obtain the necessary information from the donor, as discussed in more detail below. The system 10 may also include one or more client terminals 140, such as workstations/computers in the donor's home. Additionally or alternatively, the terminal may be a donor's laptop, cell phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device.

The client terminal 140 may communicate with the global communication network 110 to allow the client terminal 140 and the donor to access the server 120 and/or the website. For example, the server 140 and/or website may be accessed and displayed (e.g., on an interface of the terminal 140) by the terminal 140 via the global communication network 110. In addition, the terminal 140 may transmit information back to the server 120 through the global communication network 110. As discussed in more detail below, data (e.g., data received from a donor, data related to a previous single blood collection procedure, donor information, plasma hub information, etc.) may be stored in a database 180 (e.g., a data storage device). In addition, the system 10 may include an encoder 170, the encoder 170 encoding data received from the donor and/or the results of any analysis performed by the server 120 (or a processor within the server 120/plasma hub computer 115). The encoder 170 may be located within the plasma hub 130 (e.g., within the plasma hub computer 115), or may be located remotely from the plasma hub 130.

Within the plasma hub 130, the system 10 may include a plurality of apheresis devices (e.g., the plasma collection system 100) as described above, which may be assigned to a given donor and used to perform a desired apheresis procedure. Each plasma collection system 100 may provide data related to each process performed to the plasma hub computer 115 and server 120 (or a server/database remote from the plasma hub 130). In some embodiments, server 120 may provide information regarding any previous donations back to the user/donor (e.g., for display on terminal 140 during the questionnaire process).

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a flow chart/method 200 for an online questionnaire performed at a location remote from the plasma hub 130, for example, to obtain donor information. First, a potential donor may log in or otherwise access the online questionnaire 210. As described above, the donor may access the server 120 and/or the online questionnaire using any number of devices, including but not limited to the donor's personal computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device (e.g., using terminal 140). As part of this process, the donor may provide some identification information and/or donor-specific information to allow the system/method 10/200 to authenticate the user and ensure that the appropriate questions are presented to the donor. For example, the donor may provide unique information known to one or more donors (e.g., birth date, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name) and/or information provided to the donor (e.g., donor number, donor ID card, social security number). Additionally or alternatively, the donor may provide identification using biometric techniques such as fingerprints, palm scans, retina scans, vein scans, facial recognition, body mass index, or similar physiological characterization techniques.

The system/method 10/200 may then send the identification information/donor-specific information to the server 120 and/or the plasma hub 130 (or other donor hubs). Upon receiving the identification information/donor-specific information, the method/system 10/200 (e.g., the plasma hub 130 and/or the server 120) may retrieve the appropriate questionnaire based on the identification information/donor-specific information (step 215) and display the questions to the donor (step 220), for example, via a display on the website and/or the terminal 140. The questions presented to the donor may be similar to or different from the questions (in whole or in part) that would normally be presented to the donor when the donor visits the plasma hub 130 personally. The question response may be in any format and may depend on the type of device used by the donor to access the server 120/online questionnaire. For example, questions and/or responses may include: a text reply, a multiple choice answer, audio, a picture, a photograph, video, or any form of electronic media or multimedia compatible with system 10.

The donor may then answer the question at terminal 140 (step 225) and fill out a questionnaire (step 230). For example, the questions may all be presented on a single page/form, and the user may then enter all the necessary information and answer each question. Alternatively, the user may be presented with only one question per page, and then, once completed, the user may move to the next question. To complete the questionnaire, the user may then select a completion and/or submission option on the display of the website and/or terminal 140.

The system/method 10/200 may then transmit the donor's reply and/or completed questionnaire to the plasma hub 130 and/or server 120. Upon receipt, server 120 (or processor) will process the reply/completed questionnaire (step 235) and will evaluate the data to determine donation eligibility for the donor (step 240). Once server 120 has completed the evaluation, system/method 10/200 may transmit the results to the donor so that the donor may review the results (step 245). If the assessment indicates that the donor does not qualify for the donation (e.g., the assessment fails), the donor is notified of the failure result (step 250). If the assessment indicates that the donor is eligible, the system/method 10/200 may encode the results and/or answers collected from the donor using the encoder 170 (step 260) and display the encoded results for viewing by the user (step 265). The result of the encoding may include an encoded version of all of the information provided by the donor, an encoded version of a subset of the information provided by the donor, or an encoded "code" that serves as a patient identity and allows server 120 to later retrieve the data provided by the donor, for example, from database 180.

