Decentralized Blood Bank Management System

Satwinder Kaur, Samrat Mandal, Simran Kamboj, Harshit Massand

Department: School of Computer Applications

Email ID:- satwinder.28958@lpu.co.in , samratmandal423@gmail.com,
massandharshit@gmail.com, simrankamboj320@gmail.com
ABSTRACT

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for efficient and reliable blood bank management
systems. This paper proposes a novel, decentralized blood bank management system that aims to
streamline blood donation campaigns and improve the overall efficiency of the blood supply chain.
The proposed system utilizes blockchain technology to securely store and track information about
blood donors, recipients, and blood bags. The platform enables hospitals and NGOs to collaborate
more effectively by aggregating blood donor information based on user registration location.
Additionally, the platform allows individual users to request blood from registered blood banks. To
facilitate identification verification and blood bag tracking, the system employs Soul Bound Tokens
(SBT). The decentralized nature of the platform offers increased transparency, traceability, and
security while reducing the risk of data tampering and fraud.

I. INTRODUCTION
Blood transfusions play a crucial role in modern healthcare, saving lives and improving the quality of
life for millions of patients every year. However, the management of blood banks and the
coordination of blood donation campaigns can be challenging due to various factors, such as donor
availability [4], storage capacity, and logistical issues. Centralized blood bank management systems
have been traditionally used to address these challenges, but they often suffer from inefficiencies,
lack of transparency, and potential data security risks. As a result, there is a need for a more efficient
and secure blood bank management system.

This paper presents a decentralized blood bank management system that leverages blockchain
technology to revolutionize the way blood donation campaigns are conducted and managed. The
core idea of the proposed system is to establish a decentralized platform that unites hospitals, NGOs,
blood donors, and recipients, facilitating more effective collaboration and coordination among these
stakeholders. By aggregating blood donor information based on user registration location, the
platform streamlines the process of matching donors with recipients and enables individual users to
request blood from registered blood banks.

One of the key innovations of the proposed system is the use of Soul Bound Tokens (SBT) for
identification verification and blood bag tracking. Each participating user, whether a donor or a
recipient, is given an SBT token that serves as a unique identifier. Similarly, every blood bag within
the system is assigned an SBT token, effectively linking it to the corresponding donor and recipient.
This token-based tracking mechanism ensures the integrity and traceability of the blood supply
chain, reducing the risk of errors and fraud.

The decentralized nature of the platform offers several advantages over traditional centralized
systems. First, it provides increased transparency, as all transactions and data are publicly recorded
on the blockchain, enabling stakeholders to verify the authenticity and accuracy of the information.
Second, it ensures greater data security, as the blockchain is resistant to tampering and data
breaches [3]. Finally, the system's decentralized structure allows for increased scalability and
adaptability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications and use cases.

In the following sections, we will provide a detailed overview of the proposed decentralized blood
bank management system, including its architecture, functionality, and key features. We will also
discuss the potential benefits and challenges of implementing such a system and present a case
study to demonstrate its effectiveness in a real-world scenario.

Keywords: Decentralized Blood Bank Management System, Blockchain, Blood Donation Campaigns,

Blood Request, Soul Bound Tokens, NGOs, Hospitals.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

1.Blockchain Technology in Healthcare

Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution for various applications in healthcare,
such as electronic health records (EHR) management, patient consent management, and drug supply
chain management (Mettler, 2016) [7]. Blockchain's decentralized, tamper-proof, and transparent
nature makes it well-suited for these applications, where trust, data integrity, and privacy are of
utmost importance (Kuo, Kim, & Ohno-Machado, 2017) [10].

2. Blood Bank Management and Blockchain

The application of blockchain technology in blood bank management has been discussed in several
studies. Blockchain technology can play a significant role in blood donation by providing a secure and
transparent platform for tracking the blood supply chain and ensuring the safety and quality of
donated blood [3,5,6]. One notable example is the work of Sharma and Park (2019), who proposed a
blockchain-based system for tracking blood donations from donors to recipients. The study
demonstrated that blockchain technology could improve the traceability, transparency, and security
of blood supply chains, thereby increasing trust among stakeholders and reducing the risk of fraud
and contamination [9].

