System and method for distributed ledger management of nuclear medicine products

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking and managing a distributed ledger including information for a batch of radiopharmaceutical material are disclosed. Certain examples provide a computer-implemented method for managing radiopharmaceutical material, comprising: using at least one processor to track a status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the status including a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; using the type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to generate a record in a first copy of a distributed ledger; updating the record based on at least one of use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, resale of at least a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, and decay of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; and sharing the record with a second copy of the distributed ledger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to improving nuclear medicine, and more particularly to improved systems and methods for distributed ledger management of nuclear medicine products. Background Art

[0002] Nuclear medicine involves radioactive materials used to highlight aspects of a patient's anatomy in the images produced. Such radioactive materials are expensive to produce, potentially dangerous, and decay rapidly. Consequently, radioactive material composition, production, storage, and use are very tightly regulated and controlled, and their useful shelf life is time-limited. Given the tight controls and rapid decay, materials often go unused due to delays in logistics and / or lack of communication. Furthermore, once the material is produced and distributed, providers lose visibility into the status of the material, its use, etc. This creates, for example, waste, uncertainty, and potential safety hazards. Moreover, the value of any batch of nuclear medicine tracers is directly related to its activity. Therefore, it is desirable for manufacturers and users to have timely information regarding activity during the ordering, distribution, and use of these materials. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Certain examples provide systems and methods for tracking and management of a distributed ledger including information for a batch of radiopharmaceutical materials.

[0004] Certain examples provide a distributed monitoring processor device comprising: a data storage device for storing instructions for execution and a first copy of a distributed ledger; a data communication interface for receiving and transmitting data; a material status monitor for tracking the status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical materials, the material status monitor for receiving an indication of a type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials via the data communication interface; and a ledger record processor for generating and updating records in the first copy of the distributed ledger using the indication of a type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials from the material status monitor, the ledger record processor for adding transactions to the records to track when and in what quantities the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials were sold and resold.

[0005] Certain examples provide a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least: track a status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the status comprising a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; generate a record in a first copy of a distributed ledger using the type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; update the record based on at least one of use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, resale of at least a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, and decay of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; and share the record with a second copy of the distributed ledger.

[0006] Certain examples provide a computer-implemented method for managing radiopharmaceutical materials. The example method includes, using at least one processor, tracking a status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical materials, the status including a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials. The example method includes, using at least one processor, generating a record in a first copy of a distributed ledger using the type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials. The example method includes, using at least one processor, updating the record based on at least one of use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials, resale of at least a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials, and decay of the batch of radiopharmaceutical materials. The example method includes, using at least one processor, sharing the record with a second copy of the distributed ledger. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 An example distributed ledger is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 An example apparatus is shown that includes a generator to produce radiopharmaceutical material and a distribution monitoring processor to generate a record for the production of the radiopharmaceutical material and to track its use and useful life.

[0009] Figure 3 Shown and by Figure 2 An example distributed ledger of records corresponding to multiple batches of radioactive imaging agents generated by a generator.

[0010] Figure 4 Show Figure 2 An example implementation of a system comprising a plurality of client subsystems, the client subsystems and Figure 2 An example of a distributed monitoring processor, a remote server, and a generator communicating.

[0011] Figure 5 Shown is an example smart contract for the purchase of radioactive imaging materials tracked by a distributed ledger.

[0012] Figure 6An example peer-to-peer update system is shown, wherein Figure 2 The generator provides materials to be purchased and used by customers, and employs the customer subsystem to execute transactions to sell the materials to the corresponding customers.

[0013] Figure 7 An example set of smart contracts is shown.

[0014] Figure 8 An example transaction flow for an example radiopharmaceutical blockchain is shown.

[0015] Figure 9 A flow chart illustrating an example method for managing a radiopharmaceutical generator and monitoring radiopharmaceutical material synthesized by the generator.

[0016] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a processor platform configured to execute example machine-readable instructions to implement the components disclosed and described herein.

[0017] Figure 11 Show Figure 2 An example schematic implementation of an example distributed monitoring processor is provided.

[0018] The drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form an integral part thereof, and specific examples that can be implemented are shown in the accompanying drawings by way of illustration. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the present subject matter, and it is understood that other examples can be utilized and that logical, mechanical, electrical and other changes can be made without departing from the scope of the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is provided to describe exemplary implementations and is not to be understood as limiting the scope of the subject matter described in the present disclosure. Certain features from the different aspects described below can be combined to form some new aspects of the subject matter described below.

[0020] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0021] As used herein, the terms "radioimaging," "radiopharmaceutical," and "radioisotope" are used interchangeably.

[0022] Although certain examples are described below in the context of a medical or healthcare system, other examples can be implemented outside of a medical environment. For example, certain examples can be applicable to the manipulation of non-medical radioactive materials, etc.

[0023] I. Overview

[0024] Nuclear imaging

[0025] Nuclear medicine imaging uses a small amount of radioactive material (e.g., a radioactive tracer or radiopharmaceutical) that is injected into the subject's bloodstream, inhaled, or swallowed and emits gamma rays that can be detected by an imaging camera (e.g., a gamma camera) connected to a computer to form an image of the subject. Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information not typically available using other imaging procedures and offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages.

[0026] Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine test that uses a small amount of radioactive drug to show the difference between healthy and diseased tissue and to form three-dimensional (3D) images of functional processes within the body. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a nuclear medicine tomography imaging technique that uses gamma rays and a gamma camera to capture image data of a target to form a 3D image.

[0027] PET and SPECT imaging systems are increasingly used for the detection of diseases and are useful in providing early detection and definitive diagnosis for such diseases, such as disease states within oncology, cardiology, and neurology. For example, currently, a large percentage of PET and SPECT tests are associated with cancer detection, assessment of myocardial perfusion, and early Alzheimer's disease detection. These diseases require early diagnosis to allow for timely and effective treatment.

[0028] PET and SPECT imaging systems create images based on the distribution of positron-emitting isotopes and gamma-emitting isotopes, respectively, in patient tissue. Isotopes are typically administered to the patient via injection of a radiopharmaceutical that includes a probe molecule with a positron-emitting isotope (e.g., carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, or fluorine-18) or a gamma-emitting isotope (e.g., technetium-99 or iodine-123). The radiopharmaceutical is readily metabolized, localized in the body, or chemically bound to receptor sites in the body. Once the radiopharmaceutical is localized at the desired site (e.g., chemically bound to a receptor site), a PET or SPECT image is generated.

[0029] Systems such as GE's FASTlab™ and FASTlab™ 2, and Drytec™ can be used to prepare radiotracer materials for use in PET, SPECT, and / or other nuclear imaging. Systems such as FASTlab™ use automated cassette-based systems that contain pre-measured quantities of chemicals involved in radiopharmaceutical synthesis to host reactions that produce radiotracer materials (e.g., [18F]Flutemetamol) over multiple runs. Certain examples integrate reagents to enable the execution of multiple runs in the same hot cell (e.g., using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) citrate). Solid-phase extraction, high-performance liquid chromatography, and the like can be used to purify the synthesized radiotracer materials.