The assessment and/or response may be encoded in any number of ways, including but not limited to bar codes, RFID, identification numbers, and/or similar passive storage technologies. After receiving the results, the plasma donor may print the results, save the results on their personal computing device, and/or send them to the destination indicated by the plasma donor. It should be noted that the encoding of the results in step 260 may be performed at any number of locations. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the user/donor's device 140 may encode the results. Alternatively, the plasma hub 130 (e.g., server 120) may encode the results before sending them to the donor's device 140.

The server 120 (or processor) may determine the eligibility of the donor based on a plurality of criteria entered by the donor. For example, the server 120 may determine the eligibility of the donor based on the donor's age, weight, height, BMI, overall health, medical history, date of their last donation, or any combination of data, among others. If the server 120 determines that the donor is not eligible (e.g., they are not in good physical condition, their weight is below a threshold, they are too recently donated, etc.) based on one or more of the above criteria, the server 120 may provide an "assessment failed" notification to the donor.

It should be noted that the system 10 may store the responses received from the donors, as well as the raw and/or encoded results. For example, the system/method 10/200 may store information within the server 120 and/or the data storage device 180. This, in turn, allows the system/method 10/200 to easily look for results and/or donor information/identity, for example, to confirm donor identity, when needed, once the donor has arrived at the plasma hub 130.

In some cases, it may be beneficial to set a time limit on the validity of the assessment results (particularly the pass results). To this end, the system/method 10/200 may create a time-based constraint to control the elapsed time between answering the screening question and the appearance of the plasma donor at the plasma hub 130 (e.g., the system may create an expiration date/time). For example, the answer to the screening question may only be valid on the day before the center is closed or before midnight (first-come). Alternatively, the answer to the screening question may be valid up to 24 hours prior to the donation, whether the donor visits the hub 130 on the day or the next day. Time limits may be encoded with the assessment so that information is scanned when the donor arrives at the donation center. Alternatively, the time limit may be stored within the data storage device 180 and then retrieved when the donor arrives at the donation center.

It should be noted that at any time prior to arrival at the plasma donation center, the donor may re-attend the questionnaire if any changes in the donor information occur. This may reset the expiration deadline, but each questionnaire result may only be valid for one access within the time limit of the questionnaire.

After the donor receives the encoded results and before the expiration time, the donor may bring the encoded results to the plasma hub 130, where the encoded results may be retrieved (e.g., from the server 120 and/or database 180) at the electronic kiosk 150 or similar entry system provided by the plasma hub 130, scanned (via a scanner at the electronic kiosk 150), or otherwise entered. Using the encoded results, the plasma center may retrieve completed questionnaires for the donor and responses stored in server 120 and/or database 180. Additionally, the system/method 10/200 may also thereby be provided with an opportunity to confirm the identity of the donor by comparing information entered at the electronic kiosk 150 with information retrieved from the server 120 and/or database 180. For example, upon receiving the encoded result, the system/method 10/200 may compare the encoded result to information stored in the server 120 and/or database 180 (e.g., to a donor list). If there is a match, the system/method 10/200 may assign the donor to a particular apheresis device 100 and send the donor information to the assigned apheresis device 100. This in turn speeds donor entry. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the donor may not be allowed to re-attend the questionnaire at this time.

After confirming the encoded result and/or the identity of the donor, the donor may be directed to the assigned apheresis device 100 and, in some cases, the donor identity may be confirmed again at the device 100. The donor may then be hooked up to the device 100, and the device 100 may select an appropriate apheresis procedure and perform a procedure (e.g., a plasma collection procedure).

