# US 12,223,086 B2 · Immutable-ledger-based workflow management for patient samples

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- Number: US 12,223,086 B2
- Document ID: US12223086B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/756,032
- Filed: 2020-11-25
- Published: 2022-12-22
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-26
- Assignees: Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd
- Applicants: Leica Biosystems Melbourne PTY LTD
- Inventors: Misa-Mikko Rasanen; Orlando Skeete; Zbigniew Mioduszewski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223086B2

## CPC

- G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes}
- G06F 21/645: {using a third party}
- G16H 10/40: for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
- G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
- G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Blockchain-based workflow management for patient samples. In an embodiment, for each of a plurality of first devices, a request for a unique sample identifier is received from the first device, and, in response to the request, the unique sample identifier is generated and sent to the first device. Then, for each of a plurality of second devices and for each of a plurality of interactions, interaction information is received from the second device, a transaction is generated from the interaction information, and the transaction is recorded in an immutable ledger. The interaction information may comprise a unique sample identifier, a user identifier, a location, an event type, and a timestamp.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a hardware memory circuit configured to store executable instructions; and
at least one hardware processor configured to:
receive a request for a unique sample identifier for a first sample from a first device over at least one network, the first sample associated with patient information,
in response to the request, generate and send the generated unique sample identifier to the first device over the at least one network, and
for each of a plurality of interactions associated with the first sample:
receive interaction information for the interaction from one of a plurality of second devices over the at least one network, wherein the interaction information comprises the unique sample identifier, a user identifier, a location, an event type, and a timestamp,
generate a transaction from the interaction information, and
record the transaction in an immutable ledger,
wherein the unique sample identifier and all transactions on the immutable ledger are free of patient information;
wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to retrieve a history comprising all transactions in the immutable ledger that are associated with a particular unique sample identifier; and
wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to display a representation of the history, along with a digital image of a sample identified by the particular unique sample identifier, within a graphical user interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the immutable ledger is a blockchain.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the immutable ledger is a directed acyclic graph.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to analyze transactions in the immutable ledger to determine one or more metrics for interactions represented by the transactions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a throughput rate for one or more of a particular user identifier, location, or event type.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:
receive a request to access the immutable ledger from a user over the at least one network; and,
in response to the request, provide read-only access to the user to only a subset of transactions in the immutable ledger, while preventing access by the user to any other transactions in the immutable ledger.

### Claim 7

A method performed by at least one hardware processor of a server system, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a unique sample identifier for a first sample from a first device over at least one network, the first sample associated with patient information,
in response to the request, generating and sending the generated unique sample identifier to the first device over the at least one network, and for each of a plurality of interactions associated with the first sample:
receiving interaction information for the interaction from one of a plurality of second devices over the at least one network, wherein the interaction information comprises the unique sample identifier, a user identifier, a location, an event type, and a timestamp, and
generating a transaction from the interaction information, and record the transaction in an immutable ledger,
wherein the unique sample identifier and all transactions on the immutable ledger are free of patient information.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the immutable ledger is a blockchain.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the immutable ledger is a directed acyclic graph.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing transactions in the immutable ledger to determine one or more metrics for interactions represented by the transactions.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive a request for a unique sample identifier for a first sample from a first device over at least one network, the first sample associated with patient information,
in response to the request, generate and send the generated unique sample identifier to the first device over the at least one network, and
for each of a plurality of interactions associated with the first sample;
receive interaction information for the interaction from one of a plurality of second devices over the at least one network, wherein the interaction information comprises the unique sample identifier, a user identifier, a location, an event type, and a timestamp,
generate a transaction from the interaction information, and record the transaction in an immutable ledger,
wherein the unique sample identifier and all transactions on the immutable ledger are free of patient information;
wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to retrieve a history comprising all transactions in the immutable ledger that are associated with a particular unique sample identifier; and
wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to display a representation of the history, along with a digital image of a sample identified by the particular unique sample identifier, within a graphical user interface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the immutable ledger is a blockchain.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the immutable ledger is a directed acyclic graph.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
analyze transactions in the immutable ledger to determine one or more metrics for interactions represented by the transactions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a throughput rate for one or more of a particular user identifier, location, or event type.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
receive a request to access the immutable ledger from a user over the at least one network; and,
in response to the request, provide read-only access to the user to only a subset of transactions in the immutable ledger, while preventing access by the user to any other transactions in the immutable ledger.