[0030] Other examples of radiopharmaceuticals include 18F-FLT ([18F]fluorothymidine), 18F-FDDNP (2-(1-{6-[(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)(methyl)amino]2-naphthyl}ethylidene)malononitrile), 18F-FHBG (9-[4-[18F]fluoro-3-(hydroxymethyl)butyl]guanine or [18F]-penciclovir), 18F-FESP ([18F]-fluoroethyl spiperone), 18F-p-MPPF (4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(N-2-pyridyl)-p-[18p]fluorophenylamino]ethylpiperazine), and 18F-FDG ([18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose).

[0031] The radioisotope in a radiopharmaceutical is an isotope that exhibits radioactive decay (e.g., emitting a positron). Such isotopes are often referred to as radioisotopes or radionuclides. Example radioisotopes include 18F, 124I, 11C, 13N, and 15O, which have half-lives of 110 minutes, 4.2 days, 20 minutes, 10 minutes, and 2 minutes, respectively.

[0032] PET radiotracers are typically produced at a central facility and then distributed to other hospitals or imaging facilities for use. Scheduling patient exams and PET tracer production to ensure sufficient activity is available when patients have imaging exams is crucial. Often, the manufacturer (e.g., a PET center) and the user (e.g., an imaging facility) are different legal entities, and challenging logistics also involve time-critical transactions in the sale and purchase of decaying materials, whose value is related to, for example, their decay activity.

[0033] Because radioisotopes have such short half-lives, the synthesis, purification, storage, transportation, and use of corresponding radiopharmaceuticals must be rapid. For example, many of these processes (e.g., synthesis, purification, and quality control assessments) should be completed in a time much shorter than the half-life of the radioisotope in the radiopharmaceutical. Accordingly, the time involved in synthesizing, processing, and manipulating radioisotopes can be a bottleneck in the effective use of radioisotopes in nuclear medicine imaging for patient diagnosis to facilitate patient treatment.

[0034] Generators are used to provide other radioisotopes. For example, GE's Drytec™ generators can be used to create a supply of Tc-99m. Generators are shipped from manufacturing facilities containing a specific amount of activity. Generators are supplied internationally, for example, on a weekly basis. Due to the high material value, the generators are typically returned to the manufacturer after the supplied activity has decayed and been reused.

[0035] End users must pre-order their generators and cannot purchase additional generators on short notice outside of the distribution and collection schedule. End users are also unable to store unused activity beyond the decay time and time the generator is at the user's facility. Therefore, while the user is billed for the full amount of material, any unused activity is wasted.

[0036] Previously, there was no systematic mechanism to facilitate the sale and purchase of excess generator activity between two end users who were located in close proximity. For example, there was no communication mechanism to disclose situations where one user utilized their generator less frequently than planned during a given period, while another user needed additional activity due to a busier patient schedule. Therefore, activity was not necessarily lost; it could be utilized if the two users were able to exchange generators. Furthermore, some patient examinations might not be performed when they were needed due to a lack of available Tc-99m activity.

[0037] Distributed ledger

[0038] A blockchain is a list of records or blocks that are cross-linked and grow to track the history of transactions and / or the evolution of other information. Blockchains provide a history of transactions and / or other information states. Blockchains can be public (e.g., readable by anyone) or private (e.g., encrypted so that they can only be read by those with a key). Blockchains and / or other distributed ledger technologies can be used as digital tools to manage physical assets bought and sold between many entities. Blockchains and other distributed ledgers offer technical advantages, including transparency and traceability in tracking assets and enabling transactions.

[0039] Blockchain technology is a distributed computing mechanism designed to provide fairness, preventing one entity from being dominant while another is weak. A blockchain is a distributed, public ledger of transactions (e.g., financial transactions, data transactions, etc.) where transactions are recorded publicly and chronologically, and can be verified by all participants without the need for a central authority. Blockchain applies cryptographic algorithms to a shared or distributed database, allowing any user to read and add to the database and helping to ensure that no single user controls the content written to the distributed database. Any blockchain user can view all transactions on the distributed database. Blockchain technology provides disintermediation, reducing the need for intermediaries in communications between, for example, data producers and data consumers. That is, rather than employing a middleman to facilitate transactions, two entities (e.g., a data consumer and a data provider) can directly communicate and participate in the transaction. Transactions are visible to other entities, so the blockchain serves as a distributed consensus engine for entities to verify and / or otherwise agree on the existence of transactions.

[0040] Figure 1 An example blockchain 100 is shown that includes multiple records or blocks 110, 120, 130. Each record 110, 120, 130 includes a hash value 112, 122, and 132 (e.g., a hash value or other address of a previous block in the chain 100), a timestamp 114, 124, and 134 of the record 110, 120, 130, and an address of a root 116, 126, and 136 of the blockchain 100. Furthermore, each record 110, 120, 130 includes transactions 118-119, 128-129, and 138-139 associated with the respective record 110, 120, 130. Thus, the blockchain 100 is a chain of time-stamped, cryptographically protected, immutable blocks of consensus-verified data. The chain or ledger 100 exists, for example, as a series of synchronized copies across multiple users and multiple locations.

[0041] II. Example Nuclear Medicine Product Management System and Associated Methods

[0042] Certain examples utilize blockchain and / or other distributed ledgers to help manage non-durable items in nuclear medicine imaging, namely radioisotopes, also known as radiotracers or radiopharmaceuticals. Radioisotopes typically decay rapidly over time, so tracking the useful life of the material via a blockchain allows the supplier and one or more potential buyers / users to assess the viability and useful life of the material until it is no longer usable for its intended purpose (e.g., PET or SPECT imaging, etc.).

[0043] In some examples, radioactivity units are cross-linked to digital units managed via blockchain technology. Radioactivity can be represented as a non-durable cryptocurrency, whose units must be spent within a limited lifespan. The visibility of units of this non-durable currency circulating via the blockchain allows for real-time buying and selling and efficient utilization of the currency. Producers of radioactivity (e.g., PET centers that synthesize tracers, manufacturers of generators, etc.) issue new "currency" and put the supply into circulation. Users (e.g., hospitals, clinics, imaging centers, etc.) are buyers who analyze and add to the chain of records of the remaining radiopharmaceutical usage and useful life of the product. Product half-life, availability, and the time, date, and location of use can be tracked and managed via a blockchain (e.g., blockchain 100), for example, to help ensure maximum use of available materials, quality control of products, and improved management of the nuclear imaging supply chain.

[0044] In certain examples, a radiopharmaceutical generator supply chain (e.g., GE Drytec™, etc.) can be managed via blockchain 100 to provide full traceability of every generator in the organization, the activity contained therein, and the location of the generators, products, and activity. In addition to the benefits of a fully traceable system, the distributed ledger also provides greater transparency for end users. Furthermore, the distributed ledger of blockchain 100 enables users to buy and sell activity to each other. For example, if a hospital does not fully utilize a generator during a given week, that hospital can buy and sell the use of the generator to another hospital nearby that has more nuclear medicine exams scheduled that week and desires additional generator activity but would not otherwise be able to obtain it from a manufacturer (e.g., General Electric Company, etc.). This transaction between the two end users, stored in blockchain 100, is also visible to the manufacturer, which in turn facilitates the collection and recycling of generators, regardless of whether the generator has changed location since being shipped to a specific customer. Thus, the manufacturer knows that a generator has moved from hospital A to hospital B and can, for example, request and / or anticipate the return of the generator from hospital B. Thus, blockchain 100 combines tracking and tracing capabilities with the additional capability to exchange activity between users. Blockchain 100 can also facilitate billing users for the activity they actually utilize, rather than charging a per-generator price (which puts user A, who will only partially utilize the provided activity, at a disadvantage).

