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Modeling and simulation of blood collection systems
Edgar Alfonso1, Xiaolan Xie, Vincent Augusto
1Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, 158 cours Fauriel, 42023 Saint-Étienne cedex 2, France.
This study models French blood collection systems using Petri nets to optimize resources for whole blood, plasma, and platelet donors. Simulation results aid in planning staffing and appointment strategies for various donor arrival patterns.
Area of Science:
- Operations Research
- Healthcare Systems Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Efficient blood collection is vital for healthcare systems.
- Current blood collection systems face challenges in managing donor flow and resource allocation.
- Optimizing fixed and mobile blood drives requires robust modeling approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate simulation models for French blood collection systems.
- To analyze the impact of donor arrival patterns on system performance.
- To inform human resource planning and donor appointment strategies.
Main Methods:
- Petri net modeling to represent blood collection processes, donor behaviors, and resource needs.
- Quantitative enrichment of Petri nets with arrival rates, activity durations, and capacities.
- Development of simulation models implementable in standard simulation languages.
- Performance indicator definition for system evaluation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the utility of Petri net models for detailed process description.
- Quantified the influence of donor arrival variability on system efficiency.
- Simulation models successfully evaluated different resource planning and appointment strategies.
- Identified optimal strategies for managing walk-in and scheduled donors.
Conclusions:
- Petri net-based simulation offers a powerful tool for optimizing blood collection logistics.
- Effective human resource and appointment scheduling are crucial for maximizing collection efficiency.
- The models provide a flexible framework for adapting to diverse operational scenarios and donor patterns.
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