Similarly, Rajput et al. (2020) proposed a blockchain-based blood bank management system that
leverages smart contracts for handling blood requests, donations, and transfers. The system enables
donors, blood banks, and recipients to interact directly without intermediaries, ensuring the privacy
and security of their data. The authors argue that such a decentralized approach can help reduce the
time and cost associated with blood bank operations [8].

3.Soul Bound Tokens in Decentralized Systems

The concept of Soul Bound Tokens (SBT) has been proposed as a solution for identity verification and
data tracking in decentralized systems. SBTs are unique, non-transferable tokens that can be
cryptographically linked to an individual or an asset, making them suitable for applications where
identity verification and traceability are crucial.

4.SBTs in Blood Bank Management

Applying SBTs to blood bank management can help enhance the efficiency and security of blood
donation and distribution processes. By assigning an SBT to each blood bag, the system can track the
blood's journey from donor to recipient, ensuring that every unit is accounted for and reducing the
risk of mismanagement or fraud.

In addition, SBTs can be used to verify the identities of donors and requesters, ensuring that only
eligible individuals can participate in the blood donation process. This can help prevent unauthorized
access to sensitive data and protect the privacy of donors and recipients.

5.Challenges and Future Directions

While the potential benefits of decentralized blood bank management systems based on blockchain
technology and SBTs are evident, there are several challenges that need to be addressed before such
systems can be widely adopted:

A. Scalability: As the number of participants and transactions in the network increases, the
computational and storage requirements for managing the blockchain may become a
bottleneck .
B. Interoperability: In order for a decentralized blood bank management system to be effective,
it must be compatible with existing blood bank systems and healthcare infrastructure
(Gordon & Catalini, 2018) [11].
C. Regulatory compliance: Implementing blockchain-based systems in healthcare requires
compliance with various regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (Mougayar, 2016) [12].
D. Adoption: Convincing stakeholders in the blood bank ecosystem to adopt a
new, decentralized system may be challenging, as it requires them to relinquish control over
certain aspects of their operations.

Future research should focus on addressing these challenges and exploring the feasibility of
integrating decentralized blood bank management systems with existing healthcare infrastructure. In
addition, the potential benefits of incorporating other emerging technologies, such as artificial
intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), should be further investigated.

III. METHODOLOGY
BLOCKCHAIN: Blockchain is a type of digital ledger that is decentralized, distributed, and
unchangeable. It keeps a continuously growing list of transactions that are recorded in a block. Each
block is securely linked to the previous block using cryptographic hashes and contains information
such as block header, block hash, nonce, and transaction information. Essentially, blockchain is like a
digital register where each page is a block consisting of information about transactions. The register
is present on multiple computers, ensuring that no one person has complete access and control over
it. When new transactions occur, a new block is added to the chain.

The first major public use case of blockchain was in 2008 with the creation of Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer
decentralized digital currency by Satoshi Nakamoto [1]. Once information is stored on the blockchain,
it cannot be altered or erased, making it permanent and immutable. The use of cryptographic
algorithms provides high levels of security, making it difficult for hackers to tamper with the
information stored on the blockchain.

DECENTRALIZATION: Centralized systems were previously utilized for recording transactions prior to
the emergence of blockchain technology. However, such systems were susceptible to fraud,
tampering, and manipulation of records. In contrast, blockchain operates on a peer-to-peer network
that is not controlled by a single individual or entity, thereby making it arduous for anyone to modify
the information stored on it. In a blockchain network, each node maintains the current state of the
blockchain and collaborates with other nodes through a set of rules (known as consensus protocols)
to verify a transaction and consolidate a fixed number of transactions into a merkle root, which is
then used to generate a new block through a process called mining. This new block is added to the
copy of the blockchain that all nodes possess in real-time.