[0045] In another example, PET tracer manufacturing can be managed via the blockchain 100. The distributed ledger enables, for example, tracer location (e.g., a batch of GE's Vizamyl TMThe blockchain provides complete visibility into the tracer batch, including the tracer's location, activity, and how the batch can be formulated into multiple doses, as well as how those doses will be used. The balancing blockchain can facilitate improved utilization of tracer products among end users by allowing excess doses from a batch at a PET center to be shipped to other nearby locations where they are needed. For example, the blockchain can track a shipment from a manufacturer to a first PET center, which then sells the remainder of the tracer shipment to a second PET center. Imaging facilities requiring additional doses of a particular PET tracer can, for example, obtain timely information related to PET tracer production by having access to the blockchain 100. PET production facilities can, for example, be in a position to meter demand via the blockchain 100.

[0046] In some examples, a distributed ledger or blockchain can be constructed and / or expanded by a generator or synthesizer producing radiopharmaceutical materials. For example, GE's FASTlab™ platform can include a processor and network connections that are used to process radioactivity measurements upon release of a batch of radiotracer materials (e.g., PET tracers, etc.). When a batch of material is generated and released by a synthesizer, a record or block is created in the chain representing the units or usable quantities of the material. The record can include a measure of the quantity of the material and a timestamp of the creation of the material. The timestamp enables tracking or monitoring of the useful life of the material as it begins to decay. By tracking the quantity, time, and composition of the material, the decay of the quantity of the material and the remaining useful life can be determined over time and dynamically updated. A local system can generate a record that is shared with a remote system (e.g., a cloud-based server, a central server, a client system, etc.), for example, to propagate the ledger and new records. Thus, the client system can view the record, purchase the material, track the record and the passage of time, and provide a copy of the record to the client system when the material is used (e.g., a portion of the material is used). two Provide a new record when the customer sells the remaining portion of the viable portion, etc.

[0047] Figure 2An example device or system 200 is shown, comprising a generator 210 for producing radiopharmaceutical material and a distribution monitoring processor 220 for generating records for the production of the radiopharmaceutical material and tracking its use and useful life. The distribution monitoring processor 220 is connected to a controller 212 in the generator 210 to receive an indication of the amount of radioisotope material synthesized in a cassette or other reactor 214 of the generator 210. The distribution monitoring processor 220 generates records (e.g., type, quantity, starting timestamp, location, etc.) in a distributed ledger (e.g., a blockchain, a hash graph, a directed acyclic graph, etc.) corresponding to the produced material. The distribution monitoring processor 220 can forward the distributed ledger records and / or updates to the ledger to a remote server 230 (e.g., a cloud-based server and / or other remote server operated by the provider of the generator 210, a third-party service provider, a clearinghouse or broker of the material, etc.). The remote server 230 can work with the distribution monitoring processor 220 to verify the distributed ledger, facilitate the exchange of messages, connect potential users / buyers with materials at the current location, etc.

[0048] The material and / or information related to the material can be provided to the client subsystem 240, which uses the material and updates associated records and / or adds new records to the distributed ledger indicating its use of a portion of the material. The records in the distributed ledger can be used to monitor the useful life of the material and facilitate contracts and / or other agreements for the sale of all or part of the material.

[0049] Figure 3 An example distributed ledger 300, similar to the example blockchain 100, is shown, including records 310, 320, 330 corresponding to batches of radioactive imaging agents produced by the generator 210. For example, the ledger 300 can be an implementation of the blockchain 100 customized for the records 310-330 of radiopharmaceutical materials, or the ledger 300 can be an alternative form of a distributed ledger that tracks the quantity, location, decay, etc. of radiopharmaceutical materials.

[0050] like Figure 3As shown in example ledger 300, when a batch of radiopharmaceutical material is synthesized by generator 210, record 310 is created by processor 220. Example record 310 includes an identifier 311 associated with record 310, a timestamp 312 corresponding to the synthesis of the material by generator 210, a location 313 of generator 210, a type 314 of the radiopharmaceutical material, and a quantity 315 of the material. Using type 314, quantity 315, and timestamp 312, the remaining useful life of the material can be determined given a half-life associated with type 314 of quantity 315 starting at the time of timestamp 312. Distribution monitoring processor 220 can track the degradation of the material associated with record 310 over time and can provide this information, for example, to remote server 230 and / or client system 240. Additional records 320, 330 in distributed ledger 300 can be for the same and / or different batches of material. Thus, additional material produced by the same or different generators 210 can be associated with subsequent records 320, 330 and have associated identifiers 321 and 331, timestamps 322 and 332, locations 323 and 333, types 324 and 334, quantities 325 and 335, etc.

[0051] In some examples, after a certain amount of material has been used, a subsequent record 320 can be for the same batch of material as the first record 310. The record 320 can show a remaining amount 325 that is different from the initial amount 315, and the useful life of the remaining amount 325 can be tracked using a timestamp 322, a type 332, etc. Activity, such as shipping time, sharing / usage, etc. of the material, is updated in the ledger 300 by the processor 220 and / or the remote server 230 and factored into the decay calculation, for example, to determine the remaining useful life of the amount 325 of remaining material.

[0052] In some examples, once all of the material is used and / or its usable life is exhausted, the associated records 310, 320, 330 can be removed from the general ledger 300. In other examples, the quantity 315-335 of the material is reduced to zero, but the records 310-330 are retained in the general ledger 300 for historical tracking and / or audit purposes, etc. In some examples, the records 310-330 include an additional field indicating whether usable / viable material remains from the associated batch. Thus, records 310-330 in which the field does not indicate the remaining usable / viable material can be ignored, for example, by the processor 220, server 230, and / or client system 240 when tracking, trading / selling / purchasing, and / or otherwise managing the available material inventory.

[0053] In some examples, each time a transaction occurs to sell or resell all or a portion of a radiopharmaceutical material, a new record 310-330 is created in the general ledger 300 to track that material. Figure 3 In another example, transactions 316-337 occurring with respect to records 310-330 of radiopharmaceutical material are stored in or with respect to each block or record 310-330 of the general ledger 300. For example, a first transaction 316 can include the sale of generated material from a manufacturer's laboratory to a first hospital. A second transaction 317 can include the resale of a portion of the material from the first hospital to a second hospital. Similar transactions 326-327, 336-337 can be recorded for each record 310-330 in the general ledger 300.

