SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY ACQUIRING DONOR INFORMATION - Patent application

Abstract

A method for remotely acquiring donor information includes receiving donor-specific information from a remote donor, identifying the donor, and reading a donor questionnaire at a plasma center based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The method presents at least one question from the questionnaire to the remote donor and receives at least one answer to the question from the donor. Upon receiving the answers, the method processes the answers at the plasma center and evaluates the results of the processed answers to achieve a rating of the result based on the at least one answer. The rating is either a pass rating or a fail rating. If the rating is a pass rating, the method encodes the rating and provides the encoded rating to the donor. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Priority] This PCT patent application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 722,933, filed on August 26, 2018, entitled "Plasma Online Questionnaire", assigned Attorney Docket No. 130670-09401 (formerly 1611 / C94), with inventor Melvin Tan, and the disclosure of this PCT patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to the health history information of plasma donors (plasma providers), and more specifically, to obtaining demographic information and health history information of plasma donors from a remote location, and methods therefor.

Background Art

[0003] Plasma donation is based on human donors. In plasma donation, whole blood is drawn from the donor and processed into individual blood components such as plasma. Donors seeking to provide plasma are screened by a plasma donation center before being approved for the plasma donation procedure. The screening is performed based on the history information and health information provided by the donor, and then this information is evaluated by a computer system and / or staff to determine whether the donor is eligible to provide plasma. All donor information necessary to evaluate the eligibility of a plasma-providing donor is collected from the donor during the donor's visit to the plasma center.

[0004] As described above, the donor information required for screening is collected from the donor while the donor is at the plasma center. In some cases, the first part of the screening process is performed by the plasma donor at an electronic kiosk, where various questions are presented to the donor and the donor's responses are entered into the electronic kiosk. The questions may be in any form, such as text, photo, audio, or video. When the plasma donor answers all the questions required, the computer kiosk evaluates the donor's eligibility to donate blood by processing the responses. Alternatively, the computer kiosk may delegate all or part of this evaluation to the staff at the plasma center. To participate in this screening process, the donor must be physically present at the plasma center throughout the process.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] [Summary of Embodiments] In some embodiments of the present invention, the plasma donor can perform the screening process without visiting the plasma center. The plasma donor can use a computing device of the plasma donor, such as a personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device, to provide responses to the screening questions from a remote location and submit the responses to the plasma center in preparation for preprocessing.

[0006] The system can start the process by first identifying the donor so that appropriate questions can be given to the plasma donor. The identification information may consist of one or more unique information known to the donor (e.g., date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name), or information provided to the donor (e.g., donor number, donor ID card, social security number). The identification information may include biometric technologies such as fingerprint, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, face recognition, body mass index, or similar physiological characteristic evaluation technologies.

[0007] The questions given to the donor may be wholly or partially similar to, or different from, the questions given to the donor while visiting the plasma center. The answers to the questions may take any form, including text answers, multiple-choice answers, multiple-choice responses, voice, images, photos, videos, or any form of electronic media or multimedia compatible with the system.

[0008] The system can control the elapsed time from when the plasma donor answers the screening questions until the plasma donor shows up at the plasma center by imposing time-based restrictions. For example, the answers to the screening questions are only valid on the same day, or until the earlier of the center's closing time or midnight. In another example, the answers to the screening questions are valid for up to 24 hours prior to blood donation, regardless of whether the donor visited the center on the same day or the next day.

[0009] The system can send the plasma donor's answers to the plasma center for preprocessing and evaluation. The results of the questionnaire evaluation by the plasma center may be used to present to the donor. Depending on the results, the donor may be able to perform one or more follow-up actions.

[0010] When the system receives a passing evaluation result from the plasma center, the system encodes the evaluation and / or the questions and answers collected from the donor using an encoding technology such as barcode, RFID, confirmation number, or similar passive storage technology. The encoded results are then made available for the plasma donor to print, save on their personal computing device, or send to a destination specified by the plasma donor.