SMART CONTRACT: A smart contract is a type of computer program that is saved on a blockchain
network and carries out certain actions automatically when certain conditions are met. Typically
written in a high-level programming language like Solidity (used for Ethereum blockchain), a smart
contract outlines the terms and outcomes of a transaction between different parties and executes
these terms automatically once the necessary conditions are fulfilled. As a result, smart contracts are
self-executing and require no human involvement after being deployed on a blockchain, enabling
automation. [2]

SOUL BOUND TOKEN: A soul bound token is a distinct type of cryptographic token that is produced
through a procedure that links the token to the owner's identity, specifically their wallet. This linking
process guarantees that each token is exclusively owned and controlled by a single individual, and it
cannot be replicated or transferred to another person, which sets it apart from other non-fungible
tokens (NFTs).

A. System Architecture

The proposed decentralized blood bank management system consists of several key components:

I. Blockchain network: A permissioned blockchain network is used to store and manage all

transaction data related to blood donation, requests, and transfers. The network ensures
transparency, immutability, and security of the data.
II. Smart contracts: These self-executing contracts define the rules, conditions, and actions
associated with blood donation, request, and distribution. They automatically execute when
predefined conditions are met [2].
III. User registration system: A user registration module enables donors, recipients, and blood
bank administrators to create accounts within the system.
IV. Geolocation module: This module allows users to input their location data and enables the
system to match donors with nearby blood banks and recipients.
V. Soul Bound Tokens (SBT): These unique tokens serve as identifiers for registered users and
blood bags, facilitating tracking and verification.

B. Workflow

The DBBMS workflow consists of the following steps:

I. User registration: Donors, recipients, and blood bank administrators create accounts on the

platform, providing their personal information, medical history, and location data.
 II. Blood donation campaign initiation: Hospitals and NGOs can initiate blood donation
campaigns based on user registration location data. The system then matches potential
donors with nearby blood banks.
III. Blood donation: Donors visit the designated blood bank to donate blood. Upon successful
blood donation, the donor and the blood bag are assigned unique SBTs.
IV. Blood request: A registered user in need of blood can submit a blood request through the
platform, specifying the required blood type, quantity, and location. Also, if a hospital is in
need of blood that is not available in the blood bank, it can request registered user in that
location for blood donation.
V. Blood allocation: The system matches the blood request with available blood bags in nearby
blood banks. Smart contracts ensure that the blood is allocated according to predefined rules
and conditions.
VI. Blood transfer: The allocated blood is transferred to the requesting user or medical facility.
The blockchain network records the transfer, updating the status of the corresponding SBTs.

IV. IMPLEMENTATIONS
1.Blockchain Network

We propose using a permissioned blockchain network such as Hyperledger Fabric, Quorum,

or Corda for implementing the DBBMS. These platforms provide a high degree of security, scalability,
and performance, while allowing customization of consensus algorithms and access control to ensure
data privacy.

2. Smart Contracts

Smart contracts must be developed to manage various aspects of the DBBMS, including blood
donation, request, and distribution. These contracts should be programmed using a language
compatible with the chosen blockchain platform, such as Solidity for Ethereum-based platforms or
Chaincode for Hyperledger Fabric [2].

3. User Registration System

A web or mobile application should be developed to facilitate user registration. This application

should integrate with the blockchain network to securely store user data and generate SBTs for
registered users. The user interface should be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing for easy input
of personal information, medical history, and location data.

4. Geolocation Module

This module can be implemented using existing geolocation APIs, such as Google Maps
API or OpenStreetMap API, to enable users to input their location data and to match donors with
nearby blood banks and recipients.

5. Soul Bound Tokens (SBT)

SBTs can be implemented as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the chosen blockchain platform. NFTs are
unique digital assets that can be used to represent individuals and blood bags within the DBBMS. By
assigning unique SBTs to donors and blood bags, the system can efficiently track and verify blood
supply throughout the network.

V. Conclusion
The proposed decentralized blood bank management system offers a novel approach to address the
inefficiencies and lack of transparency in traditional blood bank management systems. By leveraging
blockchain technology, geolocation data, and Soul Bound Tokens, the DBBMS enables seamless
collaboration between hospitals, NGOs, donors, and recipients, ensuring timely access to blood for
patients in need. Future work may involve exploring the integration of additional features, such as
real-time monitoring of blood supply levels and incorporating incentives for blood donation.

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