[0054] Therefore, for radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine, the material is associated with the known short decay time of the radioisotope. In addition, some of the radioisotopes can be attached to molecules that make the radioisotope a good imaging agent. However, these radioisotopes have a finite lifespan and will be used before they completely decay. During the useful life of the radioisotope material, its activity decreases (e.g., from 100 hours to 50 hours to 25 hours, etc.), which causes a decrease in strength. The reduced strength causes reduced effectiveness in PET, SPECT, and / or other nuclear imaging until the remaining material is insufficient to obtain a diagnostic-quality image of the target. Therefore, the value of the radioisotope material decreases as the material ages. For example, an initial batch may be sufficient to be distributed to multiple patients. However, the material is soon only strong enough to be distributed to one patient, and then the material decays, making it insufficient to be distributed to anyone. Records 310-330 of distributed ledger 300 allow distributed monitoring processor 220, client subsystem 240, and / or remote server 230 to monitor material activity, including how much material is produced, how much material is dispensed, how much material is left, where the material is located, and the strength of the material remaining. This information is shared and used to calculate, estimate, and contract / subcontract for the sale of materials.

[0055] In some examples, the remote server 230 and / or client subsystem 240 provides an interface in conjunction with the distributed monitoring processor 220, enabling users / clients of radiopharmaceutical materials (e.g., hospitals, radiopharmacy clinics, imaging centers, etc.) to view available materials within a shipping / delivery radius that allows the materials to be shipped to their location with a usable life remaining for one or more intended imaging tasks. In some examples, the user / client can rent a generator 210 to produce materials locally, and can then transfer the generator 210 to another client and / or share the generated materials with another client site, etc. The distributed ledger 300 and coordination between the monitoring processor 220 and client 240 systems (e.g., via the remote server 230) allows pre-cultured and / or other radiopharmaceutical materials to be synthesized, distributed, and redistributed in a decentralized manner, while maintaining information about the materials and associated transactions in the records 310-330 of the distributed ledger 300 for all participants to review and supplement. When a batch of material has been depleted, its record 310-330 can be removed from the ledger 300 and / or marked as depleted, used, inactive, etc.

[0056] In some examples, a user can submit a request for a radioactive substance, and the generator 210 and / or the material are contracted via a contract facilitated and represented by the distributed ledger 300 (e.g., via the remote server 230 and / or the distributed monitoring processor 220). In some examples, the request remains in the ledger 300 and / or on the interface until the request is fulfilled. In some examples, supplier A may have an expected quantity at a first price at a first distance, and supplier B may have an expected quantity at a second price at a second distance, which is further away from the requested user than the first distance. Therefore, once the material reaches the requested user, the amount of material available from supplier B will be less than the expected amount because supplier B is located further away. Distance, half-life, quantity, and cost can be factored into determining the optimal supplier for the requesting user.

[0057] In some examples, a smart contract facilitated by the distributed ledger 300 of the distributed monitoring processor 220 can reduce the price of a material as its decay progresses. That is, the smart contract provides a decaying price for the decaying product.

[0058] In some examples, cassettes and / or kits may be provided based on the same radioisotope but different organic molecules to make reagent A or reagent B. For example, the cassette is barcoded for a particular reagent to tell the generator (e.g., GEFASTlab™, etc.) which reagent to make. The generator 210 operates through a programmed sequence to make the reagents in the reactor 214. The controller 212 can calibrate sensors, for example, to measure the radioactivity passing through the generator 210. Demand can be communicated from an end user (e.g., one or more hospitals and / or other health care facilities associated with a PET center having the generator 210) and can be correlated with and / or based on the patient's schedule and the dose required for imaging of those patients. The distribution monitoring processor 220 can work with the generator 210 and the customer's subsystem 240 to form a radiopharmaceutical worksheet that produces one batch of reagent A on Monday, two batches of reagent B on Tuesday, and so on. The scheduling of radioisotope generation and distribution can be automated, including demand and associated requests, for example to configure and drive the generator 210. by and delivery and tracking to customers. For example, it enables timely communication, improved tracking, increased capabilities for management and distribution, and improved usage.

[0059] Rather than manually guessing or estimating related to time, transfer, and decay, monitoring processor 220 can be connected to and / or otherwise communicate with generator 210 to identify batches of material, create records of the material, and track the material through its usable lifespan. In some examples, once the material is exhausted and / or otherwise unusable, the records can be deleted or deactivated, thereby reducing the growth of distributed ledger 300 beyond a size that can be easily shared among distributed monitoring processors 220, remote servers 230, and other client systems 240, etc.

[0060] Figure 4 2 shows an example implementation of a system 200 comprising a plurality of client subsystems 240, 245 in communication with a distributed monitoring processor 220, a remote server 230, and a generator 210. Figure 4 As shown in the example of FIG, first client subsystem 240 can be associated with a first client who purchases materials from generator 210. The synthesis, purchase, and / or shipment of a batch of materials from generator 210 to the client can trigger distribution monitoring processor 220 to create records 310-330 for the batch of materials and begin tracking their decay. Processor 220 can provide a copy of general ledger 300 including the updated records 310-330 to remote / central server 230 and client subsystem 240.

[0061] After using a portion of the material, the first customer can post the remaining material for (re)sale (e.g., from the customer subsystem 240 via the processor 220 and / or the remote server 230, etc.). A second customer can view the general ledger 300 and decide to purchase some or all of the remaining material in the batch purchased by the first customer. The second customer subsystem 245 can participate in a transaction with the first customer subsystem 240 to purchase the material, and new records 310-330 can be generated and / or existing records 310-330 are updated in the general ledger to reflect the transaction / transfer. The customer subsystems 240, 245 display the records 310-330 of the transaction in the general ledger 300, and the processor 220 and the remote server 230 also receive the updated general ledger 300 indicating the transaction. Monitoring of the useful life of any remaining material can continue until all usable material is exhausted and / or otherwise becomes unusable (e.g., through decay, low quantities, etc.).

[0062] In some examples, using the general ledger 300, multiple small quantities of a material can be combined by a customer into a larger usable quantity of the material when the quantity drops below a usable threshold, but the material still has usable life remaining. For example, the remaining material may still be viable, but the quantity is too small to meet the PET, SPECT, and / or other nuclear imaging requirements at the customer. The processor 220 and / or the remote server 230 can communicate with the customer subsystems 240, 245 to identify multiple smaller remaining batches of the material, for example, so that the material can be combined into a single usable batch for (re)sale.

[0063] Figure 5 An example smart contract 500 is shown for the purchase of radioactive imaging materials synthesized by the generator 210 and tracked by the distributed ledger 300. The example smart contract 500 can be stored as records 310-330 in the ledger by the distributed monitoring processor 220, the remote server 230, the client subsystem(s) 240, 245, etc. Figure 5 As shown in the example, contract 500 includes the value 510 (e.g., quantity, cost, etc. of materials) and status 520 (e.g., available, completed, executed, in progress, delivered, materials remaining, etc.). Contract 500 can also include one or more functions 530 executable with respect to contract 500. Thus, contract 500 can, for example, specify terms 510 and status 520 of execution of those terms using one or more functions 530. For example, functions 530 can include request, product, purchase, ship, receive, resell, return to generator, kill, etc. Contract record 500 can receive transaction information 540 and event information 550, and also provide transaction information 560 and event information 570 to another record 310-330 in general ledger 300 and / or a system (e.g., distributed monitoring processor 220, remote server 230, client subsystems 240, 245, etc.).