[0011] If there is a change in the donor information, the donor can re-answer the questionnaire at any time. However, the results of each questionnaire are only valid within the questionnaire's time limit and only during one visit.

[0012] When a plasma donor visits a plasma center, the encoded results can be read out, scanned at an electronic kiosk or similar reception system provided by the plasma center, or entered there, so that the answers to the questionnaire already filled out by the donor can be quickly read out. At this point, the plasma donor may not be able to re-answer the questionnaire.

[0013] In other embodiments of the present invention, the answers to the questions are only recorded and managed by the system and are not sent to the plasma center for processing. In this way, the results are not returned to the plasma donor, but the system also encodes the answers to the questionnaire using the above method in that case.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method for remotely obtaining donor information includes receiving donor-specific information from a donor located remotely, then identifying the donor, and at a plasma center, reading out a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information. Next, the method may include presenting at least one question from the questionnaire to the donor located remotely and receiving at least one answer to the at least one question from the donor. The method may include processing the at least one answer at the plasma center and evaluating the result of the processed answer to achieve an evaluation of the result based on the at least one answer. The evaluation may be either a pass evaluation or a fail evaluation. The method may include encoding the evaluation and providing the encoded evaluation to the donor if the evaluation is a pass evaluation. The method may include notifying the donor of the fail evaluation if the evaluation is a fail evaluation.

[0015] The donor specific information may be selected from the group consisting of date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, and donor ID card. Additionally or alternatively, the donor specific information may be received by biometric technology. The biometric technology may include fingerprint scan, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, face recognition, and body mass index.

[0016] In some embodiments, the donor's responses to the questionnaire and / or the encoded evaluation may be valid for a predetermined period. The encoded evaluation may be a barcode, RFID, and / or confirmation number. The donor may bring the encoded evaluation to the plasma center, and the plasma center may receive the encoded evaluation (e.g., via an electronic kiosk at the plasma center and / or by scanning the barcode at the plasma center) and may read the completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded evaluation.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, a method for remotely obtaining donor information may include receiving donor-specific information (e.g., date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number) from a donor located remotely, then identifying the donor, and at a plasma center, retrieving a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information. Next, the method may include presenting questions from the questionnaire to the donor located remotely and receiving an answer from the donor to the at least one question. After receiving the answer, the method may include processing the at least one answer at the plasma center and evaluating the result of the processed answer(s) to achieve an evaluation of the result based on the at least one answer. The evaluation may be either a pass evaluation or a fail evaluation. The method may include encoding the evaluation and providing the encoded evaluation to the donor if the evaluation is a pass evaluation. The method may include notifying the donor of the fail evaluation if the evaluation is a fail evaluation.

[0018] The donor-specific information may be received by biometric technology. The biometric technology may include, for example, fingerprint scan, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, face recognition, and body mass index. The donor's answer to the questionnaire may be valid for a predetermined period. The encoded evaluation may be a barcode, RFID, and / or confirmation number and may be valid for a predetermined period. For example, the method may generate an expiration date for the encoded evaluation.

[0019] In other embodiments, the method may include (1) receiving, at the plasma center, the encoded assessment when the donor arrives at the plasma center, and (2) reading the completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded assessment. For example, receiving the encoded assessment may include scanning a barcode at the plasma center and / or receiving the encoded assessment via an electronic kiosk at the plasma center. Additionally or alternatively, the method may store the donor-specific information, at least one answer from the donor, the result, and / or the encoded result in a data storage device.

[0020] According to a further embodiment, a system for remotely obtaining donor information includes a server, a processor, and an encoder. The server may receive donor-specific information from a donor located remotely and may read a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information. The server may also receive an answer from the donor to the donor questionnaire. The processor may communicate with the server, process the answer(s), and evaluate the result of the processed answer(s) to achieve an evaluation of the result. The evaluation of the result may be either a passing evaluation or a failing evaluation. The encoder may communicate with the server and the processor and may encode the answer(s), the donor-specific information, and / or the evaluation if the evaluation is a passing evaluation. The server may provide the encoded information to the donor and / or may provide the failing evaluation to the donor.

