System and method for blood component supply chain management

A system for tracking current blood component inventory in a blood component supply chain, comprising:

• a blood center system comprising:
• a first reader configured to detect and interrogate an identification tag;
• a first reader-coupled computer located onboard the first reader or communicatively coupled to the first reader, the first reader-coupled computer comprising a first processor, a first memory, a first input for receiving signals from the first reader, and a first wireless transmitter;
• a first user workstation comprising a first user interface with a first input and output device, a second processor, second memory, and a first wireless receiver;
• and
• a first inventory management computer comprising a second wireless receiver and a second wireless transmitter, a third processor, and a third memory storing instructions, which when executed by the third processor of the first inventory management computer, cause the first inventory management computer to:
• maintain, by the third memory, a first inventory database associated with a first inventory at a blood center, the first inventory database comprising a count of first blood component units currently in the first inventory for each of a plurality of blood components and identification data for each of the first blood component units, the identification data comprising a unique identifier, a component type, a blood type, and an expiration date, the plurality of blood components including a whole blood component, a plasma component, a platelet component, and a red blood cell component;
• interrogate, by the second wireless receiver, the count of first blood component units at least once a day;
• receive, by the second wireless receiver, a first signal transmitted by the first reader-coupled computer in response to detecting, by the first reader-coupled computer, removal of a first blood component unit from the first inventory, wherein the first signal comprises first data including the unique identifier of the removed blood component unit;
• and
• deduct, by the third processor based on the unique identifier of the removed first blood component unit, the removed blood component unit from the count of first blood component units for the blood component of the removed first blood component unit in the first inventory database maintained by the third memory;
• and
• a health care facility system comprising:
• a second reader configured to detect and interrogate the identification tag;
• and
• a second inventory management computer comprising a third wireless receiver and a third wireless transmitter, a fourth processor, and a fourth memory storing instructions, which when executed by the fourth processor of the second inventory management computer, cause the second inventory management computer to:
• maintain, by the fourth memory, a second inventory database associated with a second inventory for a health care facility, the second inventory database comprising a count of second blood component units currently in the second inventory for each of the plurality of blood components and identification data for each of the second blood component units, the second blood component units including the removed first blood component unit;
• receive, by the third wireless receiver, a second signal transmitted by the second reader in response to detecting, by the second reader, removal of the removed first blood component unit from the second inventory, wherein the second signal comprises second data including the unique identifier of the removed blood component unit;
• deduct, by the fourth processor based on the unique identifier of the removed blood component unit, the removed first blood component unit from the count of second blood component units for the blood component of the removed first blood component unit in the second inventory database maintained by the fourth memory;
• compare, by the fourth processor, the count of second blood component units for each of the plurality of blood components to an alert threshold stored in the fourth memory;
• determine, by the fourth processor based on the comparison, that the count of second blood component units for any of the plurality of blood components has fallen below the corresponding alert threshold stored in the fourth memory;
• send, by the second wireless transmitter, an alert to the first user workstation in response to determining, by the fourth processor, that the count of second blood component units for any of the plurality of blood components has fallen below the corresponding alert threshold;
• and
• search, by the second inventor management computer, the second inventory database to identify second blood component units that have expired or are nearing expiration;
• generate, by the second inventory management computer, an expiration warning in response to locating second blood component units that have expired or are nearing expiration, the expiration warning identifying the second blood component units that have expired or are nearing expiration;
• and
• provide, by the second inventory management computer, the expiration warning to at least one of the blood center or the health care facility.