Talisman's long term objective is to develop a fully integrated, automated blood donor processing system that will be the industry standard for quality, safety and cost-effectiveness.
Aims of Phase II research are: 1) expand Talisman's current multimedia interactive video donor health history screening system into a fully integrated, automated donor processing system, 2) successfully implement the resultant system in three blood centers, 3) evaluate the system's commercial potential, and 4) assess its societal impacts. Research design and methods involve sequential design, development, testing and validation of computer based modules for all donor processing functions from registration, through screening and checkout. The research includes analysis of donors, staff and management reactions to the system, determination of the system's net cost-benefits, assessment of its domestic and foreign commercial potential, and evaluation of the system's capability of enhancing blood safety and increasing blood availability. The most innovative aspects of the research are the development and validation of a series of decision algorithms for determining donor suitability based on donor information regarding prior donation history, key health and behavioral characteristics, and outcome from a mini physical. The completed system will address 40% of blood banking costs and 60% of reportable errors.
With 25,000,000 annual US blood and plasma donations, and three or four times this market world wide, depending on automation cost savings and how potential implementers value benefits, the system could be worth tens of millions of dollars. If the system were successful in preventing just one donation that ultimately resulted in a product recall from entering a plasma pool, the value to the manufacturer could be in excess of $1,000,000.
