US-12620480-B2 - Apheresis devices fleet management system and method

US12620480B2US 12620480 B2US12620480 B2US 12620480B2US-12620480-B2

Abstract

A fleet management system includes apheresis devices and a fleet management device remotely located from and in communication with the apheresis devices. Each apheresis device has a controller, firmware and firmware settings. The fleet management device includes an interface to allow a user to interact with the fleet management device, a server and a processor. The server receives information regarding the firmware/firmware settings of each of the apheresis devices and a firmware file from the user and/or a remote repository. The processor processes the information to determine which of the apheresis devices requires an update to the firmware/firmware settings. The server then distributes the firmware file to each apheresis device that requires the update. The system may also develop a fleet model for one or more donation centers that includes a recommend quantity of devices for the location(s) and/or whether devices should be moved from one location to another.

Inventors

Melvin Tan

Assignees

HAEMONETICS CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20190826

Claims (20)

1 . A fleet management system comprising: a first plurality of apheresis device, each of the first plurality of apheresis devices having a controller, firmware and firmware settings; a fleet management device remotely located from and in communication with each of the first plurality of apheresis devices, the fleet management device including: an interface configured to allow a user to interact with the fleet management device; a server configured to continuously or periodically request and receive information regarding the firmware and firmware settings of each of the first plurality of apheresis devices over a network and configured to receive a firmware file from the user and/or a remote repository; and a processor configured to: monitor the first plurality of apheresis devices by processing the information regarding the firmware and firmware settings received from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices to determine which of the first plurality of apheresis devices requires an update to the firmware and/or firmware settings, wherein the server is configured to distribute the firmware file to each of the first plurality of apheresis devices that require the update, and compile or analyze the information regarding the firmware and firmware settings received from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices to identify discrepancies between the firmware and firmware settings of two or more of the first plurality of apheresis devices, wherein the fleet management device is configured to notify the user of any discrepancies and/or distribute the firmware file to at least one of the plurality of apheresis devices to correct the discrepancies between the firmware and firmware setting of the first plurality of apheresis devices and pre-emptively ensure that each of the first plurality of apheresis devices are operating with the same firmware and firmware settings and each of the first plurality of apheresis devices is operating properly.
2 . A fleet management system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second plurality of apheresis devices located remotely from the fleet management device and in communication with the fleet management device.
3 . A fleet management system according to claim 2 , wherein: the server is further configured to receive information regarding the firmware and firmware settings of each of the second plurality of apheresis devices, and the processor is further configured to process the information received from each of the second plurality of apheresis devices to determine which of the second plurality of apheresis devices requires an update to the firmware and/or firmware settings, the server configured to distribute the firmware file to each of the second plurality of apheresis devices that require the update.
4 . A fleet management system according to claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of apheresis devices are located in a first donation center and the second plurality of apheresis devices are located in a second donation center.
5 . A fleet management system according to claim 1 , wherein the fleet management device is configured to allow a user to remotely manage and/or monitor the firmware files and/or firmware settings of each of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
6 . A fleet management system according to claim 5 , wherein the fleet management device is configured to alert a user if the firmware file and/or a firmware setting file is successfully or unsuccessfully installed on the at least one of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
7 . A fleet management system according to claim 1 , wherein the fleet management device is configured to collect additional information from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
8 . A fleet management system according to claim 7 , wherein the collected additional information includes information selected from the group consisting of the apheresis procedures performed, productivity information, utilization information, quantity of apheresis devices within a donation center, performance data, and inventory data.
9 . A fleet management system according to claim 1 , wherein the fleet management device is configured to generate a fleet model for one or more donation centers.
10 . A fleet management system according to claim 9 , wherein the fleet model is based, at least in part, upon information selected from the group consisting of productivity, utilization, telemetry, inventory, quantity, consumption, cost, timing, average, rate, speed data and other performance or production data of the same.
11 . A fleet management system according to claim 9 , wherein the fleet model includes recommended apheresis device quantities for one or more donation centers, the server configured to notify the user of the fleet model and recommended apheresis device quantities.
12 . A fleet management system according to claim 1 , wherein the fleet management device includes a data storage device configured to store information received from the first plurality of apheresis devices.
13 . A fleet management device comprising: an interface configured to allow a user to interact with the fleet management device; a server in communication with a first plurality of apheresis device located remotely over a network from the fleet management device, the server configured to continuously or periodically request and receive information regarding the firmware and firmware settings of each of the first plurality of apheresis devices and configured to receive a firmware file from the user and/or a remote repository; and a processor configured to; monitor the first plurality of apheresis devices by processing the information regarding the firmware and firmware settings received from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices to determine which of the first plurality of apheresis devices requires an update to the firmware and/or firmware settings, wherein the server is configured to distribute the firmware file to each of the first plurality of apheresis devices that require the update, and compile or analyze the information regarding the firmware and firmware settings received from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices to identify discrepancies between the firmware and firmware settings of two or more of the first plurality of apheresis devices, wherein the fleet management device is configured to notify the user of any discrepancies and/or distribute the firmware file to at least one of the plurality of apheresis devices to correct the discrepancies between the firmware and firmware settings of the first plurality of apheresis devices and pre-emptively ensure that each of the first plurality of apheresis devices are operating with the same firmware and firmware settings and each of the first plurality of apheresis devices is operating properly.
14 . A fleet management device according to claim 13 , wherein the server is also in communication with a second plurality of apheresis devices located remotely from the fleet management device.
15 . A fleet management device according to claim 14 , wherein: the server is further configured to receive information regarding the firmware and firmware settings of each of the second plurality of apheresis devices, and the processor is further configured to process the information received from each of the second plurality of apheresis devices to determine which of the second plurality of apheresis devices requires an update to the firmware and/or firmware settings, the server configured to distribute the firmware file to each of the second plurality of apheresis devices that require the update.
16 . A fleet management device according to claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of apheresis devices are located in a first donation center and the second plurality of apheresis devices are located in a second donation center.
17 . A fleet management device according to claim 13 , wherein the fleet management device is configured to allow a user to remotely manage and/or monitor the firmware files and/or firmware settings of each of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
18 . A fleet management device according to claim 17 , wherein the server is configured to alert a user if the firmware file and/or a firmware setting file is successfully or unsuccessfully installed on the at least one of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
19 . A fleet management device according to claim 13 , wherein the server is configured to receive additional information from each of the first plurality of apheresis devices.
20 . A fleet management device according to claim 19 , wherein the additional information includes information selected from the group consisting of the apheresis procedures performed, productivity information, utilization information, quantity of apheresis devices within a donation center, performance data, and inventory data.

