One of the biggest challenges facing America's blood supply is the loss of donors under the age of 30. On average only 3% of the U.S. population donates blood each year, and a recent poll of U.S. adults showed that only 15% of 18-to-34-year-olds donated blood in 2020.

Last year, Abbott became the first healthcare company to keynote the Consumer Electronics Show. They also partnered with Blood Centers of America (BCA), the largest blood supplier network in the U.S., to identify innovative solutions that help address the challenges blood centers are facing in recruiting blood donors.

At CES 2023, Abbott and BCA unveiled a mixed reality experience for use during blood donation. The new immersive digital experience is designed to improve the blood donation process, attract new donors and motivate a younger generation to give blood.

Participants visit a whimsical garden while listening to soothing music, and planting seeds that grow into colorful trees and flowers. The experience is currently being piloted on a limited basis at select Blood Centers of America locations nationwide. The mixed reality experience was based on research that natural settings are the most preferred environment as donors give blood.

Mixed reality is similar to virtual reality but allows users to see the real world around them as they immerse themselves in a digital world, whereas in virtual reality, users only experience the digital world.

"This innovative use of mixed reality is the most recent example of how Abbott is creating leading-edge technology to address a key health care need in the world – maintaining the blood supply," said Alex Carterson, divisional vice president, medical, scientific and clinical affairs, Abbott. "Not only is it an immersive and unique use of mixed reality controlled completely through eye tracking, but it's also a high-tech and creative way to improve the donation experience and make it more appealing for people to participate."

The mixed reality experience allows blood donation professionals to safely conduct the donation and interact with donors at every step of the process. Donors' eyes are always visible during donations to ensure monitoring and evaluation. Participants wear lightweight mixed reality headsets to enter a digital world but remain fully aware of their surroundings, ensuring a seamless, convenient, and safe donation.

"We're always looking for ways to cultivate the next generation of blood donors and find younger people interested in giving," said Harpreet K. Sandhu, CEO, of Stanford Blood Center (Palo Alto, Calif.) and chairperson of Blood Centers of America. "Some people are hesitant to donate for a variety of reasons or just don't think about giving blood. Since the need for blood is constant, we're continually looking for smart new ways that will appeal to people who have never donated before or maybe apprehensive. The mixed reality experience is a terrific way to get those people interested in participating. It adds a fun, interactive element to donation and it's easy and convenient for blood centers to use."

The mixed reality journey uses Microsoft HoloLens 2, the world's first self-contained holographic computer, enabling hands-free interaction with three-dimensional digital objects and a library of applications. Donors are offered a quick tutorial on the headsets and the mixed-reality world prior to use. The headsets can be adjusted for each donor's comfort and are easily integrated into the donation process.

"At Microsoft, we've seen the impact digital technologies can have in healthcare – from empowering health team collaboration and increasing clinician productivity to enhancing the patient experience," said David C. Rhew, M.D., global chief medical officer and vice president of healthcare, Microsoft. "We're pleased to see Abbott embrace mixed reality to create a positive experience for blood donors and to encourage the public to donate."

BCA thanks Abbott for helping us to identify and implement innovative solutions to address the challenges BCA blood centers are facing recruiting blood donors. Congratulations on receiving the BCA President's Award. https://t.co/NmkSaPyGIg

— Blood Centers of America (@BCAbloodcenters) April 27, 2022