[0021] The system may further include a data storage device capable of storing the donor-specific information, the answer(s) from the donor, the evaluation, and / or the encoded result. The data storage device, the server, and the encoder may be disposed within a plasma center. The donor-specific information may include date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, and / or donor ID.

[0022] The system may further include a donor device disposed remotely from the server. The donor device may have an interface that enables the donor to input the donor-specific information and the at least one answer. The interface may include a biometric reader, and the donor-specific information may be input by biometric technology. The biometric technology may include fingerprint scan, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, face recognition, and / or body mass index.

[0023] In a further embodiment, the answer(s) of the donor to the questionnaire may be valid for a predetermined period. Additionally or alternatively, the encoded information may be a barcode, RFID, and confirmation number, and the encoded evaluation may be valid for a predetermined period. The system may further include an electronic kiosk disposed within the plasma center. The electronic kiosk may receive the encoded information when the donor arrives at the plasma center and may communicate with the server. The electronic kiosk may read out the filled donor questionnaire based on the received encoded information and may include a barcode scanner for scanning the encoded information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The above features of the various embodiments will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] [DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS] According to an exemplary embodiment, the system and method can remotely obtain donor information from a donor before the donor arrives at a donation center and undergoes a blood donation procedure using, for example, a blood processing device. For example, the system and method can identify the donor using donor-specific information and present a questionnaire to be filled out to the donor. The system / method can process and evaluate the results based on the received donor responses and provide an encoded evaluation if the donor receives a passing evaluation.

[0026] As described above, prior to plasma donation, the donor must be screened to confirm that the donor is a suitable donor. Also, based on the physical characteristics and personal data / information of the donor, the amount of plasma (or whole blood or other blood components) that may be collected can be determined. For example, the FDA currently publishes a nomogram that provides guidelines regarding determining the amount of plasma (and, in some cases, other blood components) that may be collected from a given donor based on the donor's weight. Additionally, some plasma collection systems (or similar apheresis systems) determine the amount of plasma (or other blood components) to be collected based on various patient criteria including, but not limited to, height, weight, BMI, hematocrit value, total blood volume, and / or total plasma volume. In some cases, all of the donor information required may be collected when the donor arrives at the blood donation center. However, by collecting this information at the blood donation center, the donor must arrive earlier / before the scheduled time of donation in order to fill out the necessary questionnaires and information forms. As a result, this increases the total time the donor must be at the blood donation center and increases the inconvenience to the donor.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a system 10 for remotely obtaining donor information. For example, system 10 may include a global data communication network 110 such as the Internet. System 10 further includes a server 120 that communicates with the global communication network 110, which may in some cases be located within a plasma center 130 (e.g., within a plasma center computer 115). In some embodiments, server 120 supports a website consisting of a plurality of web pages designed to obtain the necessary information from the donor, as described in more detail below. System 10 may further include one or more customer terminals 140 such as a workstation / computer within the donor's home. Additionally or alternatively, the terminal may be the donor's laptop, mobile phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device.

[0028] The client terminal 140 can communicate with the global communication network 110, enabling the client terminal 140 and the donor to access the server 120 and / or the website. For example, the server 120 and / or the website may be accessed from the terminal 140 via the global communication network 110 and may be displayed on the terminal 140 (e.g., on the interface of the terminal 140). Also, the terminal 140 can send information back to the server 120 via the global communication network 110. As will be described in more detail below, data (e.g., data received from the donor, data related to previous apheresis procedures, donor information, plasma center information, etc.) may be stored in the database 180 (e.g., a data storage device). Further, the system 10 may include an encoder 170 that encodes data received from the donor and / or the results of an analysis performed by the server 120 (or a processor within the server 120 / plasma center computer 115). The encoder 170 may be located within the plasma center 130 (e.g., within the plasma center computer 115) or may be located remotely from the plasma center 130.