[0064] For example, transaction 540 can provide value 510 to contract 500, such as the quantity of material to be purchased and / or other terms / conditions to contract 500. Events 550 can affect the state of contract 500, such as identifying the timestamp of material creation, the time of material delivery, the type of material, half-life, etc. When materials purchased under contract 500 are used and / or decay, transaction information 560 and event information 570 can be propagated to another record 310-330 and / or another system 220-240. For example, the use of materials and / or the passage of time can be events 570 that affect this and / or another contract 500 or record 310-330. An agreement to sell the remaining unused but usable material can be a transaction 560 that affects this contract 500 and generates another contract 500 and / or associated records 310-330. Thus, the smart contract 500 can be used to track the sale, lease, and / or other transaction involving the generator 210, radioisotope material, associated services, etc., and the smart contract 500 can automatically change as the material (and / or generator 210) is used, decays, resold, etc.

[0065] Smart contract 500 can be implemented as computer program code that can be executed to implement / facilitate the execution of a contract / agreement between parties (e.g., between generator 210 and one or more customers, etc.) using ledger 300. Conditions and / or updates to the contract can be implemented as processor-executable instructions executed by processor 220 and / or another processor to implement and / or track the execution of contract 500. For example, monitoring the useful life remaining in a batch of sold material (e.g., based on a half-life associated with the type of material and the start / generation time of that material, etc.) can be calculated by smart contract 500, which then updates and / or creates new records 310-330 associated with the batch of material in ledger 300 to reflect the updated information regarding the remaining material and its useful life. The terms of contract 500 can be encoded as logical statements that govern the conditions and consequences of contract 500 and the associated materials. Contract 500 can be fully automated, executing independently of distributed ledger 300, and / or can be executable by processor 220, remote server 230, client subsystems 240-245, etc., e.g., to complete contract 500. Thus, contract 500 can be fully formulated in executable code and / or can include additional elements to be interpreted by a processor, for example. Contract 500 can be executed within ledger 300 (e.g., the code forming contract 500 is encoded as a block of a blockchain and / or other distributed ledger 300, etc.), and / or executed externally to ledger 300, and, for example, provide information to ledger 300 (e.g., new and / or updated records 310-330, etc.). In some examples, anyone can add contracts 500 and / or make changes to records 310-330 in ledger 300. In other examples, access to ledger 300, associated records 310-330, contracts 500, etc. is restricted, e.g., based on processor authorization (e.g., authorized nodes), user authorization, etc.

[0066] Figure 6An example peer-to-peer update system 600 is shown in which a generator 210 provides materials to be purchased and used by a customer and executes transactions 602, 604 with the customer subsystems 240, 245 to sell the materials to the respective customers. Such transactions are recorded by the distributed monitoring processor 220 as records 310-330 in the distributed ledger 300, and copies of the transactions 602, 604 and / or records 310-330 are reflected in the ledger 300 maintained by the remote server 230 and the customer subsystems 240, 245, and processor 220. Thus, additions, subtractions, exchanges, resales, and / or other transactions involving materials from the generator 210 (and / or the generator 210's own use, etc.) are reflected in the records 310-330 of the ledger 300 and verified by the peer systems 220-245 to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the transactions, the amount of usable life and material remaining, the associated timing, etc. Thus, for each smart contract 500 transaction 602, 604, a peer system having a copy of the ledger 300 can verify the contract 500 (e.g., can verify the type, half-life, and remaining useful life of the material), can track the chain of custody of the material and / or its generator 210, can dynamically determine allocations and verify allocations of the material and / or generator 210, etc. Thus, the peer system can provide feedback regarding record content, record updates, transactions involving records, etc.

[0067] Thus, suppliers and users know how much material is being generated and how the material (and generator) is being used. In some examples, generator 210 is a durable, non-saleable device that is rented to a customer and then returned to the supplier to generate more product. If customer A sells to customer B, the supplier would not know and would not be able to track, for example, without distributed ledger 300. Via the distributed ledger, smart contracts can be created and / or updated, locations can be monitored, pickups can be scheduled, usage can be tracked, and the like. Smart contract 500 can calculate delays, estimate shipping / delivery times, schedule pickups, determine and calculate the best supplier to provide the purchaser with the desired product at the appropriate time, and the like, as encoded in smart contract 500. In some examples, an Internet of Things (IoT) device can automatically measure materials in real time (and / or substantially real time, given transmission and data processing latency) during production and retrieval to provide to ledger 300.

[0068] In some examples, prices can be monitored, recorded, and controlled via the distributed ledger 300. For example, price limits and / or other restrictions can be imposed on the trading of materials and / or generator 210 resources via the ledger 300. In some examples, auctions and / or reverse auctions can be facilitated for the sale of materials, generators 210, etc. via the records 310-330 of the distributed ledger 300. Such transactions can be conducted quickly via the blockchain 300 while the materials are still viable, and can facilitate the resale of the system, for example, at a price determined by market forces.

[0069] In certain examples, smart contract 500 facilitates the flow of a radiopharmaceutical production and exchange process. For example, a user invokes a smart contract to purchase a radiopharmaceutical (e.g., a flutemetamol (18F) tracer dose request) and provides parameters 510 to initiate contract 500. These parameters can include an initiator's public key, which identifies the initiator of contract 500, and parameter information 510 (e.g., tracer type, quantity, requester's address, delivery method, etc.). Smart contract 500 includes function calls 530 for each step or action in the process.

[0070] For example, after initiating a request to smart contract 500 using the initiator's public key, the user then calls request function 530 of smart contract 500 with parameters. Request function 530 enters a request transaction into the blockchain or other distributed ledger 300. This transaction includes information about the laboratory that will evaluate the request. A laboratory willing to fulfill the request calls generate function 530 of smart contract 500. The address of smart contract 500, for example, is included in the request transaction.

[0071] In some examples, the same instance of smart contract 500 is used for all transactions. Multiple laboratories can respond to the request transaction by calling the generate function 530 of smart contract 500. For each laboratory that calls generate function 530, transactions 316-337 are added to blocks 310-330 in blockchain 300. The initiator of contract 500 can evaluate all generate transactions 316-337 and select the producer of the desired tracer from any of the generate transactions 316-337.

[0072] The initiator of the contract 500 can then call the purchase function 530 of the smart contract 500, which in turn causes the purchase transactions 316-337 to be entered into blocks 310-330 on the blockchain 300 and also sends the purchase information to the selected laboratory. This call also disables the generate function 530 of the smart contract 500, thereby signaling that this contract 500 has a laboratory that meets the request. If multiple generate transactions 316-337 are received, the smart contract 500 notifies the other laboratories that their generate transactions were not selected.

[0073] The laboratory awarded the contract then produces the tracer, and the tracer is delivered to the laboratory under the terms of the smart contract 500. When produced, the laboratory calls the delivery function 530 of the smart contract 500, which in turn places the delivery transactions 316-337 in blocks 310-330 on the blockchain 300 and also sends information directly to the laboratory.

[0074] When the initiator receives the tracer, the receive function 530 of the smart contract 500 is called, and transactions 316-337 are added to blocks 310-330 of the blockchain 300 and also sent directly to the laboratory. If all terms of the smart contract 500 are satisfied by both parties, the smart contract 500 is closed and added to the blockchain 300 as transactions 316-337. If any (one or more) conditions are not met, the smart contract 500 invokes the penalties and / or other branches specified in the smart contract 500. If the payment and / or other terms of the smart contract 500 are not met by the initiator, penalties can also be imposed on the initiator. When all terms of the contract 500 have been satisfied, the smart contract 500 is closed and added to blocks 310-330 on the blockchain 300, and the instance of the smart contract 500 is removed from the system (e.g., the invoked instance of the smart contract 500 is deleted rather than the entire blockchain 300).

