Blockchain and Digital Supply Chains for Medical Device Traceability

Medical device traceability is vital to ensure patient safety, compliance with regulations, and efficiency in the supply chain but traditional supply chains are often affected by inefficiency, risks of counterfeit, and lack of transparency. This chapter addresses these challenges by proposing a digital supply chain framework based on a blockchain system along with IoT sensors and smart contracts to facilitate real-time secure and auditable medical device tracking from manufacturers to end-users. The methodology is implemented based on a permissioned blockchain (Hyperledger Fabric), IoT-enabled sensor networks (RFID, GPS, temperature/humidity monitor), middleware for data validation and automated smart contracts for device validation, shipment tracking and recall management. Performance analysis shows the...