[0029] The system 10 may include a plurality of apheresis devices (e.g., the plasma collection system 100) as described above within the plasma center 130, which may be assigned to a given donor and used to perform a desired apheresis procedure. Each of the plasma collection systems 100 can provide data regarding each of the procedures performed to the plasma center computer 115 and the server 120 (or a server / database remote from the plasma center 130). In some embodiments, the server 120 can return information regarding previous blood donations to the user / donor (e.g., display it on the terminal 140 during a questionnaire process).

[0030] FIG. 2 schematically shows a flow diagram / method 200 of an online questionnaire implemented at a location remote from the plasma center 130, for example, to obtain donor information. First, a potential donor can log on to the online questionnaire or access the online questionnaire by other means (210). As described above, the donor can use any number of devices including, but not limited to, the donor's personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, or similar web-connected computing device (e.g., using terminal 140) to access the server 120 and / or the online questionnaire. As part of this process, the donor may provide some identification information and / or donor-specific information so that the system 10 / method 200 can confirm the user and ensure that appropriate questions can be presented to the donor. For example, the donor may provide one or more pieces of unique information known to the donor (e.g., date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name) and / or information given to the donor (e.g., donor number, donor ID card, social security number). Additionally or alternatively, the donor may provide identification information using biometric technologies such as fingerprint, palm scan, retina scan, vein scan, face recognition, body mass index, or similar physiological characteristic evaluation technologies.

[0031] Next, the system 10 / method 200 can transmit the identification information / donor-specific information to the server 120 and / or the plasma center 130 (or other blood donation centers). Upon receiving the identification information / donor-specific information, the method 200 / system 10 (e.g., the plasma center 130 and / or the server 120) reads out an appropriate questionnaire based on the identification information / donor-specific information (step 215) and displays those questions to the donor, for example, through a website and / or a display on the terminal 140 (step 220). The questions presented to the donor may (in whole or in part) be similar to or different from the questions normally presented to the donor when the donor himself / herself visits the plasma center 130. The answers to the questions can take any form and may vary depending on the type of device the donor uses to access the server l20 / online questionnaire. For example, the questions and / or answers may include text answers, multiple-choice answers, multiple-select answers, voice, images, photos, videos, or any form of electronic media and multimedia compatible with the system 10.

[0032] Next, the donor can answer the questions (step 225) and fill in the questionnaire on the terminal 140 (step 230). For example, all the questions may be displayed on one page / form, and the user may enter all the required information and answer each question. Alternatively, the user may be presented with only one question per page, and upon filling it in, the user may be able to proceed to the next question. Next, to fill in the questionnaire, the user can select options for filling in and / or submitting on the website and / or the display of the terminal 140.

[0033] Next, the system 10 / method 200 can send the donor's responses and / or completed questionnaires to the plasma center 130 and / or the server 120. When the server 120 (or the processor) receives the responses / completed questionnaires, it processes them (step 235) and evaluates the data to determine the donor's eligibility to donate blood (step 240). When the server 120 finishes the evaluation, the system 10 / method 200 can send the results to the donor so that the donor can view the results (step 245). If the evaluation indicates that the donor is not eligible to donate blood (e.g., if the evaluation is a failure), the donor is notified of the failure result (step 250). If the evaluation indicates that the donor is eligible, the system 10 / method 200 uses the encoder 170 to encode the results and / or the responses collected from the donor (step 260) and can display the encoded results so that the user can view them (step 265). The encoded results may include an encoded version of all the information provided by the donor, an encoded version of some of the information provided by the donor, or an encoded "code" that functions as donor identification information and allows the server 120 to later retrieve data provided by the donor from, for example, the database 180.

