The U.S. is facing an unprecedented blood shortage, with the number of blood donors declining 40% over the past two decades. Due to the continued growing need for blood products and decreased supply, innovative strategies for blood supply management are urgently needed to ensure that lifesaving treatments remain accessible.

Sir William Osler (1849–1919) was a physician who made important contributions to medicine, including an understanding of platelets, small cell fragments in the blood that help stop bleeding by forming clots. Though he wasn't the first to identify platelets, his observations clarified their importance in blood clotting and advancing medical knowledge of coagulation processes.