Although the system/method 10/200 described above relates to a system/method in which the donor has a connection with the plasma center 130 (e.g., there is active exchange of information between the donor and the plasma center 130 throughout the process), other embodiments do not require such a connection. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the donor may access and complete the questionnaire without the need to transmit information to and from the plasma hub 130, and without the need for processing by the plasma hub 130 (e.g., without the need to send and receive information to and from the server 120, without the need for the server 120 to analyze the data, and without the need for the encoder 170 to encode the results). In such a system/method 300, a user may open an online questionnaire (step 310) and questions may be displayed to the user (step 320) (e.g., via software on terminal 140, software accessed by terminal 140, or via a separate system separate from the donation center). The donor may then answer the question (step 330) and complete the questionnaire (step 340). Upon completion of the questionnaire, system/method 300 may encode the results and create an expiration date/time (step 350) in a manner similar to that described above. The system/method 300 may then display the encoded result to the donor (step 360). The donor may then bring the encoded result to the plasma center 130 and check in the kiosk 150 as described above. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the results of the questionnaire may or may not be provided back to the donor. Although various embodiments are described above with respect to the plasma collection and plasma center 130, the system/method 10/200/300 may be used in any number of donation centers and/or medical centers. For example, some embodiments may be used in whole blood donation centers, red blood cell donations, or other medical centers unrelated to blood and/or blood component donations.

It is important to note that those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus, systems, and methods described herein may have many other physical and functional components, such as a central processing unit, a packet processing module, and short-term memory. Thus, the above discussion is in no way intended to imply that the various embodiments described herein represent all of the elements of system/method 10/200.

It should also be noted that the figures only schematically show each of these components. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that each of these components may be implemented in a variety of conventional ways across one or more other functional components, for example using hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. For example, one or more components may be implemented using multiple microprocessors executing firmware. As another example, the components may be implemented using one or more application specific integrated circuits (i.e., "ASICs"), and associated software, or a combination of ASICs, discrete electronic components (e.g., transistors), and microprocessors. Accordingly, the representation of components in a single block is for simplicity only. Indeed, in some embodiments, a component may be distributed over multiple different machines and/or locations — not necessarily within the same device.

Various embodiments of the invention may be implemented, at least in part, in any conventional computer programming language. For example, some embodiments may be implemented in a procedural programming language (e.g., "C") or an object oriented programming language (e.g., "C + +"). Other embodiments of the invention may be implemented as pre-configured stand-alone hardware elements and/or pre-programmed hardware elements (e.g., application specific integrated circuits, FPGAs, and digital signal processors), or other related components.

In alternative embodiments, the disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods (e.g., see the various flowcharts described above) may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system. Such an implementation may comprise a series of computer instructions fixed on a tangible, non-transitory medium, such as a computer-readable medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a ROM, or a fixed disk). The series of computer instructions may embody all or part of the functionality previously described herein with respect to the system.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such computer instructions can be written in a number of programming languages for use with many computer architectures or operating systems. Further, such instructions may be stored in any memory device, such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical, or other memory devices, and may be transmitted using any communications technology, such as optical, infrared, microwave, or other transmission technologies.

In other instances, such a computer program product may be distributed as a removable medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software) pre-loaded with the computer system (e.g., on a system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the network (e.g., the internet or world wide web). Indeed, some embodiments may be implemented in a software as a service model ("SAAS") or cloud computing model. Of course, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the invention are implemented as entirely hardware, or entirely software.

It should also be noted that terms such as "controller," "processor," and "server" may be used herein to describe devices that may be used in certain embodiments of the invention, and should not be construed to limit the invention to any particular device type or system unless the context requires otherwise. Thus, a system may include, but is not limited to, a client, a server, a computer, an appliance, or other type of device. Such devices typically include one or more network interfaces for communicating over a communication network and a processor (e.g., a microprocessor with memory and other peripherals and/or dedicated hardware) that is accordingly configured to perform device and/or system functions. The communication network may generally comprise a public and/or private network; may include a local area network, a wide area network, a metropolitan area network, a storage network, and/or other types of networks; and may employ communication technologies including, but in no way limited to, analog technologies, digital technologies, optical technologies, wireless technologies, networking technologies, and internetworking technologies.

