A Matheuristic for the Biomedical Sample Transportation Problem with Interdependent Pickups

A Laboratory Network is formed by collection centres (SCCs) where samples are taken from patients and a laboratory (lab) where samples are analyzed. Given specific collection periods, the Biomedical Sample Transportation Problem (BSTP) determines the number of visits to each SCC, the beginning of collection periods, and routing decisions to transport samples to the lab in a timely manner. The short lifetime of samples causes interdependence between pickups and routing decisions, which make the BSTP challenging. In this study, the BSTP is modelled as a vehicle routing problem with interdependent pickups. A matheuristic approach is proposed to solve real instances.