[0075] At any given time, there can be multiple instances of the called smart contract 500 in the system placing transactions 316-337 in blocks 310-330 of the blockchain 300. In some examples, each instance is a request for a tracer and follows the process described above.

[0076] The above workflow is an example for a PET tracer with a short half-life (e.g., 110 minutes)—these are completely time-critical workflows. For other tracers (e.g., a "99mTc generator" shipped in a generator with a parent half-life of 66 hours), the workflow is not time-critical. Therefore, a different smart contract 500 can be used.

[0077] For example, a user invokes the Sell Radiopharmaceutical smart contract 500 using parameters 510 to initiate contract 500. Example parameters 510 include the seller's public key, which identifies the initiator, as well as other information (e.g., tracer type, quantity, address, delivery method, etc.). This smart contract 500 also includes function calls 530 for each step or action in the process. For example, after initiating the Sell Radiopharmaceutical smart contract 500 using the initiator's public key, the user then invokes the sell function 530 of the smart contract 500 using associated parameters 510. The sell function 530 can add the details of the tracer sale transactions 316-337 to the blockchain 300. These transactions 316-337 include information about the potential buyer's evaluation of the offer. The address of the smart contract 500 is located in the sales transactions 316-337, and the same instance of the smart contract 500 is used for all transactions.

[0078] When a laboratory or buyer wishes to purchase a tracer, they call the purchase function 530 within the smart contract 500. That transaction 316-337 is added to blocks 310-330 in the blockchain 300. The initiator of the contract 300 (the producer) then calls the produce function 530 of the smart contract 500 to produce the tracer, or can go directly to the ship function if the tracer is in stock. The appropriate (produce or ship) transaction 316-337 is placed in blocks 310-330 on the blockchain 300, and once the tracer is shipped, shipping information is sent to the laboratory.

[0079] When the buyer receives the tracer, the receive function 530 of the smart contract 500 is called, and transactions 316-337 are added to blocks 310-330 and sent directly to the laboratory. In this use case example, the tracer is purchased from a generator containing the parent material. The buyer generates the actual dose from the parent material in the generator. This allows for multiple doses and also facilitates resale due to the longer half-life of the parent material.

[0080] The original (or subsequent buyer) can resell the generator or retain it. Once the parent material is no longer viable (or at any time), the current buyer of the tracer can call the return generator function 530 of the smart contract 500.

[0081] When the producer receives the returned generator, the contract 500 is complete. If all terms of the smart contract 500 are met by all parties, the smart contract 500 itself is closed and added to the blockchain 300 as transactions 316-337. If any conditions are not met, the smart contract 500 invokes penalties and / or other branches specified in the smart contract 500. Penalties can also be imposed on either party if the payment or other terms of the smart contract 500 are not met.

[0082] When all terms of the contract 500 have been met, the smart contract 500 is closed and added as transactions 316-337 to blocks or records 310-330 on the blockchain or other distributed ledger 300, and the instance of the smart contract 500 is removed from the system (not the blockchain 300, only the called instance of the smart contract 500 is deleted). In some examples, if a resale occurs, the resale, purchase, ship, and receive functions of the smart contract 500 can be called multiple times during the life of the contract 500.

[0083] Figure 7 An example collection 700 of smart contracts 710-730 is shown. Each contract 710-730 in the list 700 includes a model of information such as an owner 712-732, a producer 714-734, and one or more functions 716-736 that can be performed with respect to the smart contract 710-730. Thus, the model / data structure of each smart contract 710-730 defines, for example, the owner 712-732, the associated producer 714-734, and one or more functions 716-736 that can be performed by an entity with respect to the contract 710-730. For example, Figure 7 A tracer dose request contract 710 is shown, which defines a contract owner 712, a tracer dose producer 714, and provides multiple functions 716 executable relative to the smart contract 710, including requesting (e.g., requesting a tracer dose), generating (e.g., generating a tracer dose), purchasing (e.g., purchasing a tracer dose), shipping (e.g., a tracer dose has been shipped), receiving (e.g., a tracer dose has been received), reselling (e.g., a tracer dose available for resale), deleting (e.g., terminating an order / use, removing a contract instance), etc.

[0084] Figure 7 The example also shows a tracer dose sales contract 730 that defines a contract owner 732, a tracer dose producer 734, and provides a plurality of functions 736 executable with respect to the smart contract 730. described Feature 736 Including request (e.g. requesting tracer dose), generation (e.g. generating tracer dose), purchase (e.g. purchasing tracer dose), shipment (e.g. tracer dose has been shipped), receipt (e.g. tracer dose has been received), resale (e.g. tracer dose available for resale), deletion (e.g. termination of subscription / use, removal of contract instance), etc.

[0085] Figure 8 An example transaction flow 800 illustrating an example radiopharmaceutical blockchain 802 (e.g., implementing Figure 3 Example distributed ledger 300). Figure 8As shown in the example of FIG, at 1, a first laboratory 801 polls blockchain 802, looking for an open request contract matching the criteria for tracer B that laboratory 801 can produce according to the terms of smart contract 803. At 2, hospital 804 invokes request smart contract 803. The invocation of smart contract 803 is stored as a transaction in block 1 of blockchain 802.

[0086] At 3, block 1 request contract 803 is determined to satisfy the requirements of the poll function, and laboratory 801 calls the generate function of smart contract 803. The call to the generate function is added as a transaction to block 3 of blockchain 802. Information related to the transaction can also be sent directly to the system at hospital 804.

[0087] At 4, hospital 804 receives the generated contract 803 and selects one or more order quantities of tracer B. The purchase method of contract 803 is called for each contract 803 expected, and the details of contract 803 are added to block 4 of blockchain 802, which also notifies laboratory 801 about the purchase.

[0088] At 5, the laboratory 801 is sent details of the purchase method of the contract 803, and Finish An order is placed for a quantity(s) of tracer B. Laboratory 801 invokes the Ship method of smart contract 803, and the transaction is added to block 5 of blockchain 802. Hospital 804's system is also notified of the transaction. At 6, hospital 804 receives the Ship contract and invokes the Receive method of contract 803. Smart contract 803 can be completed, for example, based on receipt of the material at hospital 804.

[0089] At 7, hospital 804 has excess materials that are not needed. Hospital system 804 can poll for requests and / or call the resell method of smart contract 803, for example, to find potential buyers for the excess materials.

[0090] Although Figure 1-8 An example implementation is shown in conjunction with Figure 1-8The elements, processes and / or devices shown in combination may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated and / or implemented in any other manner. In addition, the components disclosed and described herein can be implemented by hardware, machine-readable instructions, software, firmware and / or any combination of hardware, machine-readable instructions, software and / or firmware. Thus, for example, the components disclosed and described herein can be implemented by (one or more) analog and / or digital circuits, (one or more) logic circuits, (one or more) programmable processors, (one or more) application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), (one or more) programmable logic devices (PLDs) and / or (one or more) field programmable logic devices (FPLDs). When any of the device or system claims of this patent is read to cover pure software and / or firmware implementations, at least one of the components is thereby clearly defined to include a tangible computer-readable storage device or storage disk storing software and / or firmware, such as a memory, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disc (CD), a Bluetooth optical disc, etc.

