Abstract: A donor processing and information management system disclosed herein allows donor processing centers to facilitate their operations and decrease the use of paperwork and forms by using electronic workstations to enter donor and donation information. Embodiments of the system also facilitate operations of the donor processing centers by automating the management of donors, thus reducing the number of staff necessary to run the center. Donors and donor center staff use workstations to enter biographical data, answer questions, and edit information entered into a database in order to reduce human error and increase efficiency. Thus, embodiments of the system may completely eliminate the use of burdensome forms and automate the entire blood donation process for donor processing centers, whether operating with in-line, real time hardware interfaces at a fixed location, or at mobile locations, where data is collected onsite and transmitted to one or more offsite databases.

Abstract: A holder is disclosed for use with a needle for collecting blood from a donor, the needle having a sharp tip at one end and being mounted in a hub at the other end. The holder is in the form of an elongated tubular member made of plastic and which is open at one end to allow insertion of a blood collection tube and has an opening at the other end to allow insertion of the needle, the latter end being sized so as to allow the needle to pass through but to frictionally engage and snugly hold the hub of the needle when the needle is inserted therein. A cover is hingedly mounted on the holder for closing off the end for receiving the blood collection tube and a bracket is fixedly attached to the tubular member for mounting purposes. The holder may be used as a device for assisting a person in safely and easily inserting the type of needle described above into a blood collection tube and may also be used as a receptacle for temporary or permanent storge of such a needle.

Abstract: A device for use in detaching a segment filled with blood from a blood transfusion bag and at the same time making a tear in the segment so that the blood contained therein can be extracted for test purposes is disclosed. The device comprises a unitary rigid structure molded from plastic and having a pair of channel shaped cavity sections hingedly interconnected and sized and shaped so as to fit around at least a portion of the sample segment to be removed along its length, with one cavity section on each side thereof. A pair of projections, each terminating in a sharp point, are formed on one of the cavity sections. One of the projections is positioned so that it penetrates and produces a tear in the end seal at the inner end of the sample segment when the sample segment is placed properly in the device and two cavity sections are closed around the sample segment, the tear enabling the sample segment to be easily pulled or broken off from the blood transfusion bag.

Abstract: A holder is disclosed for use with a needle for collecting blood from a donor, the needle having a sharp tip at one end and being mounted in a hub at the other end. The holder is in the form of an elongated tubular member made of plastic and which is open at one end to allow insertion of a blood collection tube and has an opening at the other end to allow insertion of the needle, the latter end being sized so as to allow the needle to pass through but to frictionally engage and snugly hold the hub of the needle when the needle is inserted therein. A cover is hingedly mounted on the holder for closing off the end for receiving the blood collection tube and a bracket is fixedly attached to the tubular member for mounting purposes. The holder may be used as a device for assisting a person in safely and easily inserting the type of needle described above into a blood collection tube and may also be used as a receptacle for temporary or permanent storage of such a needle.