Blood Donation and Blood Collection Systems using Single Board Computers

Author - Laura

Last week was National Blood Week 2015, which aimed to significantly increase the number of blood donors around the UK. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has revealed that 40% fewer new blood donors came forward across England and North Wales last year to give blood compared to this time a decade ago.

So last night, along with my blood donor buddy Toni, I went along to the session at Swindon Town Football Club and donated a full pint of the good stuff. Apparently my lovely B Positive blood is in demand as it’s quite rare. Only 9% of the UK donor population has this group, so it’s really important to keep donating whenever I can; at least 3 times a year.

The wonderful people at NHS Blood and Transplant collect 1.8 million units of blood each year from over 23,000 blood donation sessions across England and North Wales. Blood donation is a fairly simple process. Once the donor carer has done the relevant checks, and the needle is inserted, blood is collected in a bag out of sight. An agitator scale constantly wiggles, weighs and measures your donation and stops automatically when your donation is complete. A pint of blood normally takes about 7-8 minutes to collect. Easy peasy.

But the technology behind blood collection isn’t quite as straightforward…


VersaLogic Computers Keep Automated Blood Collection System Flowing

Automated blood collection systems are used to collect a combination of red blood cells, platelets, and plasma from donors. These computerised systems minimise operator intervention, integrate key functions, and provide important data at a moment's notice, thereby enhancing the efficiency of blood centre operations.

At the heart of one of the most widely used automated blood collection systems in the USA are two VersaLogic Single Board Computers (SBCs). The system relies on one VersaLogic board to perform control functions, while the other board is used as a safety computer. The state-of-the-art system uses cell separators that allow for the division of the various blood components in a high-speed centrifugal field while the device is still connected to the donor.

This process allows collection of any combination of red blood cells, platelets, and plasma while returning unneeded components to the donor, thereby allowing more frequent donations. The high reliability and long-term availability of VersaLogic SBCs were key elements in the selection of the VersaLogic solution. In addition, VersaLogic accommodated customisation requests that allowed communication between the CPU board, multiple peripherals, and the manufacturer’s I/O platform.



Donated blood is a lifeline for many people needing long-term treatments, not just in emergencies. Your blood's main components: red cells, plasma and platelets are vital for many different uses.

More donors are needed. You won't miss it when you give it; but patients could miss it if you don't.

If you've never donated before, or if you have but it's been a while, you can register at blood.co.uk and book your first appointment online.

Have a great weekend!

General Standards - Frequently Asked Questions

General Standards Corporation develops and manufactures the highest-performance Analog I/O, Digital I/O and Serial I/O products based upon a variety of buses such as PMC, PCI, VME, PC/104 and cPCI.

Their extensive product line (currently over 70 different products) includes I/O boards, high speed links, cables,and software drivers, all designed to increase your system performance, improve your software integration, and maximise your development productivity.

As part of their ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction General Standards has put together answers to their most frequently asked technical support questions.

You can also visit the website, www.generalstandards.com, for the latest product brochures and upcoming product announcements.

If you'd like to see the technology in the flesh please visit us on Stand S4-453 at DSEI 2015, where we will be showcasing a number of General Standards products.

For more information please contact Sarsen Technology on +44 1672 511166 or send us an email - info@sarsen.net

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Sarsen Technology takes part in various events throughout the year across a number of markets and technology sectors, sometimes as a visitor and quite often as an exhibitor. This is just a snapshot of our upcoming events, so if you would like more information please contact Laura Biddiscombe for details.

• June 9th - VentureFest, Bristol - A one-day event showcasing Bristol and Bath’s most innovative and enterprising companies and start-ups. This is a free event, however you will need a ticket.


• June 17th -  NMI Model Driven Engineering 2015 - As a member of NMI we get access to some great events. This one, held at Thales in Crawley, is mostly focussed on electronics and software domains, reflecting the interests of NMI members and guests.


• September 15th-18th - DSEI 2015 - DSEI brings together the entire defence and security industry to source the latest equipment and systems, develop international relationships, and generate new business opportunities. Sarsen Technology will be exhibiting within the UK Pavilion on stand S4-453, where you can see an exciting range of embedded technology from BittWare, Ecrin Systems, Extreme Engineering, General Standards and Tech Source.


• October 21st - 22nd - Embedded Design Show 2015 - Following last years' successful exhibition we are pleased to once again be taking part alongside the team from DAVE Embedded Systems. You can find us on Stand G32, where we will be showcasing the complete range of SoMs from DAVE Embedded Systems, based on FPGA technology, ARM Cortex-A architecture, Freescale and Texas Instruments processors and Xilinx SoC.