[0034] The evaluation and / or responses may be encoded by any number of means including, but not limited to, barcodes, RFID, confirmation numbers, and / or similar passive storage technologies. After receiving the results, the plasma donor can print the results, save the results on a personal computing device, and / or send the results to a destination specified by the plasma donor. Note that the encoding of the results in step 260 may be performed in any number of locations. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the user / donor device 140 may encode the results. Alternatively, the plasma center 130 (e.g., the server 120) may encode the results before sending them to the donor's device 140.

[0035] Server 120 (or the processor) can determine the eligibility of the donor based on a plurality of criteria input by the donor. To name just a few examples, Server 120 may determine the eligibility of the donor based on, for example, age, weight, height, BMI, overall health status, medical history, the date of the donor's last blood donation, or any combination of data. If Server 120 determines that the donor is ineligible based on one or more of the above criteria (for example, the donor's health is not good, the donor is below the weight threshold, the donor has donated blood too recently, etc.), Server 120 may provide the donor with a "failed assessment" notice.

[0036] It should be noted that System 10 can store the responses received from the donor, as well as the raw results and / or the encoded results. For example, System 10 / Method 200 can store the information in Server 120 and / or Data Storage Device 180. Thereby, System 10 / Method 200 can easily search for the results and / or donor information / identification information as needed, for example, to confirm the identity of the donor after the donor arrives at Plasma Center 130.

[0037] In some cases, it may be beneficial to impose a time limit on the validity of the evaluation results (especially passing results). For that purpose, the system 10 / method 200 can generate time-based restrictions (e.g., the system may generate an expiration date / time) to control the elapsed time from when the plasma donor answers the screening questions until the donor appears at the plasma center 130. For example, the answers to the screening questions may be valid only on the same day, and may be valid until the center closes for business or until midnight, whichever is earlier. Alternatively, the answers to the screening questions may be valid for up to 24 hours prior to blood donation, regardless of whether the donor visits the center on the same day or the next day. The time limit may be encoded using the evaluation, and that information may be scanned when the donor arrives at the blood donation center. Alternatively, the time limit may be stored in the data storage device 180 and then read when the donor arrives at the blood donation center.

[0038] It should be noted that donors can re-answer the questionnaire at any time before arriving at the plasma donation center if there are changes to their donor information. This may reset the expiration date, but the results of each questionnaire may be valid only within the questionnaire's time limit and only during one visit.

[0039] After receiving the encoded result, before the expiration date, the donor brings the encoded result to plasma center 130, where the encoded result can be read (e.g., from server 120 and / or database 180), scanned (by the scanner of kiosk 150), or otherwise input into the electronic kiosk 150 or a similar reception system provided by plasma center 130. The plasma center can use the encoded result to read the filled-in questionnaire and answers of the donor stored in server 120 and / or database 180. Further, the system 10 / method 200 can utilize this opportunity to confirm the identity of the donor by comparing the information input from kiosk 150 with the information read from server 120 and / or database 180. For example, when receiving the encoded result, the system 10 / method 200 can compare the encoded result with the information (e.g., a list of donors) stored in server 120 and / or database 180. If there is a match, the system 10 / method 200 can assign the donor to a specific apheresis device 100 and send the donor information to the assigned apheresis device 100. This facilitates the acceptance of the donor. Note that in some embodiments, the donor may not be able to re-answer the questionnaire at this point.

[0040] After confirming the encoded result and / or the identity of the donor, the donor is guided to the assigned apheresis device 100, and in some cases, the identity of the donor may be confirmed again at device 100. Next, the donor is connected to the device 100, and the device 100 can select an appropriate apheresis program and execute procedures (e.g., plasma collection procedures).

