Fluid Pooling Optimization via Platelet Content Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for pooling blood components, such as platelets, are inefficient, leading to suboptimal production of therapeutic doses and wasting of whole blood units, as the platelet content of intermediate components is unknown, requiring excessive pooling to ensure therapeutic doses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine optimal combinations of intermediate fluid volumes with known platelet content to create fluid products with a minimum target content, using a controller and pump to pool these volumes into final products, maximizing the number of products with the desired platelet content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pooling methods are used without knowing intermediate component content, then therapeutic dose requirements are met, but production efficiency decreases and whole blood units are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent measures and records the platelet content of intermediate components (buffy coat or platelet rich plasma) before pooling, so that this information is available for optimization. This preliminary measurement allows the system to know exactly how many platelets are in each intermediate unit, enabling intelligent combination planning rather than random pooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from fixed pooling (always pooling 4 units) to variable pooling (pooling different numbers of units based on their measured platelet content). By using the measured platelet content parameter to determine pooling strategy, the system can achieve therapeutic doses with fewer units when possible, or identify when units should be used individually.
2Reliability
If fixed pooling of four units is used, then therapeutic dose is ensured, but maximum number of products cannot be produced from available whole blood units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic pooling strategy where the number of units to pool is not fixed but varies based on measured platelet content. The system calculates optimal combinations by considering the actual platelet count in each intermediate unit, allowing flexible adjustment of pooling size to maximize product output while ensuring each final product meets the 3.0e11 platelet threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/fixed pooling approach with an intelligent calculation system that uses measured platelet content data to determine optimal combinations. Instead of always pooling four units regardless of content, the system calculates which combinations will achieve therapeutic doses and maximizes the number of such combinations from available units.
3Productivity
If intermediate fluid volumes with known content are optimally combined, then number of final products increases, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback from platelet content measurements of intermediate components to guide the pooling process. The measured content information feeds into the combination calculation algorithm, which then determines the optimal pooling strategy. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt to the actual platelet distribution in available units and maximize product output accordingly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pooling process into distinct phases: measurement of intermediate platelet content, calculation of optimal combinations based on those measurements, and execution of the pooling according to the calculated plan. This segmentation allows the complex optimization problem to be broken down into manageable steps that can be implemented systematically.
Data Source
AI summary
A method (and a system for implementing such method) for creating a plurality of fluid products each having a minimum content of a fluid component includes providing a plurality of intermediate fluid volumes each having a known content of a fluid component. The intermediate fluid volumes are grouped by fluid component content, followed by a determination of whether two of the intermediate fluid volumes may be pooled to achieve the minimum content for a final fluid product. The method proceeds with creating combinations of three and then more intermediate fluid volumes achieving the minimum content for a final fluid product, followed by creating combinations of intermediate fluid volumes exceeding the minimum content. Each intermediate fluid volume is assigned to only one of the combinations, with the intermediate fluid volumes being assigned to the combinations so as to maximize the number of combinations and, thus, the number of final fluid products.