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ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF BLOOD-TESTING PROCEDURES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2017

Shaul K. Bar-Lev
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel E-mail: barlev@stat.haifa.ac.il
Onno Boxma
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands E-mail: o.j.boxma@tue.nl
David Perry
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel E-mail: dperry@stat.haifa.ac.il
Lazaros P. Vastazos
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands E-mail: l.p.vastazos@hotmail.com

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the performance analysis and optimization of blood testing procedures. We present a queueing model of two queues in series, representing the two stages of a blood-testing procedure. Service (testing) in stage 1 is performed in batches, whereas it is done individually in stage 2. Since particular elements of blood can only be stored and used within a finite time window, the sojourn time of blood units in the system of two queues in series is an important performance measure, which we study in detail. We also introduce a profit objective function, taking into account blood acquisition and screening costs as well as profits for blood units, which were found uncontaminated and were tested fast enough. We optimize that profit objective function w.r.t. the batch size and the length of the time window.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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