[0091] A flowchart representing example machine readable instructions for implementing the components disclosed and described herein in conjunction with at least Figure 1-8 exist Figure 9 In an example, the machine-readable instructions include a program for a processor (e.g., Figure 10 The program may be embodied in machine-readable instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard drive, digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk, or memory associated with the processor 1012), but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed by devices other than the processor 1012 and / or be embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware. Furthermore, while reference is made to at least Figure 1-8 The flowchart shown is used to describe an example program, but many other methods of implementing the components disclosed and described herein may be used alternatively. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and / or some of the blocks may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Although at least Figure 1-8 The flowcharts of the present invention illustrate example operations in the order shown, but these operations are not exhaustive and are not limited to the order shown. In addition, various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For example, the blocks shown in the flowcharts may be executed in an alternative order or in parallel.

[0092] As mentioned above, at least Figure 9(One or more) example processes of may be implemented using coded instructions (e.g., computer and / or machine readable instructions) stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium, such as a hard drive flash memory, read only memory (ROM), compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), cache, random access memory (RAM), and / or any other storage device or storage disk where information is stored for any length of time (e.g., for an extended period of time, permanently, for a brief moment, temporarily buffered, and / or cached information). The term tangible computer readable storage medium as used herein is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and / or storage disk, excluding propagating signals and excluding transmission media. "Tangible computer readable storage medium" and "tangible machine readable storage medium" as used herein are used interchangeably. Alternatively or additionally, coded instructions (e.g., computer and / or machine readable instructions) may be used to implement at least Figure 9 (one or more) example processes, the instructions being stored on a non-transitory computer and / or machine readable medium, such as a hard drive, flash memory, read-only memory, compact disc, digital versatile disc, cache, random access memory and / or any other storage device or storage disk, wherein information is stored for any length of time (e.g., an extended period of time, permanently, for a short period of time, temporarily buffered and / or cached with information). The term non-transitory computer readable medium as used herein is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and / or storage disk, and does not include propagating signals and does not include transmission media. As used herein, when the word "at least" is used as a transition term in the introduction to a claim, it is open ended in the same manner as the term "including" is open ended. Additionally, the term "including" is open ended in the same manner as the term "comprising" is open ended.

[0093] Figure 9A flow chart illustrating an example method 900 for managing a radiopharmaceutical generator and monitoring radiopharmaceutical material synthesized by the generator is shown. At block 902, radiopharmaceutical material is synthesized. For example, a generator 210 (e.g., a FASTlab™ or Drytec™ generator device) synthesizes a batch of radioisotopes for use in PET imaging at a hospital. At block 904, the material is recorded in a distributed ledger 300. For example, records 310-330 can be created in the ledger 300, including the type of material, the quantity of the material, the time the material was created and / or released, the intended recipient / purchaser / customer of the material, etc. At block 906, the distribution of the material to the intended recipient is tracked via the ledger 300 (e.g., by updating and / or creating new records 310-330 for the material's location, quantity, usable life, etc., by adding transactions 316-337 to the records 310-330, etc.). For example, an imaging center may be sent radioactive imaging material for nuclear imaging at the center.

[0094] At block 908, the general ledger 300 is updated based on the distributed material. For example, records 310-330 associated with a batch of materials can be adjusted as the material ages and its usability decreases according to its half-life. Records 310-330 can be updated, for example, using transactions 316-337 and / or new records 310-330 created based on the remaining portion of the material after customer use. Records 310-330 can be updated, for example, based on the location of the material. At block 910, the material is monitored. Thus, reductions in usable life, changes in location, changes in quantity, changes in status (e.g., in use, available for sale, etc.), etc., are monitored and recorded (e.g., by the distribution monitoring processor 220, the remote server 230, the client subsystems 240-245, etc.).

[0095] At block 912, the monitored material is evaluated to determine whether usable material remains. If insufficient usable material remains (e.g., insufficient usable material for a nuclear imaging procedure, etc.), then at block 914, the records 310-330 associated with the material in the general ledger 300 are updated (e.g., by adding transactions 316-337 to the records, etc.), and the process 900 returns.

[0096] However, if the material remains available for use, then at block 916, the general ledger 300 is updated so that records 310-330 (e.g., existing records and / or new records) reflect the material's status (e.g., quantity, elapsed time, remaining time, location, next destination, etc.). At block 918, the material and its associated records 310-330 are evaluated to determine if the next destination is available for redistribution of the material. For example, customer A may sell surplus material to customer B, customer A's supplier may sell surplus material to customer B, customers A and B may jointly purchase material, and customer A now provides surplus material to customer B, etc. If the material is to be redistributed, then at block 920, the distribution of the material is tracked via the general ledger 300 (e.g., by updating and / or creating new records 310-330 with the material's location, quantity, usable life, etc.). At block 922, the general ledger 300 is updated based on its use at the new location (e.g., by adding transactions 316-337 to records 310-330, etc.).

[0097] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 1000 configured to perform at least Figure 9 Instructions to achieve this goal Figure 1-8 The processor platform 1000 can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a mobile device (e.g., a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet (e.g., an iPad™)), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an Internet appliance, or any other type of computing device.

[0098] The processor platform 1000 of the illustrated example includes a processor 1012. The processor 1012 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor 1012 can be implemented by an integrated circuit, a logic circuit, a microprocessor, or a controller from any desired family or manufacturer.

[0099] The processor 1012 of the illustrated example includes local memory 1013 (eg, a cache). Figure 10 The example processor 1012 performs at least Figure 9 Instructions to achieve Figure 1-8The system and infrastructure and associated methods of the example controller 212, the example distributed monitoring processor 220, the example remote server 230, the example client subsystems 240-245, the example distributed ledger 300, the example smart contract 500, or the more general example system 200 are provided. The processor 1012 of the illustrated example communicates with the main memory (including volatile memory 1014 and non-volatile memory 1016) via a bus 1018. The volatile memory 1014 can be implemented by synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), and / or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory 1016 can be implemented by flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 1014, 1016 is controlled by a clock controller.

[0100] The processor platform 1000 of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit 1020. The interface circuit 1020 may be implemented using any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), and / or a PCI express interface.

[0101] In the example shown, one or more input devices 1022 are connected to the interface circuit 1020. The input device(s) 1022 permit a user to enter data and commands into the processor 1012. The input device(s) can be implemented by, for example, a sensor, a microphone, a camera (camcorder or video camera), a keyboard, buttons, a mouse, a touch screen, a track pad, a trackball, an isopoint, and / or a voice recognition system.

[0102] One or more output devices 1024 are also connected to the interface circuit 1020 of the illustrated example. The output device 1024 can be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube display (CRT), a touch screen, a tactile output device, and / or a speaker). Therefore, the interface circuit 1020 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, or a graphics driver processor.

[0103] The interface circuitry 1020 of the illustrated example also includes communication devices (e.g., transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, and / or network interface cards) to facilitate the exchange of data with an external machine (e.g., any kind of computing device) via a network 1026 (e.g., an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL), a telephone line, a coaxial cable, a cellular telephone system, etc.).

