Cellular Apheresis Registration for Plug-and-Play Network Onboarding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The proliferation of apheresis devices in networks, particularly in environments without extensive communication infrastructure, leads to significant burdens in configuration and registration processes, requiring substantial time and resources, especially when updating, replacing, or adding devices to a plasma center.

Innovation Solution

Apheresis devices are equipped with cellular modems and connectors that facilitate automatic registration via cellular connections, enabling plug-and-play functionality to register with a registration and connectivity computer software server, reducing manual intervention and streamlining the registration process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If apheresis devices are manually configured and registered with remote servers, then device connectivity and network integration are achieved, but the registration process becomes time-consuming and resource-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice connectivityVSAvoidregistration time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The apheresis device performs preliminary self-registration actions automatically upon activation. The device pre-configures its communication parameters, generates its own registration data, and initiates the registration process with the remote server without requiring manual technician intervention, thereby reducing registration time while ensuring reliable connectivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The apheresis device serves itself by automatically performing the registration process. The device independently establishes wireless communication, transmits its identification and configuration data to the remote server, and receives registration confirmation, eliminating the need for external manual configuration services

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If technicians manually configure each apheresis device, then proper device registration and network integration are ensured, but the burden on available resources increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice registrationVSAvoidresource efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The apheresis device autonomously performs its own registration and network integration tasks. The device automatically establishes wireless connections, transmits necessary configuration data to remote servers, and validates its registration status, thereby eliminating the need for technician resources while ensuring reliable device registration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical configuration process performed by technicians is replaced with an automated electronic system. The apheresis device uses software-based automatic registration protocols and wireless communication to substitute the manual physical configuration process, improving resource efficiency while maintaining registration reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of time

If apheresis devices use automatic registration with cellular modems, then registration time and manual intervention are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregistration timeVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The apheresis device integrates multiple functions into a single automated registration system. The cellular modem serves dual purposes: providing ongoing network connectivity and enabling automatic registration. The device's control system performs both clinical apheresis operations and communication/registration tasks, reducing overall device complexity despite adding automatic registration capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250345494A1Apheresis registration system

Publication Date: 2025.11.13 HAEMONETICS CORP

AI summary

A portable apheresis system for separating blood into blood components includes a cellular modem configured to transmit and receive information to and from the apheresis device via a cellular connection, and a connector operatively coupled with the cellular modem. The connector is configured to control the cellular modem to transmit and receive apheresis device registration information, establish, using the cellular modem, a cellular communication connection between an apheresis device and a cellular network after detecting the cellular network, transmit registration information relating to the apheresis device to a registration and connectivity computer software server via the wireless communication connection, receive an apheresis registration response from the registration and connectivity computer software server, the apheresis registration response including information relating to the apheresis device registration process, the registration process causing direct or indirect apheresis device communication with a blood establishment computer system remotely positioned relative to the apheresis device.