The individual components of the control program may be implemented individually or in combination. For example, each component may be implemented, or a dedicated server or a group of servers may be configured in a distributed manner.

It should also be noted that devices may use communication protocols and messages (e.g., messages created, transmitted, received, stored, and/or processed by a system), and such messages may be conveyed by a communication network or medium. The present invention should not be construed as limited to any particular communication message type, communication message format, or communication protocol unless the context requires otherwise. Thus, a communication message may generally include, but is not limited to, a frame, a packet, a datagram, a user datagram, a cellular, or other type of communication message. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to particular communication protocols are exemplary, and it should be understood that alternative embodiments may employ variations of such communication protocols as appropriate (e.g., modifications or extensions to the protocols that may be made from time to time) or other protocols known or developed in the future.

It should also be noted that a logic flow may be described herein to demonstrate various aspects of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular logic flow or logic implementation. The described logic may be partitioned into different logic blocks (e.g., programs, modules, interfaces, functions, or subroutines) without changing the overall results or otherwise departing from the true scope of the invention. In general, logic elements may be added, modified, omitted, performed in a different order, or implemented using different logic constructs (e.g., logic gates, looping primitives, conditional logic, and other logic constructs) without changing the overall results or otherwise departing from the true scope of the invention.

The invention can be implemented in many different forms, including, but not limited to, computer program logic for use with a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, or general purpose computer), programmable logic for use with a programmable logic device (e.g., a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable Logic Device (PLD)), discrete components, integrated circuitry (e.g., an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)), or any other component, including any combination thereof. In some embodiments of the invention, substantially all of the described logic is implemented as a set of computer program instructions that are converted into a computer executable form, stored as such in a computer readable medium, and executed by a microprocessor under the control of an operating system.

Computer program logic implementing all or part of the functionality previously described herein may be embodied in various forms, including, but in no way limited to, source code forms, computer executable forms, and various intermediate forms (e.g., forms generated by an assembler, compiler, linker, or locator). The source code may include a series of computer program instructions implemented in any of a variety of programming languages (e.g., object code, assembly language, or a high-level language such as FORTRAN, C + +, JAVA, or HTML) for use with various operating systems or operating environments. The source code may define and use various data structures and communication messages. The source code may be in computer-executable form (e.g., via an interpreter), or the source code may be converted into computer-executable form (e.g., via a translator, assembler, or compiler).

The computer program may be fixed in any form (e.g., source code form, computer executable form, or intermediate form) either permanently or temporarily in a tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM or flash programmable RAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., floppy or fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g., CD-ROM), a PC card (e.g., PCMCIA card), or other memory device. The computer program may be fixed in any form as a signal that can be transmitted to a computer using any of a variety of communication techniques, including, but not limited to, analog techniques, digital techniques, optical techniques, wireless techniques, networking techniques, and internetworking techniques. The computer program may be distributed in any form as a removable storage medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the communication system (e.g., the internet or world wide web).

Hardware logic implementing all or part of the functionality previously described herein, including programmable logic used with programmable logic devices, may be designed using conventional manual methods, or may be designed, captured, simulated or documented electronically using various tools, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), hardware description languages (e.g., VHDL or AHDL), or PLD programming languages (e.g., PALASM, ABEL, or CUPL).

Programmable logic may be fixed permanently or temporarily in a tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or flash programmable RAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., a floppy disk or fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g., a CD-ROM), or other memory device. Programmable logic may be fixed in a signal that may be transmitted to a computer using any of a variety of communication technologies, including, but in no way limited to, analog technologies, digital technologies, optical technologies, wireless technologies (e.g., bluetooth), networking technologies, and internetworking technologies. The programmable logic may be distributed as a removable storage medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic device bulletin board over the communication system (e.g., the internet or world wide web). Of course, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the invention are implemented as entirely hardware, or entirely software.

The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only; many variations and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by any appended claims.