[0104] The processor platform 1000 of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices 1028 for storing software and / or data. Examples of such mass storage devices 1028 include floppy disk drives, hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, RAID systems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

[0105] Figure 10 The encoded instructions 1032 may be stored in the mass storage device 1028, in the volatile memory 1014, in the non-volatile memory 1016, and / or on a removable tangible computer-readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

[0106] like Figure 1 As shown in the example of , the distribution monitoring processor 220 can be implemented using a general ledger record processor 222, a contract generator 224, a material status monitor 226, a data communication interface 228, and a data storage device 229 that stores data, instructions, etc. (including a copy of the general ledger 300). Figure 11 In the example embodiment, the ledger record processor 222 creates, modifies, and / or otherwise processes records 310-330 in the distributed ledger 300. Updates to the ledger 300 can be communicated to other devices 230, 240, 245 having copies of the distributed ledger 300, for example, via the communication interface 228. The example contract generator 224 can generate, modify, and / or otherwise process smart contracts 500 involving the generator 210, synthetic materials, etc. The example material status monitor 226 can communicate via the data communication interface 228 to collect information from the generator 210, the remote server 230, the client subsystems 240, 245, etc. to track the status (e.g., location, quantity, elapsed time, etc.) of the radiopharmaceutical material. The material status monitor 226 can provide updates to the ledger record processor 222, the contract generator 224, etc. The data communication interface 228 facilitates the exchange of information, instructions, checks, other feedback, etc. between the generator 210, the processor 220, the remote server 230, the client subsystems 240-245, etc. The data storage device 229 stores the copy of the distributed ledger 300 of the processor 220 along with other data, operating instructions, configuration parameters, etc.

[0107] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the disclosed methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to implement a distributed ledger for tracking radiopharmaceutical materials, generators, and / or other equipment and for implementing distribution, usage, and / or lease agreements, as well as supplemental / ancillary agreements, for the use of materials, generators, and the like. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture improve the operation of radiopharmaceutical generators and / or other computing devices by enabling them to quantify, track, and manipulate synthesized radiopharmaceutical materials and coordinate with remote servers and / or client subsystems via a processor to manage decaying radiopharmaceutical materials. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are accordingly directed to one or more improvements in the functionality of computers and / or computing devices (including radiopharmaceutical generators, monitoring processors, and the like).

[0108] Although certain example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. A distributed monitoring processor device, comprising: a data storage device for storing instructions for execution and a first copy of the distributed ledger; a data communication interface for receiving and transmitting data to communicate with a radiopharmaceutical material generator to synthesize a batch of radiopharmaceutical material; a material status monitor to track the status of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the material status monitor to receive, via the data communications interface, an indication of a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material from the radiopharmaceutical material generator; as well as a ledger record processor triggered by an indication from the radiopharmaceutical material generator to generate and update a record in the first copy of the distributed ledger using the indication from the material status monitor of the type, quantity, and timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the ledger record processor to add transactions to the record to track when and in what quantities the batch of radiopharmaceutical material was sold to a first customer and resold to a second customer, wherein the material status monitor is to track a first use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material by the first customer and, based on an indication from the radiopharmaceutical material generator, track the useful life of a remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use to employ the ledger record processor to update the record in the first copy of the distributed ledger with a first update via a transaction added to the record to reflect the remaining quantity and useful life of the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use, the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to be resold to the second customer in association with a second update of the record, and wherein the material status monitor is to deactivate the record from the distributed ledger in response to determining that the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material is unusable based on the tracking of usage and the useful life.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a contract generator configured to generate a smart contract involving the batch of radiopharmaceutical material and a customer subsystem associated with a first customer configured to receive the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the smart contract configured to facilitate, via the smart contract, the request, sale, and resale of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, including reselling a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a second customer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The smart contract will include functionality for triggering the radiopharmaceutical material generator to synthesize the batch of radiopharmaceutical material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The ledger record processor communicates updates to the records of the first copy of the distributed ledger to at least one of a remote server or a client subsystem via the data communications interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: The at least one of the remote server or the client subsystem is to verify the update to the record of the first copy of the distributed ledger.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The material status monitor is to be connected to the radiopharmaceutical material generator to trigger the ledger record processor to generate the record based on the synthesis of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material by the radiopharmaceutical material generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The batch of radiopharmaceutical material includes radiopharmaceutical material for positron emission tomography.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least: tracking a status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical material synthesized by a radiopharmaceutical material generator in communication with the at least one processor, the status including a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; generating, triggered by the status from the radiopharmaceutical material generator, a record in a first copy of a distributed ledger using the type, the quantity, and the timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; updating the record based on at least one of use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a first customer, resale of at least a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a second customer, and decay of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; sharing the record with a second copy of the distributed ledger; tracking a first use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material and tracking a useful life of a remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use based on the status from the radiopharmaceutical material generator to update the record in the first copy of the distributed ledger via the transaction added to the record to reflect the remaining quantity and useful life of the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use; as well as In response to determining that the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material is unusable based on the tracking, the recording is deactivated.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein: The instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to generate at least a smart contract involving the batch of radiopharmaceutical material and a customer subsystem associated with a first customer, the first customer being configured to receive the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the smart contract being configured to facilitate, via the smart contract, the request, sale, and resale of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, including the resale of a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a second customer.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein: The smart contract will include functionality for triggering the radiopharmaceutical material generator to synthesize the batch of radiopharmaceutical material.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein: The instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to communicate at least updates to the record of the first copy of the distributed ledger to at least one of a remote server or a client subsystem.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein: The instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to verify the update to the record based at least on feedback from at least one of the remote server or the client subsystem.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein: The instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to generate the record during synthesis of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material by a generator in communication with the at least one processor.

14. A computer-implemented method for managing radiopharmaceutical materials, the method comprising: tracking, using at least one processor, a status of a batch of radiopharmaceutical material synthesized by a radiopharmaceutical material generator in communication with the at least one processor, the status including a type, quantity, and a timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; triggering, by the status from the radiopharmaceutical material generator, generating, using the at least one processor, a record in a first copy of a distributed ledger using the type, the quantity, and the timestamp associated with the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; updating the record using the at least one processor based on at least one of usage of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material by a first customer, resale of at least a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a second customer, and decay of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material; as well as sharing the record with a second copy of the distributed ledger using the at least one processor; tracking, using the at least one processor, a first use of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material and, based on the status from the radiopharmaceutical material generator, a useful life of a remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use to update, via the transaction added to the record, the record in the first copy of the distributed ledger to reflect a remaining quantity and useful life of the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material after the first use; as well as In response to determining that the remaining portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material is unusable based on the tracking, the recording is deactivated.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a smart contract involving the batch of radiopharmaceutical material and a customer subsystem associated with a first customer, the first customer being configured to receive the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, the smart contract being configured to facilitate, via the smart contract, the request, sale, and resale of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material, including reselling a portion of the batch of radiopharmaceutical material to a second customer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising triggering the radiopharmaceutical material generator to synthesize the batch of radiopharmaceutical material via a function of the smart contract.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating updates to the record of the first copy of the distributed ledger to at least one of a remote server or a client subsystem.

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