Description

PRIORITY This patent application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 national stage filing of International Application No. PCT/US2019/048092, filed on Aug. 26, 2019, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/722,960, filed Aug. 26, 2018, entitled “Apheresis Devices Fleet Management,”, and naming Melvin Tan as inventor. The disclosure of each of the foregoing applications is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to managing apheresis devices, and more particularly to the oversight and management of a plurality of apheresis devices from a remote location and methods of the same. BACKGROUND ART Apheresis is a procedure in which individual blood components can be separated and collected from whole blood withdrawn from a subject, and an apheresis device is medical equipment designed and intended to perform an apheresis procedure. Donation centers typically have more than one apheresis device and each device is usually configured to operate in exactly the same way to comply with the donation center's standard operating procedures and for regulatory compliance. The configuration of the apheresis device is predicated by both the embedded software in the device, also known as the device firmware, and the varied collection of firmware settings to dictate how each feature of the device operates and performs. To change or update the firmware version of an apheresis device, the user currently has to locally access the device through the device's built-in controller, input methods, and display outputs. Then the user downloads the firmware file to the individual device and performs the firmware update from within the built-in device controller (i.e., at each device). To perform the same procedure on a number of apheresis devices, the above procedure must be repeated for each of the devices locally. Similarly, to change or update a firmware setting value of an apheresis device, the user must also locally accesses the device through the device's built-in controller, input methods, and display outputs. This, in turn, gives the user access to the firmware settings and allows the user to change the firmware setting value(s) by manual manipulation or by reading, inputting, or scanning a pre-encoded firmware setting. To perform the same procedure on a plurality of apheresis devices, the user must once again repeat the procedure for each of the devices locally. In addition to having to update each device individually, the user must also access each device locally to merely inspect whether the devices are configured to run exactly the same way. Therefore, after the user accesses the apheresis device through the device's built-in controller, input methods, and display outputs, the user may check the firmware version and firmware setting values for individual devices. This is performed individually on each device by physically manipulating the controls of the apheresis device and reviewing the values of each firmware setting. Depending on the number of devices within a given donation center, this may be a very time consuming task. SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS In various embodiments of the present invention, a company staff member may use a computer system from a remote location to oversee and manage at least one apheresis device in the company's fleet. From this remote location, the user can manage the apheresis device firmware file, firmware settings, and perform inspection of firmware settings without requiring any physical manipulation of the controls on the built-in apheresis device controller itself. The system may be connected from a central location or a remote location to a number of apheresis devices. This connectivity may be persistent or may be intermittent. The system may receive a firmware file from the user or from an external repository, and the file may be distributed to at least one apheresis device for installation on the device. The system may alert the user when the firmware file has been installed successfully or unsuccessfully. Alternatively, the user may also use the system to inspect the firmware version of the apheresis device to confirm if the firmware file has been installed successfully or unsuccessfully. The system may receive a firmware setting file from the user, from an external repository, or from an apheresis device. The firmware setting file may be used for configuring a number of apheresis devices in the company's fleet (e.g., within one donation center or multiple donation centers). The firmware setting file may be distributed to the apheresis device(s) for the device to apply the changes represented in the firmware setting file. The system may alert the user when the firmware setting changes have been applied successfully or unsuccessfully. Alternatively, the user may also use the system to inspect the firmware settings of the apheresis device to confirm if the firmware setting file changes were applied successfully or unsuccessful