[0041] The above-described system 10 / method 200 is a system / method in which the donor has connectivity with the plasma center 130 (e.g., active information exchange occurs between the donor and the plasma center 130 throughout the process), but other embodiments do not require such connectivity. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the donor can access and fill out the questionnaire without sending and receiving information with the plasma center 130 and without processing by the plasma center 130 (e.g., without sending and receiving information with the server 120, without the server 120 analyzing the data, and without the encoder 170 encoding the results). In such a system / method 300, when the user starts an online questionnaire (step 310), the questions can be displayed to the user (step 320) (e.g., by software on the terminal 140, software accessed by the terminal 140, or a stand-alone system separate from the blood donation center). Next, the donor answers the questions (step 330) and can fill out the questionnaire (step 340). When the questionnaire is filled out, the system / method 300 can encode the results and generate an expiration date / time in the same form as above (step 350). Next, the system / method 300 can display the encoded results to the donor (step 360). Next, the donor can bring the encoded results to the plasma center 130 and check in at the kiosk 150 as described above. Note that in this embodiment, the results of the questionnaire may or may not be provided to the donor. The various embodiments described above have been described in relation to plasma collection and the plasma center 130, but the systems 10 / methods 200, 300 can be used at any number of blood donation centers and / or medical centers. For example, some embodiments may be used at whole blood donation centers, red blood cell donations, or other medical centers not related to blood and / or blood component donations.

[0042] Those skilled in the art should note that it is important to understand that the apparatuses, systems, and methods described herein may have many other physical and functional components, such as a central processing unit, a packet processing module, and a short-term memory. Therefore, the above description is in no way intended to indicate that the various embodiments described herein represent all elements of the system 10 / method 200.

[0043] It should also be noted that the figures only schematically show each of those components. Those skilled in the art should understand that each of these components may be implemented in various conventional manners and may be implemented across one or more other functional components, for example, by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, one or more of the components may be implemented using multiple microprocessors that execute firmware. As another example, the components may be implemented using one or more application-specific integrated circuits (i.e., "ASICs") and associated software, or may be implemented using a combination of ASICs, individual electronic components (e.g., transistors), and microprocessors. Therefore, the representation of the components within a single box is for simplicity purposes only. In fact, in some embodiments, the components need not necessarily be within the same device and may be distributed across multiple different machines and / or locations.

[0044] The various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented, at least in part, in any conventional computer programming language. For example, some embodiments may be implemented in a procedural programming language (e.g., "C") or an object-oriented programming language (e.g., "C++"). Other embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as pre-configured elements, stand-alone hardware elements, and / or pre-programmed hardware elements (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits, FPGAs, and digital signal processors), or may be implemented as other related components.

[0045] In an alternative embodiment, the disclosed apparatus, system, and method (e.g., referring to the various flow diagrams above) may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system. Such embodiments may include a series of computer instructions fixed on a tangible or non-transitory medium such as a computer-readable medium (e.g., a floppy disk, CD-ROM, ROM, or fixed disk). The series of computer instructions can embody all or part of the functions described hereinabove with respect to the system.

[0046] One of ordinary skill in the art should understand that such computer instructions may be written in many programming languages for use with many computer architectures or operating systems. Further, such instructions can be stored in any memory device such as a semiconductor memory device, a magnetic memory device, an optical memory device, or other memory devices, and can be transmitted using any communication technology such as optical communication technology, infrared communication technology, microwave communication technology, or other communication technologies.

[0047] In particular, such computer program products may be distributed as removable media together with printed or electronic documents (e.g., compressed packaged software), may be preloaded onto a computer system (e.g., on a system ROM or fixed disk), or may be distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board via a network (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web, etc.). In fact, some embodiments may be implemented in a SAAS ("Software as a Service") model, or a cloud computing model. Of course, some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the present invention are implemented entirely as hardware or entirely as software.

[0048] The terms "controller", "processor", and "server" may be used herein to describe devices that can be used in certain embodiments of the present invention, but it should also be noted that, unless otherwise required by context, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular type of device or system. Thus, a system may include, without limitation, a client, a server, a computer, an appliance, or other types of devices. Such devices generally include one or more network interfaces for communicating via a communication network, and a processor configured to implement the functions of the device and / or system (e.g., a microprocessor with memory and other peripheral devices, and / or application-specific hardware). Communication networks generally include public networks and / or private networks, and may include local area, wide area, metropolitan area, storage, and / or other types of networks. Communication networks may employ various communication technologies including, but not limited to, analog technology, digital technology, optical technology, wireless technology, network technology, and internetworking technology.

[0049] The various components of the control program may be implemented individually or in combination. For example, each component may be implemented as a dedicated server or as a set of servers configured in a distributed form.

[0050] Also, note that the apparatus can use communication protocols and messages (e.g., messages generated, transmitted, received, stored, and / or processed by the system), and such messages can be transmitted either by a communication network or by a medium. In the context, unless otherwise required, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to any particular communication message type, communication message format, or communication protocol. Thus, without limitation, communication messages may generally include frames, packets, datagrams, user datagrams, cells, or other types of communication messages. In the context, unless otherwise required, references to a particular communication protocol are illustrative, and alternative embodiments can, as needed, employ variations of such communication protocols (e.g., changes or extensions to the protocol that may sometimes be made), or other known or yet-to-be-developed protocols.

[0051] Although various logic flows may be described herein to illustrate various aspects of the present invention, note that they should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular logic flow or logic implementation. The described logic may be divided into different blocks (e.g., programs, modules, interfaces, functions, or subroutines) without changing the overall result and without departing from the true scope of the present invention. Often, logic elements may be added, changed, omitted, performed in a different order, or implemented using different logic structures (e.g., logic gates, loop primitives, conditional logic, and other logic structures) without changing the overall result and without departing from the true scope of the present invention.

[0052] The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited in this regard. Such forms include, but are not limited to, computer program logic for use with a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or a general-purpose computer), a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD)), discrete components, an integrated circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), or any other means including combinations thereof. In some embodiments of the present invention, primarily, all of the described logic is implemented as a set of computer program instructions that are converted into a computer-executable form and stored on a computer-readable medium or the like and executed by a microprocessor under the control of an operating system.

[0053] The computer program logic for implementing all or part of the functions described above herein may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited in this regard. Such forms include, but are not limited to, source code form, computer-executable form, and various intermediate forms (e.g., forms generated by an assembler, a compiler, a linker, or a locator). Source code may include a series of computer program instructions implemented in any of various programming languages (e.g., object code, assembly language, or a high-level language such as FORTRAN, C, C++, JAVA® or HTML) for use with various operating systems or operating environments. Source code may define and use various data structures and communication messages. Source code may be in a computer-executable form (e.g., by an interpreter), or alternatively, source code may be converted into a computer-executable form (e.g., by a translator, an assembler, or a compiler).

[0054] A computer program can be permanently or temporarily fixed in any form (e.g., source code form, computer-executable form, or intermediate form) on a tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or flash programmable RAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., floppy disk or fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g., CD-ROM), a PC card (e.g., PCMCIA card), or other memory devices. The computer program can be fixed in the form of signals in any form that can be transmitted to a computer using any of various communication technologies, including but not limited to analog technology, digital technology, optical technology, wireless technology, networking technology, and internetworking technology. The computer program may be distributed in any form, such as with printed documents or electronic documents (e.g., compressed packaged software) together with removable storage media, or may be preloaded into a computer system (e.g., on a system ROM or fixed disk), or may be distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board via a communication system (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web).

[0055] Hardware logic (including programmable logic for use with programmable logic devices) for implementing all or part of the functions described above herein may be designed using conventional manual methods, or may be electronically designed, captured, simulated, or documented using various tools such as computer-aided design (CAD), hardware description languages (e.g., VHDL or AHDL), or PLD programming languages (e.g., PALASM, ABEL, or CUPL).

[0056] Programmable logic can be permanently or temporarily fixed on a tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or flash programmable RAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., a floppy disk or a fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g., a CD-ROM), or other memory devices. Programmable logic can be fixed in the form of a signal transmissible to a computer using any of various communication technologies, including but not limited to analog technology, digital technology, optical technology, wireless technology (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark)), networking technology, and internetworking technology. Programmable logic may be distributed as a removable storage medium together with printed documents or electronic documents (e.g., compressed packaged software), may be preloaded onto a computer system (e.g., on a system ROM or a fixed disk), or may be distributed from a server or an electronic bulletin board via a communication system (e.g., the Internet or the World Wide Web). Of course, some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the present invention are implemented entirely as hardware or entirely as software.

[0057] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be merely illustrative. Numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A computer implemented method for remotely obtaining donor information, comprising: At the plasma center, after receiving donor-specific information from a donor at a remote location, identifying the donor; Retrieving a donor questionnaire based at least in part on said donor-specific information; presenting at least one question from the questionnaire to the donor at the remote location; receiving at least one answer to said at least one question from said donor; processing the at least one response at the plasma center; evaluating an outcome of the processed answers to arrive at an outcome assessment based on the at least one answer, the outcome assessment being either a pass assessment or a fail assessment; if the result is a passing evaluation, encoding a confirmation number and providing the encoded confirmation number to the donor, the encoded confirmation number having a time limit based on the amount of time that has elapsed between receiving the at least one response and the donor's arrival at the plasma center. A method comprising:

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

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

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

5. if said evaluation is a failing evaluation, notifying said donor of said failing evaluation. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

6. receiving the encoded identification number at the plasma center when the donor arrives at the plasma center; Retrieving the completed donor questionnaire based on said received encoded confirmation number. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the encoded confirmation number includes scanning a barcode at the plasma center.

8. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the encoded confirmation number comprises receiving the encoded assessment via an electronic kiosk at the plasma center.

9. storing at least one selected from the group consisting of donor specific information, the at least one response from the donor, the results, and / or the encoded confirmation number in a data storage device; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

10. 1. A system for remotely acquiring donor information, comprising: a server configured to receive donor-specific information from a remote donor and retrieve a donor questionnaire based at least in part on the donor-specific information, the server further configured to receive at least one response to the donor questionnaire from the donor; a processor configured to communicate with the server, process the at least one answer, and evaluate a result of the processed at least one answer to achieve an outcome evaluation, the outcome evaluation being either a pass evaluation or a fail evaluation; an encoder in communication with the server and the processor, the encoder configured to encode a confirmation number if the evaluation is a passing evaluation, and the server configured to provide the encoded confirmation number to the donor, the encoded confirmation number having a time limit based on an amount of time elapsed between receiving the at least one response and the donor's arrival at the plasma center; and Including, the system.

11. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a data storage device configured to store at least one selected from the group consisting of donor-specific information, the at least one response from the donor, the assessment, and / or the encoded confirmation number.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data storage device, the server, and the encoder are located within a plasma center.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the donor specific information is selected from the group consisting of date of birth, social security number, first name, last name, maiden name, donor number, and donor ID.

14. At least one donor device located remotely from said server.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: the donor device having an interface configured to enable the donor to input donor-specific information and the at least one response.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the interface includes a biometric reader and the donor specific information is entered through biometric technology.

16. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the biometric authentication technology includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint scan, a palm scan, a retina scan, a vein scan, facial recognition, and body mass index.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the server is further configured to notify the donor if the evaluation is a failing evaluation.

18. an electronic kiosk located within the plasma center and configured to receive the encoded confirmation number when the donor arrives at the plasma center; 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: the electronic kiosk in communication with the server, the electronic kiosk configured to retrieve a completed donor questionnaire based on the received encoded confirmation number.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the electronic kiosk includes a barcode scanner configured to scan the encoded confirmation number.

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